Re: Definition of "rich"?

"William F Hummel" <wfhummel@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:kmc742d7svjt0g9ih3k8q2kjfcdcd938ct@xxxxxxxxxx
On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 22:54:03 -0400, nospam <nospam@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

This is the reason I use often to refer to the definition of wealth into
the units of time: Assuming you stop working today, how long time
you can continue to have a decent life ? If it is a week you are poor
if is a lifetime or more you are rich.

If you hold claims on wealth in the form of stocks and bonds worth
$100 million, but choose to live in an old house with only the bare
necessities, you must be poor by your definition. Such people are
known as misers. Have you ever heard of Hetty Green?


The key here is "choose to". It is that when you can do as you
please and are not enslaved by your needs then you might be
considered "rich". It is, however, the capacity to command the
labor of others that places one on the "rich" category. Bill Gates
commands the labor of millions of people. He can get an
"audience" with the Congress and has done so. I do not think
Gates is a big spender or that he even LIKES to spend money.
But he does have a lot of control over other people. That is NOT
necessarily bad, or good, but it IS the measure of wealth in a
society.

--
"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers
of society but the people themselves; and
if we think them not enlightened enough to
exercise their control with a wholesome
discretion, the remedy is not to take it from
them, but to inform their discretion by
education." - Thomas Jefferson
http://GreaterVoice.org


.

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