I think the only way to eliminate excess is to create a system in which there is common ownership of the means of production. Only then will there be a truly classless society. If only we could find some place to institute that system so we can see how well it works.
Not if no one buys their cars. They’ll end up homeless…
Your base problem is you are trying to force your definition of “moral” on other people.
If this stuff is required by the government, yes. Not that people aren’t looking out for their neighbors already.
Is it Spring Break or something? Skimming this thread (ain’t gonna read it) makes me remember the saying: Hire a teenager… while they still know everything!
If you look at history, we disagree with this constantly. We die for things and ideas. Ideas its easy to die for, we’ve sacrificed lives for freedom, voting rights, justice. We risk them in the pursuit of knowledge. But we also lay down our lives for land, for art, for possessions. It wouldn’t be hard to find people willing to risk their lives to save the Mona Lisa. Hell, fairly regularly people risk their lives to smuggle drugs - and that’s just drugs.
The idea that life has some sort of huge value is not borne out by how we’ve treated it against possessions throughout human history.
I’d suggest that our host should take his philosophy back to Starbucks, where it might impress a young lady. The problem with that is that she’s likely to insist that he do something with it, like volunteer at a homeless shelter. Dates like that teach one the meaning of TANSTAAFL.
And who’s to say the person with the 100K car isn’t already giving much more than that to the poor? Bill Gates gives away billions. Is he still rich? Yes. But he gives away more than you will ever make. He also creates a huge amount of wealth in the form of jobs. But, yeah. Go to your weird little movie and feel superior.
Another question the OP keeps side-stepping: are people living in luxury causing other people to suffer? Wouldn’t it be better to look at the root of the problem itself?
You seem to believe that throwing money at a problem is going to make it right. But it doesn’t work that way.
Astonishingly enough, the OP’s join date is 2005, so he must be at least in his 20’s.
*A healthy appetite is good for one and all
And I should be at peace with the world baby, but still I want some more…
Is it enough? No! Is it enough? No! Is it? No! Is it? No! Is it? No!
I want more
More cars! More jewels! More women! More men! More fans!
More lawyers! So come on and give me more!
I want more*
- The Hives
Drawing the precise line is what’s difficult.
Few people would criticize someone for owning a $20,000 car. Quite a few people would criticize someone for purchasing a $1 million car. But where do you draw that exact line in between?
And, of course, many would argue that it’s the buyer’s business as to what luxuries he wants or gets.
If I understand the OP correctly, he isn’t arguing that affluence causes the poor to suffer, but rather that luxury or an affluent lifestyle is insensitive or inappropriate when many are poor.
To use an analogy: If someone is lying on the ground writhing in the pain of a heart attack, calling for help, and bystanders keep walking by, ignoring him, then technically their insensitivity to his plight isn’t what’s *causing *his suffering - his suffering is caused by plaque blocking his arteries. But it is insensitive of them to walk by and not render aid.
I agree with the OP.
I’m disabling my alarm for good. The one that wakes me up every weekday at 4AM for my 10 to 12 hour shift and slowly breaks my spirit.
I don’t have to work anymore if some rich person will cover my food, shelter and what ever else I claim I need.
Thanks!
To the OP, here is a radically different perspective that I would encourage you to look into.
A feel good mantra that also appeals to sociopaths. You don’t see the often.
Well you know what? I pay a LOT of taxes that help out people who can’t or won’t earn what I earn. Wealth redistribution is alive and well down under. I am lucky but I have had to work very hard and take risks to be well off.
Is it wrong for me to have a $100K car? No I like my BMW and as such I have to work bloody hard to pay for it.
Plus I’m sure the factory workers, salesman and mechanic are very happy that you bought their product.
“Two people will always have different ideas about how to spend money”; I wouldn’t buy a 100K car because that kind of designs don’t fit my needs, but if they fit yours and you can afford it, go ahead. My married brother’s car is bigger than mine - he’s also got more butts to seat. Looking at our cars doesn’t really give much information about how much money we make or how else we spend it.
Yeah but those are Australian dollars…
(worth $76454 US at current exchange rates). Though there are Beemers topping $140,000 US.
I admit I don’t get why somebody would say something like “I worked hard for my $100,000 car”. It doesn’t seem like a very good value unless you have money to burn. But then you didn’t work hard for it.
Your analogy sucks.
Why? Seems pretty good to me.