For the Love of Money
Why is wanting money a bad thing?
Posted Aug 24, 10:41 PM in business, economics, human nature
Having lived in now three liberal college towns (Berkeley, CA; Bloomington, IN; and Madison, WI), it becomes increasingly apparent to me that political liberals (of which I consider myself one, though definitely not one of the knee-jerk variety, and one who is very open to conservative ideology) have a very bad attitude towards money.
I hate to stereotype, but it’s a mindset that I’ve seen innumerable times in those who consider themselves on the political left, and one that no one is apologetic about. It’s considered crass and scummy to have a desire for money. I’m not denying that I myself carry the weight of this burden to some degree, but I’ve certainly loosened myself, particularly after having studied the role of business and commerce in the fundamental operations of the world.
Some people feel like it’s virtuous to not want money, and in fact to actively push it away. To such people, it’s at best selling out to go after money, at worst, it’s the most ugly possible stain on your very character. But let’s face it; we would all like to have a nice house, great vacations, health care, and good food. It’s hard to deny that we all want such things. The part that some people resist is the money part of the equation. Money of course, is the currency that we use to gain those things.
Alas, after having met greedy people, hearing about countless business scandals, and in general knowing about the ways in which money corrupts people, the indictment has come not upon the character of individuals and their personal responses to money, but the money itself. Money has become conflated with greed, confused with a lack of compassion, seen as the equivalent of misplaced priorities and the absence of decent character. To want such a thing is nothing more than a horrible scar on your name.
There’s good reason for this attitude; however, there’s also great reason why this attitude should no longer exist. Money in itself is a neutral force. It can do amazing things, it can do harmful things; but one thing is undeniable— it is the way to make things happen.
Sure, you could be a jerk like Ken Lay or Donald Trump, but you could also do something amazing like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. Some people would even argue that Bill Gates has done more for humanity than Mother Teresa (this refers to his endowment of billions of dollars in charity, and does not take into account the Windows operating system, which has caused untold damage towards humanity).
If you want to make the world a better place on a large scale, you’d better believe you’re going to need money. And, as a wise person once said, money won’t buy happiness, but a lack of money will definitely cause it. And in my opinion, it’s time money got the credit and respect it deserves. Even if that sounds crass.
Progressives often direct their political anger largely towards those who put “profits before people.” I don’t necessarily find fault with this logic, but the more the left continues to cultivate a negative attitude towards money and reject the idea that having it is anything more than a necessary evil, the more I believe it will actually shift power into the hands of those who have it, and know how to use it.
I’m certainly not saying that it’s okay to be greedy or that anyone should place money at the very apex of their priorities list, but to use an SAT-style metaphor:
“gasoline::car” as “money::life in the modern world.”
Something to think about.
