I'm in the money...
It's my cash and I’ll burn it if I want to.
Today’s dilemma, delayed by the tedium of exams, is about Justin Megabucks, who has so much money from his recording career that for want of anything else to do with it, he burns it for fun sometimes. He’s been criticised for his extravagance, but says that people are envious and that he’s under no obligation to help others.
Is he right?
Well, he is. Whether I have £1 or £1,000, the money’s mine to do with as I please even although the way in which I use it may not be considered to be maximally beneficial to others and, indeed, utterly wasteful if it doesn’t benefit anyone. In the view of other people, giving the money to someone seems to be better than burning it, although I could stand the whole matter on its head by giving the money to someone who doesn’t need it. Just giving the money to any random recipient wouldn’t necessarily stop people from complaining. In other words, the right thing is to use the money to help others. It’s another instance of the Fallacy of Abundance, I suppose.
Justin may be right about others being envious, but the accusation – the politics of envy – which the Tories like to throw around never gets anywhere with me. I’d probably only be envious if I knew that someone of comparable qualifications and talents to me had been successful without any real effort on their part. I merely despise lesser mortals such as footballers and tennis players who are really just skilled manual labourers; and because that’s all they are, let them be paid comparably to their counterparts who are no less deserving. I desire to be paid enough to do more than just exist, but my needs are fairly modest in that respect.
There’s a second part to today’s dilemma. While Justin’s burning money, his housekeeper, Mrs Jones, suggests that he might do something social with it. Justin consults his advisers, who suggest that he should give his money to charity. He’s not so keen on that idea. His PA, Samantha, suggests a flower party with thousands of orchids. Justin wants to know why. She says, “As a concept.” He likes the idea and does it, but is that any solution?
This seems to me no better than burning the money. Flowers may have aesthetic appeal, but I’d rather have the cash.
Is he right?
Well, he is. Whether I have £1 or £1,000, the money’s mine to do with as I please even although the way in which I use it may not be considered to be maximally beneficial to others and, indeed, utterly wasteful if it doesn’t benefit anyone. In the view of other people, giving the money to someone seems to be better than burning it, although I could stand the whole matter on its head by giving the money to someone who doesn’t need it. Just giving the money to any random recipient wouldn’t necessarily stop people from complaining. In other words, the right thing is to use the money to help others. It’s another instance of the Fallacy of Abundance, I suppose.
Justin may be right about others being envious, but the accusation – the politics of envy – which the Tories like to throw around never gets anywhere with me. I’d probably only be envious if I knew that someone of comparable qualifications and talents to me had been successful without any real effort on their part. I merely despise lesser mortals such as footballers and tennis players who are really just skilled manual labourers; and because that’s all they are, let them be paid comparably to their counterparts who are no less deserving. I desire to be paid enough to do more than just exist, but my needs are fairly modest in that respect.
There’s a second part to today’s dilemma. While Justin’s burning money, his housekeeper, Mrs Jones, suggests that he might do something social with it. Justin consults his advisers, who suggest that he should give his money to charity. He’s not so keen on that idea. His PA, Samantha, suggests a flower party with thousands of orchids. Justin wants to know why. She says, “As a concept.” He likes the idea and does it, but is that any solution?
This seems to me no better than burning the money. Flowers may have aesthetic appeal, but I’d rather have the cash.
And thus we leave Dilemma 54 for Dilemma – would you believe it? – 55 tomorrow. Or the next day.
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