darin
05-28-2015, 02:19 PM
Greed.
Greed is a buzzword used in political and media people in attempts to stigmatize and divide and generate outrage within the audience.
The rampant GREED of “The Poor” nauseates me.
Let’s find the Greed.
Billy Catterton is a young man living off $15 per hour near Mobile, Alabama. Billy’s work ethic provides – via his wage – him enough income to cover a studio apartment, food staples, and bus fare to and from work. Billy’s rent, food, clothes, and transportation cost him about $2000/month. Billy works 40 hours per week. While riding the bus to work Billy notices a young man – seemingly a couple years older than himself – driving a 2008 Ford Mustang GT. Billy continues on to work that day but he is distracted by the sight of who he deems a peer driving what Billy thinks is a great car. On the bus trip home Billy starts doing a little back of the envelope math using his hourly wage compared to his bills. Based on Billy’s best guess, a 2008 Mustang GT will cost him about $15000, and if he can secure a loan his montly payment might be about $350 x 4 years. Making about $2600/month, Billy knows a car payment plus insurance costs and fuel costs would leave him very close to – if not over – the edge.
Billy really wants that car.
The next day Billy approaches his manager and asks for 5 more hours of work per week. Billy does not want to work more, but his desire for the Mustang outweighs the desire to sit on his couch. Working the extra hours will earn more than $300 per month in extra pay. After his boss approved the extra work, Billy bought a 2008 Mustang GT and began driving himself to work.
Billy saw. Coveted. Billy thought. Conspired. Billy worked. Effort. Billy possessed.
Billy’s greed brought him something he wanted. Billy didn’t NEED a Mustang. Billy craved a Mustang. Was it unfair to the other bus riders? Was Billy adding to their economic oppression by taking from the Bus service valuable income? Was it insensitive of Billy to drive past his former bus stop – right in front of the other riders?
Miriam Del Pino has two children. Miriam loves her children and wants to provide for them beyond her current situation – Miriam receives welfare payments and EBT card for purchasing food. Every couple of days Miriam brings her children to the store – a WalMart - to buy food and every trip Miriam passes dozens of fast-food restaurants and an auto parts restaurant. As Miriam walks through WalMart she sees a lot of nice things. Miriam is particularly interested in a new 4K LED LCD HDTV. At more than $2000 Miriam cannot afford the TV. After months of seeing other shoppers buy the TV Miriam writes her local congresswoman complaining about the low amount of money Miriam collects through the Wellfare program. Siezing an opportunity, the Congresswoman gives a speech calling for higher taxes from the working to support wellfare recipients and uses Miriam as an example – a woman struggling to raise two children, while having to bus them to the grocery and back because Miriam cannot afford a car. The next congressional session brings 2% income tax increase on wage earners of $30,000 or more. The tax is approved without much debate because after-all, who would not give only TWO MORE CENTS to people ‘in need’. With the increase in her welfare Miriam skips buying groceries for one extra week – she humbles herself and visits a local food bank run by the Catholic Church. The bank gives her enough food to last for a solid month, and with the money Miriam hasn’t spent on the ‘extras’ (food not-covered by the EBT) Miriam now has enough money to buy that TV. Proud and excited, Miriam carries the TV home with her on the next bus trip to WalMart. Miriam did not go back to the food back because the bank didn’t have the brand-name items Miriam and her kids enjoyed, plus her EBT card made her feel more comfortable – going to a food bank was for the ‘Poor’.
Miriam saw. Coveted. Miriam thought. Conspired. BILLY worked. Miriam possessed.
When you next see a politician stammering for tax increases on the “Wealthy” in order to fund “programs for the poor” – watch the greed and lazyiness in the supporters. Greed – they want, crave something. They see something that is not theirs and they crave it. Making it worse, they do not want to earn it – they want that thing (programs for the poor) GIVEN to them without cost to them.
Poverty – relative poverty – in this nation is a choice. It’s a choice based on greed and laziness. When people’s greed outweighs their laziness they are often pushed one of two ways; either they steal what they want or they find a way to earn it. They choose to ‘steal’ what they want if their greed is only BARELY overcomes their laziness. But when people’s greed is severely and powerfully strong enough, most of the time, people find a way to satiate their greed by doing whatever it takes to possess. Conversely, when people’s laziness is fueled the laziness grows stronger than the greed or desire. Ironically, people will then put a lot of effort into maintaining their laziness. This effort is expressed in picket signs, protests, calls for ‘fairness’ and ‘compassion’ for their situation. Eventually politicans cave and reward the active laziness through more benefits...through more money.
So – Greed is both positive and negative. Used correctly ‘Greed’ can motivate the next business mogel to get people to WILLINGLY give them their money (via providing a service or product the people desire) Used incorrectly Greed will motivate the next ‘Community Organizer’ to create laws taking by FORCE the money of the people and distributing the money to people unwilling to earn it for themselves.
We need to be very careful about who we label as Greedy; the hard-working or the hardLY working.
Greed is a buzzword used in political and media people in attempts to stigmatize and divide and generate outrage within the audience.
The rampant GREED of “The Poor” nauseates me.
Let’s find the Greed.
Billy Catterton is a young man living off $15 per hour near Mobile, Alabama. Billy’s work ethic provides – via his wage – him enough income to cover a studio apartment, food staples, and bus fare to and from work. Billy’s rent, food, clothes, and transportation cost him about $2000/month. Billy works 40 hours per week. While riding the bus to work Billy notices a young man – seemingly a couple years older than himself – driving a 2008 Ford Mustang GT. Billy continues on to work that day but he is distracted by the sight of who he deems a peer driving what Billy thinks is a great car. On the bus trip home Billy starts doing a little back of the envelope math using his hourly wage compared to his bills. Based on Billy’s best guess, a 2008 Mustang GT will cost him about $15000, and if he can secure a loan his montly payment might be about $350 x 4 years. Making about $2600/month, Billy knows a car payment plus insurance costs and fuel costs would leave him very close to – if not over – the edge.
Billy really wants that car.
The next day Billy approaches his manager and asks for 5 more hours of work per week. Billy does not want to work more, but his desire for the Mustang outweighs the desire to sit on his couch. Working the extra hours will earn more than $300 per month in extra pay. After his boss approved the extra work, Billy bought a 2008 Mustang GT and began driving himself to work.
Billy saw. Coveted. Billy thought. Conspired. Billy worked. Effort. Billy possessed.
Billy’s greed brought him something he wanted. Billy didn’t NEED a Mustang. Billy craved a Mustang. Was it unfair to the other bus riders? Was Billy adding to their economic oppression by taking from the Bus service valuable income? Was it insensitive of Billy to drive past his former bus stop – right in front of the other riders?
Miriam Del Pino has two children. Miriam loves her children and wants to provide for them beyond her current situation – Miriam receives welfare payments and EBT card for purchasing food. Every couple of days Miriam brings her children to the store – a WalMart - to buy food and every trip Miriam passes dozens of fast-food restaurants and an auto parts restaurant. As Miriam walks through WalMart she sees a lot of nice things. Miriam is particularly interested in a new 4K LED LCD HDTV. At more than $2000 Miriam cannot afford the TV. After months of seeing other shoppers buy the TV Miriam writes her local congresswoman complaining about the low amount of money Miriam collects through the Wellfare program. Siezing an opportunity, the Congresswoman gives a speech calling for higher taxes from the working to support wellfare recipients and uses Miriam as an example – a woman struggling to raise two children, while having to bus them to the grocery and back because Miriam cannot afford a car. The next congressional session brings 2% income tax increase on wage earners of $30,000 or more. The tax is approved without much debate because after-all, who would not give only TWO MORE CENTS to people ‘in need’. With the increase in her welfare Miriam skips buying groceries for one extra week – she humbles herself and visits a local food bank run by the Catholic Church. The bank gives her enough food to last for a solid month, and with the money Miriam hasn’t spent on the ‘extras’ (food not-covered by the EBT) Miriam now has enough money to buy that TV. Proud and excited, Miriam carries the TV home with her on the next bus trip to WalMart. Miriam did not go back to the food back because the bank didn’t have the brand-name items Miriam and her kids enjoyed, plus her EBT card made her feel more comfortable – going to a food bank was for the ‘Poor’.
Miriam saw. Coveted. Miriam thought. Conspired. BILLY worked. Miriam possessed.
When you next see a politician stammering for tax increases on the “Wealthy” in order to fund “programs for the poor” – watch the greed and lazyiness in the supporters. Greed – they want, crave something. They see something that is not theirs and they crave it. Making it worse, they do not want to earn it – they want that thing (programs for the poor) GIVEN to them without cost to them.
Poverty – relative poverty – in this nation is a choice. It’s a choice based on greed and laziness. When people’s greed outweighs their laziness they are often pushed one of two ways; either they steal what they want or they find a way to earn it. They choose to ‘steal’ what they want if their greed is only BARELY overcomes their laziness. But when people’s greed is severely and powerfully strong enough, most of the time, people find a way to satiate their greed by doing whatever it takes to possess. Conversely, when people’s laziness is fueled the laziness grows stronger than the greed or desire. Ironically, people will then put a lot of effort into maintaining their laziness. This effort is expressed in picket signs, protests, calls for ‘fairness’ and ‘compassion’ for their situation. Eventually politicans cave and reward the active laziness through more benefits...through more money.
So – Greed is both positive and negative. Used correctly ‘Greed’ can motivate the next business mogel to get people to WILLINGLY give them their money (via providing a service or product the people desire) Used incorrectly Greed will motivate the next ‘Community Organizer’ to create laws taking by FORCE the money of the people and distributing the money to people unwilling to earn it for themselves.
We need to be very careful about who we label as Greedy; the hard-working or the hardLY working.