Greed

Gordon Gekko notwhithstanding, greed is NOT good. Indeed, greed is quite rightly one of the Seven Deadly Sins, up there with Pride, Lust, Wrath, etc. It's symbol is a gross hog, not to be confused with the charming Wilbur of Charlotte's Web. Nor is greed to be confused with ambition or concentration. It is not an asset or attribute. Nothing wholesome comes from greed.


Greed is often expressed as a forceful effort to acquire or experience an absolute, controlling, or unhealthy amount of a commodity (gold, Renaissance paintings, real estate, stock, pork bellies (!) and/or certain experiences like sex, fame and so on. Like pornography, it's sometimes difficult to quantify, but we know it when we see it and it's not pretty. Greed is not an integral part of Capitalism or the American dream. It is not mentioned with our freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's allowed along with bad table manners, but not prohibited like driving without a license. One may be deeply motivated to succeed by observing a neighbor imitating Al Capp's cartoon character, J. Roaringham Fatback and cruising to work in a chauferred Rolls Royce, but few are inspired by the billionaire Hunt Brothers trying to corner the silver market many years ago. They were out for more money, of course, but had they succeeded, they would have enjoyed the buzz when they walked into The Oilman's Club. Greed can be deliciously macho at any age.


What my friends who believe in the usefulness of greed are really thinking of is good ole "trickle down economics," that nostrum beloved by President Ronald Reagan. Give a zillionaire another zillion and, according to economist Reagan, he would open a plant in Nigeria, hire 5,000 locals and lift the entire region out of poverty. The altruistic mogul would use the money for the benefit of society, insist on high labor standards and pay fine dividends to stockholders at the same time. It was baloney, of course, but a wonderful fantasy all the same. Trickle down didn't work and never will, regardless of the guise in which it comes. Greed is fuel for the zillionaire, but there are no statues to it, now that it has finally been understood for what it is. My belief is that the average zillionaire would take a windfall and hide it in Switzerland, to avoid paying taxes on it, as so many have done in the past.

Greed is in the headlines today, because of the beyond incredible greedy behavior of leading business executives (think BP) politicians and wannabes worldwide in it's thrall over a period of many years. Indeed, what we are seeing today is little different than what we have seen seemingly forever. Even young people in America today know something of the sins of the Vanderbilts, the Morgans, the Harrimans, et al. who stopped at absolutely nothing to achieve their fortunes and then used charity to buy extensive redemption. The people at the very top seem to always want more. Ambition fanned by the media (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) becomes greed, power begets the need for more power and the beat goes on. As the gap between the classes widens, the potential increases again for unrest and violence. A single assasination triggered World War I; another today could represent a devastation unlike any other experienced in the United States. No possible benefit of greed, currently beyond my imagination, can justify so much evil, real and potential.


So where does this greed come from? Is it a virus? Not likely. My wife says it springs from fear, a deep concern about returning to poverty or seeming to be weak - whatever condition created the condition in the first place. That makes sense to me and she should know as a practicing LCSW and Addictions Counselor with many years experience in dealing with emotionally troubled people, to say nothing of 40 with me.


I wonder if Gordon would be as sure about greed today as he was years ago. My guess is "Yes." That's the way Masters of the Universe think and always will.