Lugnasa Autumn Moon
Romney. You know, I don’t find much fault with a man following his prejudices as long at they’re clear eyed and honestly stated. I understand that where you stand often determines how you see and it comes as no surprise at all to me that a man of Romney’s wealth and I don’t see the world the same way. What would surprise me would be a Romney Damascus Road experience leading to a heartfelt declaration for democratic socialism.
I get it that extraordinary wealth insulates those who have it from the daily concerns of those who don’t. And, I even get that our political system allows, almost demands, that someone representing those of great wealth will take the political positions that Romney has.
What he can’t expect from me, however, is my agreement or my vote or my sympathy. And he does not have it. I understand his bias and his social position; I understand the correlation between the two. To me they represent the very danger to our body politic that he claims the 47% exhibit. That is, the arrogant assumption of entitlement.
Romney and those in Michael Leder’s living room or ball room or whatever it was assume their money equals their righteousness. This is not a new idea. Aristocracies and monarchies the world over have had similar views. It was just such views that lead to the American revolution, the French revolution and, yes, even the Bolshevik revolution.
The reason these perspectives lead to revolutions and will over and over again–watch out China–is the money = rightness argument has no clothes. There is no ethical imperative to having $10 million dollars or $100 million or $1 billion. Truth cannot be had for a fat check. Love cannot be bought.
The important things in life–and we all know this–have no price tags. A millionaire or a billionaire can be as ethical as the next guy. Of course, they can. It’s just that having the money doesn’t mean they will be. The opposite, of course, is true, too. That is, poverty is no guarantee of righteousness either. But, if you had to rate the probability of ethical behavior, which one would you choose? The poor woman or the rich woman?
