The
Non-Selfish, Non-Greedy Rich
By
Bill Becker
In
my earlier essay, The
Selfish, Greedy Rich, I discussed the Roosevelt-haters and
their modern successorsthe sector of Americas super-rich
who hate government, hate taxes, and, in truth, hate those of us
who want government to help us provide nutritious school lunches
for poor children. Their heroes are not Washington or Jefferson,
but the robber barons of the mid- and late-19th century. For 70
years, they dreamed and schemed to return America to the era of
laissez-faire capitalism. There were setbacksthe democratizing
effects of WWII and the GI Bill; the anti-materialist, anti-imperialist
60s, in which millions of young Americans threatened to opt
out of the consumer culture the Cold War producedbut with
Arizona Senator Barry Goldwaters entry into the 1964 Presidential
race, the camels nose was in the tent, as our Arab brethren
like to say. Later, with Ronald Reagans election to the presidency
in 1980, more of the camel entered the tent. Today, with George
W. Bush as president, we can say that virtually the entire camel
is in the tentthe selfish, greedy rich now effectively control
every important aspect of American life. All that is remains to
them is to dismantle the few remaining obstacles to the plutocracy
they have so long dreamed of.
In The Selfish,
Greedy Rich I also alluded to "those who despite their
riches have retained their sense of connection with the rest of
humanity." These Americans I call the non-selfish, non-greedy
rich. I do not mean here that they are indifferent to making moneythey
are rich, after allbut rather that they do not hate government,
nor do they hate paying taxes. They agree with Oliver Wendell Holmes,
former Justice of the United States Supreme Court: "taxes are
what we pay for a civilized society." Indeed, over and above
their substantial charitable work, they are willing to pay their
fair share of taxes just so that government can provide nutritious
school lunches for poor children. But, the non-selfish, non-greedy
rich are to be commended for more than their generosity of spirit.
They are honest.
The non-selfish,
non-greedy rich know, and have the decency to admit, that they didnt
become rich all by themselves. They know, and have the decency to
admit, that being born on third base is not the same as hitting
a triple:
"[i]n
addition to their own moxie, creativity and hard work, ... other
factors such as societal investment, privilege, historical timing
and luck had a role in their success."
They even wrote
a report about it: I
Didn't Do It Alone: Society's Contribution to Individual Wealth
and Success.
"I personally
think that society is responsible for a very significant percentage
of what I've earned." Warren Buffet, the worlds
second wealthiest man.
Martin Rothenberg,
founder of Syracuse Language Systems and Glottal Enterprises, reminds
us of the benefits available to most of us just because of the functioning
social and political economy provided by our government:
"My
wealth is not only a product of my own hard work. It also resulted
from a strong economy and lots of public investment, both in others
and in me. I received a good public school education and used
free libraries and museums paid for by others. I went to college
under the GI Bill. I went to graduate school to study computers
and language on a complete government scholarship... While teaching
at Syracuse University for 25 years, my research was supported
by numerous government grants... My university research provided
the basis for Syracuse Language Systems..."
Buffett and
Rothenberg are giving credit to what Working Assets founder Paul
Barnes calls "the commons." The commons includes "the
sky, the fisheries, water and land, as well as social assets like
our property law system, the broadcast spectrum, the Internet, accumulated
scientific knowledge," and, let me emphasize, a well-regulated
stock market. In radical contrast to those who want every square
inch of the earths surface in private hands, and for whom
nothing that cannot be valued in dollars is of the slightest value
"for
Barnes, the challenge of capitalism in the 21st century is to
recognize the value that is created by the commons and to protect
it, give it standing and clout." According to Barnes, "we
have an obligation to pass [the commons] onto our heirs, undiminished
and more or less equally."
The generous
spirit shown by the non-selfish, non-greedy rich, who feel a moral
obligation to give back to the commons that made their wealth possible,
challenges us all. This does not mean that they are naive, starry-eyed
idealists who believe that merely throwing tax money at social problems
will make them go away. They do know, however, that if the great
American experiment in freedom is to be perfected, we will need
all the patience, tolerance, compassion, and sense of humor that
we can muster. Government is generally a messy business, but throwing
the baby out with the bath water, as the selfish, greedy rich advocate,
will lead directly to the destruction of the commons. Then will
follow a state that no sane American could desirethe "war
of all against all" so vividly described by the British philosopher
Thomas Hobbes. The generals directing that war, protected far behind
the front lines by the state security forces, will be the selfish,
greedy rich.
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