Why does the power of wealth always trump doing what makes sense?

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  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    Last-12-Exit said:

    I'm pretty sure you the answer. Power and greed.

    Yes, Last Exit but as I said earlier:

    "... but if they are so greedy and selfish why would they not try to stop the destruction of their home? If a greedy selfish person had a one-of-a-kind possession that really meant a lot to them and someone was about to take a hammer to it, would they not have their strong armed guards protect the object? So why do they not protect the planet? Do they really think they will get to Mars and even if they do, that they will be happy there? And don't these greedy people care at all about their kids and the future world they will be living in? I just don't get it. It's insanity."

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Last-12-Exit
    Last-12-Exit Charleston, SC Posts: 8,661
    edited April 2015
    Brian, doesn't the definition of selfish answer all of those questions you ask?

    Selfish:
    Having or showing concern for yourself and not the needs and feelings of other people.

    I'm not trying to be argumentative, I agree with you.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    Last-12-Exit said:

    Brian, doesn't the definition of selfish answer all of those questions you ask?

    Selfish:
    Having or showing concern for yourself and not the needs and feelings of other people.

    I'm not trying to be argumentative, I agree with you.

    Good point, Last Exit.

    I think what we need is to have Betty White go whoop butt on some of those selfish mofo's!

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    I can't find it now but I read somewhere (I think this written by or about either Warren Buffett or Bill Gates) that super rich people have so much money that they can't spend it fast enough such that at some point it just becomes a numbers games where the very rich try to outrank each other. The idea that was presented to the very rich was another numbers game- to see who can give away the most, and the idea attracted some attention to some of these very rich people. Would be nice to see such a contest further promoted.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • mickeyrat
    mickeyrat Posts: 44,766
    edited April 2015
    money/wealth is as much a drug as anything else addictive. Theres never enough. Always "need" more.
    Post edited by mickeyrat on
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    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    mickeyrat said:

    money/wealth is as much a drug as anything else addictive. Theres never enough. Always "need" more.

    Right, but not everyone is an addict.

    Some do have enough, or feel they have enough, or splurge once in awhile.

    I just don't see it as a never/always thing...not across the board.
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    To answer your question, I don't think there is a clear threshold. I can only answer what would be a necessary amount in order to consider myself not selfish or heartless. On well less than 100,000/year we give a few hundred to a 1,000$ away in money and 20-30 hrs in service in the year and sometimes I feel like I'm doing ok, but most of the time I feel like a wealthy, lazy schmuck who lives too fat and too sassy.
    We are young and idealistic and we dream of giving up our standardized lives to live on adventure and service in equal measures... Jean-Claude has pretty much ended that dream for awhile lol
    I honestly don't think I could consider myself a truly compassionate conscious person with any more than 1-2 million in total worth.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • PJfanwillneverleave1
    PJfanwillneverleave1 Posts: 12,885
    The man featured has some good insight.
    Some people stay extremely wealthy so as not to give it away on smoke and mirrors.
    If I had 3billion dollars to sit back on I for damn sure would want to make all options to give a lot away were scrutinized and produced immediate results.
    This makes sense.
    http://www.brw.com.au/p/tech-gadgets/technologies_bought_shine_google_rN14ZeJXAW1Wxo0Ago1WBJ
  • BS44325
    BS44325 Posts: 6,124
    Who is John Galt?
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    edited April 2015
    BS44325 said:

    Who is John Galt?

    Self-serving solipsist?

    (Just a random guess, mind you.)



    Post edited by brianlux on
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    To answer your question, I don't think there is a clear threshold. I can only answer what would be a necessary amount in order to consider myself not selfish or heartless. On well less than 100,000/year we give a few hundred to a 1,000$ away in money and 20-30 hrs in service in the year and sometimes I feel like I'm doing ok, but most of the time I feel like a wealthy, lazy schmuck who lives too fat and too sassy.
    We are young and idealistic and we dream of giving up our standardized lives to live on adventure and service in equal measures... Jean-Claude has pretty much ended that dream for awhile lol
    I honestly don't think I could consider myself a truly compassionate conscious person with any more than 1-2 million in total worth.
    Well, I know you - a person whom I respect and consider a friend.

    That separated and for what it's worth, I think character is (by my standards) measured by actions (shared/known or not), words, conduct, overall integrity - which has nothing to do with account balance.

    I wish I could find a better way to express myself here. I guess, were I to receive a financial windfall no matter the means, my actions - sense of wanting to help, give - wouldn't be diminished.
  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    rgambs said:



    In a world with finite resources, everything excess that one person has is something in which another person is deficient, unless all are equal. Equality isn't possible, or even plausible but a strong argument can be made against the "not all wealth is evil" notion.
    If you place a starving child from the third world directly in front of an NFL player or rock star who has tens of millions, the NFL player or rock star starts to look pretty evil to anyone with a heart. Why would someone hoard so much, when innocent children don't even have enough to survive?
    If you do the same with a CEO of a defense company like Honeywell or "Blackwater" the evil is indisputable. To anyone with a heart anyways.

    If every billionaire reduced themselves to millionaires, and every multi-hundred millionaire reduced themselves to tens of millionaires, they could end childhood starvation and pestilence.
    Doesn't it seem somewhat evil to refuse to do so?
    Why can't men actually have literal dick measuring contests instead of symbolic dick measuring contests?

    I love this post. All of it.
  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    See J.K. Rowling
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/forbes-billionaire-list-rowling_n_1347176.html
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    backseatLover12 said:

    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    See J.K. Rowling
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/forbes-billionaire-list-rowling_n_1347176.html
    :plus_one: Good for her!

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • badbrains
    badbrains Posts: 10,255
    "Stop the madness"-
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    To answer your question, I don't think there is a clear threshold. I can only answer what would be a necessary amount in order to consider myself not selfish or heartless. On well less than 100,000/year we give a few hundred to a 1,000$ away in money and 20-30 hrs in service in the year and sometimes I feel like I'm doing ok, but most of the time I feel like a wealthy, lazy schmuck who lives too fat and too sassy.
    We are young and idealistic and we dream of giving up our standardized lives to live on adventure and service in equal measures... Jean-Claude has pretty much ended that dream for awhile lol
    I honestly don't think I could consider myself a truly compassionate conscious person with any more than 1-2 million in total worth.
    Well, I know you - a person whom I respect and consider a friend.

    That separated and for what it's worth, I think character is (by my standards) measured by actions (shared/known or not), words, conduct, overall integrity - which has nothing to do with account balance.

    I wish I could find a better way to express myself here. I guess, were I to receive a financial windfall no matter the means, my actions - sense of wanting to help, give - wouldn't be diminished.
    I agree with this, but I feel it breaks down at a certain level of wealth. If I have a billion dollars in my account I can have a greater effect on the unfortunate with the stroke of a pen than by devoting my hands and words to help them for all my days. The personal touch is needed as well of course.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    backseatLover12 said:

    hedonist said:

    rgambs said:

    hedonist said:

    But gambs, those sports or music celebrities or CEO's - some of them DO quite a bit. Whether or not spotlighted. Look at our very own band.

    Look at us here, as individuals. Giving, as and when we can. Others with more, much more, do as well.

    Also, I think my view of evil takes a different mindpath, in ways.

    Oh yeah, I agree with you. I don't care for the word evil really, but it does in a pinch.
    There are levels of "evil" and it's never absolute or non-existent we all have a balance of good and evil.

    Someone like Bono may give millions away and work really hard to help the world, but if you put a group of starving kids next to him, he still looks like a dude who hoards unnecessary millions while others suffer.
    Then, is it about perception (the side-by-side thing) or reality, and what each do? It's not just about the dollar, but also effort and energy and goodwill.

    Same as I'd rather not have another determining the (my) necessary threshold of giving, of donating - I too can't do that to another.

    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?

    See J.K. Rowling
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/forbes-billionaire-list-rowling_n_1347176.html
    Yes, I cheered her on when I read about this a couple or three years ago.

    Good for her! Wish I could do the same to such a degree but...well, that's my point, really. We do what we can. It doesn't need recognition either. Just do it or try in any able capacity, because it's the right thing to do.
  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    edited April 2015
    My gambobud - in the end (or along the way), what would a wealthy person have to do, to not be considered selfish, or heartless?
    See Eddie Vedder.

    https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/eddie-vedder
    http://www.thedailyepic.com/eddie-vedder-releases-a-cover-of-imagine-to-raise-money-for-charity/
    http://news.microsoft.com/features/eddie-vedder-performs-live-at-microsoft-to-raise-money-for-eb-a-rare-genetic-skin-disorder/

    See Pearl Jam
    http://pearljam.com/activism/vitalogy-foundation
    Post edited by backseatLover12 on
  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    edited April 2015
    badbrains said:

    "Stop the madness"-

    Ha ha! Susan Powter!

    Oh wait, that was "Stop the insanity!"

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