Hi everyone
I know that many of you are growing weary of this topic (money), so forgive
me for my ongoing contributions to these threads.
I find it surprising that this time, unlike the last time we talked about it
in December, some people actually seem to agree with my basic assertion that
the desire for money is not a totally good thing. But I don't want to put
words into anyone's mouth. I just get a feeling that there is a grudging
agreement that desire for money (greed) is in fact having some negative
ramifications on our daily lives.
I'm not surprised that Ayn Rand has been mentioned, because her philosophy
ties in to the negative aspects that I attribute to money and greed. Some of
her followers may deny this, but Rand champions selfishness and the ego. I
don't think there's any big secret to why her books have been so successful.
She pats greedy people on the shoulder and tells them it's all right to be
greedy. The inherently greedy people of the world gobble this stuff up. The
fact that Rand is so smart only makes the problem worse; using fancy
terminology and long-winded explanations, she's able to rationalize greed,
and gullible readers (who may be subliminally seeking justification for their
own greedy desires) buy it. She's just like a rich lawyer who is able to get
a guilty man off the hook. She serves her purpose well.
It's no wonder so many people who champion Capitalism seem to love
Objectivism. There are many Capitalist-Objectivist-Atheists in the world. The
three seem to go hand in hand. Meanwhile, things like compassion and sympathy
are devalued and looked down upon and the spiritual void in the world
continues to spread.
Jon
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