Money, the root of good?

[Wonco_the_Sane]

Article cut cut cut and snip snip sniped a bunch.

here is the "whole" argument :)
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=1826


"So you think that money is the root of all evil?" said Francisco d'Anconia. "Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?

snip

"Have you ever looked for the root of production? Take a look at an electric generator and dare tell yourself that it was created by the muscular effort of unthinking brutes. Try to grow a seed of wheat without the knowledge left to you by men who had to discover it for the first time. Try to obtain your food by means of nothing but physical motions--and you'll learn that man's mind is the root of all the goods produced and of all the wealth that has ever existed on earth.

"But you say that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak? What strength do you mean? It is not the strength of guns or muscles. Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Then is money made by the man who invents a motor at the expense of those who did not invent it? Is money made by the intelligent at the expense of the fools? By the able at the expense of the incompetent? By the ambitious at the expense of the lazy? Money is made--before it can be looted or mooched--made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can't consume more than he has produced.'

snip

"Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he's evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he's evaded the choice of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent. The man who attempts to purchase the brains of his superiors to serve him, with his money replacing his judgment, ends up by becoming the victim of his inferiors. The men of intelligence desert him, but the cheats and the frauds come flocking to him, drawn by a law which he has not discovered: that no man may be smaller than his money. Is this the reason why you call it evil?

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT


Just think how long it could have been. LOL Hope you enjoyed.

[Inland]

1. Umm--the quote is "LOVE of money is the root of all evil",

not money itself. St. Paul. Wow, that was a lot of blather caused by a failure to go to Sunday school----or read carefully.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

2. I hear ya

snip

"Or did you say it's the love of money that's the root of all evil? To love a thing is to know and love its nature. To love money is to know and love the fact that money is the creation of the best power within you, and your passkey to trade your effort for the effort of the best among men. It's the person who would sell his soul for a nickel, who is loudest in proclaiming his hatred of money--and he has good reason to hate it. The lovers of money are willing to work for it. They know they are able to deserve it.

snip

True, this comes from one wordy **** :)

[Jo March]

3. Yes, even in the gospel it is recognized that one has to have money

When the love of it overpowers one, then it is that very love of money that is the root of evil. That is so true. You have to have some sort of currency but you can't hold it higher than your family, religion, etc.

[Nay]

8. Exactly. Funny how everybody always misquotes this.

The LOVE of money -- i.e., greed -- is certainly the root of a lot of evil, but people refuse to consider the real quote.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

4. Just sayin'

Don't care overly for religion, but I respect those who do. Not the point at all.

Just trolling, I guess, for some hard core Capitalist Pig Democrates like me. LOL The Ayn bait, the most obvious tool.

[Squeech]

5. Didja notice how much Dubya resembles Jim Taggart?

Empty suit CEO, whose "successes" all have to do with his family name and connections, and his well-schooled ability to gladhand.

Pity all those Randites at Free Republic can't see it.

Furthermore, consider what Rand has to say on the subject of religion.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

6. HA!

Didn't think of that. LOL

Hope you don't mind if I use that later.

[Squeech]

7. Please, use it!

I've made this point before, but nobody else seems to have gotten it.

Rand had her weird notions (remember that rant about how the burning tip of a cigarette was like the spark of intelligence?), but she was not a doctrinaire repuke fundy oligarch. And she was an implacable enemy of the sort of privilege Smirky exemplifies.

The whole ruling cabal that passes Directive 10-279 remind me of the Bush cabinet. Some of the characterizations don't work out-- there's nobody as pleasantly bland as Mr. Thompson; they're all out and out bastards-- but they're all just that hypocritical and rapacious, and flat-out incompetent besides.

Just think, if you were casting the Atlas movie, wouldn't Donald Rumsfeld be perfect in the role of Floyd Ferris?

[Wonco_the_Sane]

9. funny you said that

I've casted the Atlas Shrugged "movie" with my brother a lot. :)

Always went to Hollywood though.

Dagney was always the hardest. For some reason I always think of Lauren Bacall (sp?)

[wadestock]

10. CREDIT the root of all evil?

That's what my dad would say.

Anyway...check your total assets lately?

Powers to be have found a way to squeeze more and more out of what you own and to entice you more and more into SPENDING what you own.

All economic indicators center on one reality....HOW MUCH YOU SPEND.

We spend too much....and on CRAP.

Meanwhile W and those that want more power...more heavily concentrated on the top....will use the power of credit and other tactics which will in effect take out of what you own and put more power into what they own.

Ultimately, you will own nothing...and you will exist as a "purchasing agent" in their grand scheme of things.

[Moderator]

11. Wonco_the_Sane

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