Who’s Rich And What’s Fair?

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The rantings of the political season which, by the way, is not really a season since it never ends are increasing in intensity and decreasing in meaning.Those searching for substance among the babble of editorials, fulminations, inapt slogans, and wordy finger wagging spewing from both sides suffer penetrating frustrations.

The reason : To quote the good Gertrude is simply that there doesn’t appear to be any there there, Appearances however may be misleading. A vein of truth can be discovered if one digs and searches for the right vein.

There Does Not Appear To Be Any There There.

Let us examine, for instance, the shamelessly repeated slogan “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. What does this verbiage really mean? Is it the speaker’s desire that the rich get poorer and the poor get richer? Would the poor then be the rich and the rich be the poor?  Then the hourglass flips over ad infinitum.

Perhaps the sloganeers mean to express that the rich should just get to be a little less rich and the poor a little less poor. But how “little”? Oh, let’s say just a little little. In that case, the rich obviously being a canny bunch will soon be back at their previous level of richness and maybe more.

Should The Rich Be A Little Less Rich And The Poor Be A Little Less Poor?

The poor? They will be less poor but not in comparison with the new rich and as we know it is the comparison which gnaws at the vitals of the egalitarians. But when the expression, “The Rich” is used, of whom exactly are we speaking? Does it mean a solid mass of unchanging particular people?

Or more likely  a constantly changing population of whom some were poor and are now rich? If that be the case then the poor got rich and if further sucessful will become part of those who have earned the soubriquet of the rich who got richer.

Clearly this recitation does not make for a quick and easy riposte in the throes of a public political debate. The candidate who would dare try it would not only  be a subject of mirth but also denounced as a supercilious intellectual “speaking down” to the audience and definitely not a “people person”.

When Someone Says ‘The Rich Get Richer And The Poor Get Poorer’ That Person Is Really Speaking About Everyone Including Himself.

However, for those interested in the truth it is that the poor often get to be rich and then richer and when one hears a person lancing the opprobrium “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” that person is really speaking about everyone including him or herself.

Fair Share. What Is It? What Is Being Shared And What Is It That Makes A Share Fair?

Fair share. What is it?  What is being shared and what is it that makes a share fair? Are we a bunch of pirates who have just pillaged a coastal village and are now discussing how to assign the booty based upon the degree of efforts and daring do of each individual?  Obviously not, so just what is being shared?

Are We A Bunch Of Pirates Who Have Just Pillaged A Coastal Village And Are Now Discussing How To Assign The Booty?

There is no common  pie descending from the heavens for us mortals to divide into so many equal parts. There is pie alright, but it is pie that has been baked by bakers who have gathered the ingredients and gotten up early in the morning to feed the ovens procured by the bakers themselves at great peril and sacrifice.

Those pies are sold at a profit in order for the baker to continue baking. The theory of “fair share” demands that some of these pies be given away. To whom? To those who have no money with which to buy the pies?

If so how to allocate the pies among them? This decision will not be made by the baker but by an assembly of the free pie recipients. If there are not enough free pies to satisfy their needs, then the baker will have  give away more pies and sell less and thus his share becomes smaller, but is it a fair share?

The Valedictorian, The War Hero, The Nobel Prize Winner, As Well As The Murderer, The Thief And The Abuser Deserve Neither Praise Nor Shame.

Yes, some will say, because the baker no doubt had an edge in being able to procure the flour and the ovens. This edge however becomes less and less identifiable as one examines the sucesses of the baker population. The fair share advocates are left with only one plank, and that is “luck”. 

A famous billionaire assigns his success  to “being wired” in a manner which has allowed him to take advantage of opportunities hitherto non apparent to others. If all attributes which lead to wealth are distributed by the god of randomness, then all awards and signal achievements have no meaning.

The valedictorian, the war hero, the Nobel Prize winner, as well as the murderer, the thief and the abuser deserve neither praise nor shame. Society however has chosen another path but obstinately clings to the validity of “fair share” as based on luck even though this will not be stated explicitly, it is accepted subconsciously. The dichotomy of the reasoning bothers them not a whit. Simply said: they want to eat their pie and have it too.

Article by Francois May. You may contact the author here

Quirks

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One of my favorite activities is to upset the regular order of  things. In this way I find a certain liberation of the spirit, a  euphoria which sends my soul free of the banalaties which we must all endure as we plow our way through what we call our lives.

For instance, have you noticed when attending a concert that many people but not all, applaud when the orchestra pauses between movements thus ruining the élan of the musical composition The applause is usually tentative and quickly dies down as the applauders realize somewhat sheepishly that they have committed  a faux pas. What I like to do is to continue applauding loudly and vigorously until dissaprooving heads turn my way exhibiting frowns and head shakes and, as I continue to applaud enthusiastically, furious glares. As the concert ends I am sometimes approach by well meaning and occasionally hostile people who try to tell me that my musical knowledge is limited and that I should take my applauding lead from those who have more experience in the proper way to behave at cultural events. I usually respond by lighting a cigar, exhaling a pungent cloud of Havana’s best just as I exit the premises walking slowly past the “No Smoking” sign.

Now that banks have generously provided us with the ability to deposit checks via their ATM’s, I fully take advantage of this service. Understanding that the banks’purpose in this policy is to fire as many tellers as possible, I oblige by saving as many checks as I can. and slowly and very methodically slide them into the ATM one at a time of course, as is required and requesting a full receipt for each one of them. I try to occupy two or more machines at once thus creating huge lines behind me. When a bank officials notice this logjam, they usually come to me and in a most solicitous manner suggest that with a deposit of such size, it might be better to go to a teller window.I usually reply no thank you I am trying to “get with the program” and learn to be an efficient customer in this digital age which I am sure that the banc appreciates since they advertise their modernity at every turn. They usually sigh and tell themselves that I probably will not be performing this ritual on a regular basis. Au contraire! I come in every other day until their normal welcoming smiles turn into strained grimaces.

Now you might say that this behavior is fundamentally hostile; that would be the diagnosis offered by amateur as well as accredited psychoanalysts. Hardly. My purpose as stated earlier is to jar the community out of their somnabulic stupor. It also provides war stories to take home and vent to their friends and souse which I consider all to the good for the community.

I will give you one more example of my good deeds. I enjoy going to the zoo, armed with a very visible camera and proceed to the ape pavillion. As the crowd gathers and stare at the simians,I point my camera to certain people, mostly children, click and then quickly turn and aim the camera at one of the apes. Thanks to the flexibilty ofthe modern camera,I then juxtapose the two pictures together in one frame and show  it to the subjects in questions, often with the phrase : “aren’t they cute?”. This gesture of amicability is not often appreciated. I then offer to print the pix, at my expense, and mail it to them as a souvenir of their afternoon at the zoo. I would like to say that the reactions are mixed, but sadly that is not the case. Most  of the time I escape violence by feigning insanity. I am feigning, right?

experienced