The rich people are doing so well (...). I mean, we never had it so good.Warren Buffett 2005
It's class warfare, my class is winning (...).
The global inequality crisis is reaching new extremes. The richest 1% now have more wealth than the rest of the world combined. Power and privilege is being used to skew the economic system to increase the gap between the richest and the rest.Oxfam 2016
Charity is the drowning of rights in the cesspit of mercy.Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi approx. 1825
Today, I am angry.
I've started and then erased three or four comments. Let's just say it is a good day to be angry. The Warren Buffet quote makes my blood boil.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Bernie Sander's message is resonating in my country. I've never been more buoyed by a presidential candidate than I am by him. He is telling these truths, and more people than I ever imagined are listening. Do I think anything will really change? No. But hearing the truth spoken out loud on a huge public stage brings me some solace.
ReplyDeleteThe Warren Buffett quote -- I think he used it to fuel his demand that all bazillionaires donate all of their wealth to common causes.
ReplyDeleteYes and this is where the third quote comes in. On several different occasions, he also spoke of "financial weapons of mass destruction".
ReplyDeleteI keep looking for ways to channel my anger in useful ways. Thank you for the link to the Wiki article about Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and what he did with his anger at the way things are but don't have to be. I had not heard of him before and am inspired by the way he lived his life. Sounds like a kindred spirit to Martin Luther King, Jr.
ReplyDeleteDarkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Forgot to say that I am drawn to the kindness and intelligence in Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi's face.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Elizabeth pointed out that Buffet was actually arguing FOR more charity. He's supported greater taxation of the rich, as I recall.
ReplyDeleteYes, good to know the context of the Buffet quote.
ReplyDeleteYep. The US has been in political shambles for years. The Koch brothers have been at it for 30 or so. Homleless people are everywhere in our cities. It's a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteBut.
I will not be so discouraged that I feel helpless. I can still do what I can in my small way to feed hungry people and share what I have with others. And give thanks when it is warm and sunny, like today. The warmth is free for all.
Love,
Beth