It is sometimes said that wealth equates to power. Those with money will influence others by offering them bribes and/or giving them gifts. It is money that acts as both the medium and the procurer which allows man to obtain objects and these surges of power. Supposedly we live in a nation where all men were created equal and that justice shall be applied to the same extent to everyone. However, it infrequently seems as though this is the reality of our nation. Instead it seems as though those with power write the rules.
These two ideas introduced above work together with one another:
1. Money is power
2. Power dictates the rules
Essentially the conclusion that can be made is this, those with money dictate the rules and how they are applied. In a sense those who have money have no reason to act just because they can use this wealth to get out of it. Goethe summarizes this idea well by explaining, “Money’s properties are my – the possessor’s – properties and essential powers. I can be ugly, but I can buy the most beautiful women. Therefore, the effect of my ugliness is nullified by money.” The parallel that can be drawn here to the previous point about wealthy people not needing to act justly is because it will always be possible to buy or bribe those who are supposed to act as disciplinarians. Money and wealth ultimately act as a medium which aids man’s own self interest over those things and beings who wish to possess it.
No comments:
Post a Comment