Eat your own cake

And maybe stop comparing with the rich

Rich people have inspired plenty of fiction of all genres. From Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. There is the more appealing Pride and Prejudice with a rich bachelor and The Taming of the Shrew with a fake nobleman. We admire some, loathe some, envy some and some of ‘em seem mysterious or even inspiring.

Popular culture hasn’t ignored rags to riches stories or stories of how a super-rich celebrity loses all their wealth. Bad habits to bad decisions, pretty women to pretty awful life choices. There is a crime-drama biopic on John Dillinger which is thrilling and a more recent sports biopic on George Foreman that reinforces our faith in man and God.

Music is not left untouched by the beat of the penny and its pounding. There is ABBA’s all-time-hit radio mainstay ‘Money, Money, Money’ and of course Aerosmith’s ‘Eat the rich’.

What does a rich person signify to you? Do you imagine all of them or most of them have bent rules, laws, bent people and institutions to get where they are? Do you believe they have an obligation to rest of the citizens or nation and society? How important do you consider charity as a trait among mankind? Do you donate (time, effort or money) and feel the rich therefore should do more than the average Joe/Jane?

Personally, the below article seems like click-bait headline with lot of circumstantial allegations and implications. It also kind of makes me rethink doing any charity at all. If it is all fake or appears to be fake to others, why waste my resources? We can agree that’s an unhealthy way to consider it. Yet, such articles seem to discourage an average guy with a job, commute, bills and family from going the extra mile and giving a helping hand to his fellow citizen or community.

Ultimately, man is defined by what he does, not what he possesses (be it money or talent).

What fiction or poetry comes to your mind as you pore over the bitterness in the below article?

Billionaire Philanthropy Is a Scam

A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies finds, these pledgers aren’t following through on their commitments—and the often self-serving nature of their philanthropy is actually making things worse for charitable organizations.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/billionaire-philanthropy-scam-110000072.html