Greed, tell me what you think Options

[Neela]

The problem with defining greed is perception.... Which of these scenarios would you consider being greedy...

1) A multi-millionaire can double his money in such a way that no one would be hurt or taken advantage of... is it greedy for him to do so since he has plenty of money already... more than he really needs?

2) A medieval village has stored up a large quantity of grain for the coming winter, while the neighboring village's fields were flooded and lost most of its winter stores. The first village could safely hold out the winter without going hungry but the second village will most likey run out of food. Should the first village share its food with the second village at the risk of both starving. If it doesn't is it being greedy, since they will have plenty?

3) You have been waiting in line for 35 minutes at the DMV when you notice a friend 10 people ahead of you who offers you to cut in line. If you do isnt that being greedy since you are benefitting yourself and increasing the wait for those 10 people who will have to wait just a bit longer?

and finally just to press home the point..
4) Its payday and you just cashed your check.. You have $60 left over after paying all your bills. You really really want to go buy that computer game for a few hours of entertainment or maybe go out to the bar with that money... are you being greedy? After all there are many many victims of Katrina who could use that $60 if you donated it to charity.

No one is going to blame you or make you feel guilty for using that money for your own... because almost all of us would do the same.

[DoomedOne]

Greed is not absolute, you can't make a judgement between whether something is greedy or not, but that does not mean greed does not exist just because there is no line. That's not a problem with defining greed either, there is no absolute, it's an aspect to take into consideration when defining anything.

Greed is not an individual trait either, as many other things become involved as well. There is not linear chart between greed and generoisty, therefore I can't mark any answer somewhere between being generous and being greedy. It would generous if the village shared its food, but that does not mean you're being greedy if you refuse.

There is also responsibility to consider. There's this story called "The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. La Guin. In it, the narrator describes a world where everyone is happy. Everything is prosperous, everyone is healthy, there are no problems. The dark side of this world however is that there is a solitary, unkept closet in a basement of a random house and at one time for every child growing up on Omelas, they have to visit the child who lives inside. The child is force to live off disgusting food abd sit in its own feces, and the worst possible conditions you can imagine someone to be in. No reason for it, just know, without that child there, Omelas would not be the prosperous place it is.

If you ignore your responsibility to justice for your own gain (note, justice also has no absolute, it is perception as well) then you are being greedy. If you have the power to help someone, then in my opinion, it's your responsibility to help them. You have to pick your battles, yes, but injustice cannot stand. No government nor community can survive off the pillar of human suffering. If you ginore the suffering, you are being greedy. Just so Channler can see what I meant in Parliament so long ago, this is what I believe about responsibility. Bush had the ability to help, and since he didn't, he shares responsibility for what occurred to the victims of certain tragedies he could have prevented.

[Channler]

You cannot solely lay the blame on the President...

You, I, Joe Blow over there is responsible too. Why don't you see that? If Clinton or even that idiot Jimmy Carter were experiencing the same problems (which they would) I wouldn't go after them like many people I see do.

When we need to be united, how come all we can do is argue? What does it matter if one is right or wrong? Work to fix it first!

[DoomedOne]

Channler, I do see that, I don't blame solely Bush. Reread what I said about responsibility. This is not a topic for deciding who's to blame because, as I stated, responsibility is something shared, it's always shared, shared by those that did nothing when they could have done something, shared by those that directly instigated the result, shared by the victims, shared by absolutely everyone. Bush is to blame, he is not the only guy to blame, but he shares responsibility.

Jimmy Carter was a great man who got screwed by his term. Reagen was the idiot.

[Channler]

Channler, I do see that, I don't blame solely Bush.  Reread what I said about responsibility.  This is not a topic for deciding who's to blame because, as I stated, responsibility is something shared, it's always shared, shared by those that did nothing when they could have done something, shared by those that directly instigated the result, shared by the victims, shared by absolutely everyone.  Bush is to blame, he is not the only guy to blame, but he shares responsibility.

Jimmy Carter was a great man who got screwed by his term.  Reagen was the idiot.

Hah, I almost laughed when you called Carter a great man... Dillusional is more like it (Hmm did I spell that right?)

I like Reagen because he was a great supporter of the military and a great deal with the downfall of the USSR.. Though we he said we were going to nuke russia that was kinda funny... If illresponsable

Would you vote for me doomed if I ever got to the presidential elections?

[DoomedOne]

No, Reagan made the US a terrorist nation.

Anyway, it's time to get back on topic. Greed. Did you read the short story I posted?