APRIL 28, 2012--PORTLAND OREGON--THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE REAPPRAISING THINGS. For about five years, economics and politics consumed me. Rants on the idiotic nature of austerity policies and predictions that their inevitable impact would be a deeper depression filled many of the posts strewn by me around the net. There is little satisfaction in seeing those warnings proved correct. Why is it so necessary for some people to cause misery to feel better about themselves? Far too many people who hang out at the Von Mises and Davos forums appear incapable of empathizing with those that they would cut from the welfare roles. They view their indifference as sanguine, a noble Darwinian ethic that lets them make the "hard decisions" about who should eat, who should have a roof over their head and who should die.
BOLLOCKS!
From personal acquaintance with a number of people holding these views, I would say that they are garden variety psychopaths, nothing more. There is nothing noble about selfishness. There is no real intelligence required for myopia. Whether it is dressed up in Ayn Rand's pallid imitation of a philosophical perspective or simply the dismissive whine of the overly-indulged, selfishness is still selfishness. It is unworthy of civilized humanity to embrace such a childish viewpoint, but it is contemptible to pretend that this attitude is the result of high mindedness.
Humanity needs to grapple with these issues now, before the conflagration starts. It is only a matter of time before the people judge and condemn those that have visited poverty upon so many for reasons that have nothing to do with bettering the world. Frankly, people who drive silver plated Mercedes and sit on gold covered toilets appall me. Why is such ridiculous luxury necessary? Why is anybody impressed by such folly? Why isn't somebody standing up to say that what an incredible waste it is to spend enough money to feed ten thousand families on a toilet?
Then there is the matter of the unhappiness of these same spendthrifts. They are miserable even sitting upon their golden throne. Why was it so important if it doesn't even make them happy?
The truth is that happiness comes from doing good. Happiness comes from helping other people and from doing good deeds. It doesn't come from money and its trappings. Don't hate these short-sighted people. Pray for them. They surely need it.
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