We often hear in the rhetoric of the political left, especially from those who identify as socialists, about the greedy rich people who are never satisfied with the amount of money they have, and always want even more money. Politicians on the left claim this to be an injustice that they will solve, all by allowing them to have more power and control over every aspect of our lives.
Obviously, always wanting more money is a form of greed. If you’re greedy, you have plenty of money, but you’re always greedy for more money.
Like I said, those on the political left, the self-labeled socialists, talk about how they will stand up to this greed and fight against it head-on. But to me, there is a big problem with this statement, and to understand this problem you really need to understand the other form of greed.
You didn’t know before today that there are really two forms of greed? Well, now you do. So, what is this other form of greed, and what are the connections between these two forms of greed? I will delve into all of this as you read on.
The Other Form of Greed
The other form of greed is greed for power. In the same way that people with money never think they have enough, and are always greedy for more money, people with power never think they have enough power, and are always greedy for more power.
Think about this: people who are greedy for money are always trying to come up with schemes to try to get themselves more money; in the same way, people who are greedy for power are always trying to come up with schemes to try to convince the public to give them more power. In this way, there really is no difference in the way these two types of greed play out – money and power – they are really very much the same.
Aren’t They Really Two Different Types of Greed?
It is at this point that we need to ask a valid question: Aren’t greed for money and greed for power really inherently two different types of greed that are at their core different from each other? The answer is NO!
I want you to think about what greed for money is really all about. If you’re rich and greedy, what is at the core of the desire for always wanting more money?
The answer to this question seems obvious to me. Wealthy people, who already have lots of money, get to exercise a large amount of power and control over the people and resources that surround them.
They enjoy this level of power and control they get with the money they have. In fact, they love it. That is why they always want more money, because with more money they can exercise even more power and control over the people and resources that surround them. This greed for money is really, at its core, about establishing more power for themselves – they’re just using money as the means to attain more power.
Compare that to greed for power. If you’re in a position of power, such as being in political power, you never think you have enough power, and are always trying to accumulate more power unto yourself.
In both forms of greed, it’s really about establishing more power for yourself. One is focused directly on power, and one is focused on using money as an intermediary, as a tool, a means, to get yourself more power. In the end, in both cases, it’s really about power and control.
The Socialists and Progressives
Now with this connection between the two types of greed, I want you to think about the rhetoric by the progressives and socialists on the political left. What do they say?
“We aim to put a stop to greed. Give us more power and control over your lives, and society in general, and we will stop these greedy rich people. We will take their money from them, and, under our control, we will determine how best to use that money. Greed is an injustice that needs to be stopped, and we will do just that. We just need more power.“
What you discover is that the people on the political left who push this narrative are greedy, just like the greedy rich people they complain about, except their greed is focused on power itself rather than on an intermediary to that power.
If you vote for those politicians that complain about greedy rich people, and who offer as their solution a larger government with more power and control over society and your life, all you’re really doing is exchanging one form of greed for another form of greed.
Seriously, you really are!
Which Form of Greed Would You Choose?
This begs the question: if you had to choose between the two forms of greed, which one would you choose? Which one would be better for you?
If you choose to support politicians who are using their rhetoric to gain more power and control over your life, and society in general, you’re really supporting a decrease in the amount of freedom and sovereignty you have over your own life – you give up that freedom and sovereignty by giving it up to politicians who were greedy for more power and control over you.
On the other hand, people that are greedy for money know that the only way they can make more money is by convincing you to give them some of yours. And you’re not going to give them any of your money unless they provide something of value that you’re willing to exchange your money for. In other words, the only way people who are greedy for more money can get more money is by providing something of value that improves the quality and well-being of your life – if they didn’t, then they wouldn’t make any more money.
As odd as this may seem to those of you reading this, greed for money does even more – it helps to create more jobs, grow the economy, and leads to more widespread prosperity for everyone. And I get to keep my freedom and sovereignty over my own life, which I wouldn’t if I had chosen to support those who are greedy for power.
For me, choosing greed for money over greed for power is a no-brainer.
Anyways, that’s something for you to think about.
