Two Types

He isn't starting with a false premise. He's merely pointing out (correctly, I believe) that given the single sentence we have from Nora, we cannot conclude that she was motivated by envy. He hasn't disagreed with Don's point per se, he's just pointing a bad inference.

Posted by: MnM


Its a good point. Sure we'd all like to have more money. But it's obvious there are 2 types of people in the world. The first goes into the world with the goal of making a contribution they can leave being proud of. When successful like Bill Gates there wealth is a simply secondary. They have provided the world with a great service and they often return it to society.

The second type of person goes into the world simply to get rich or famous. They see themselves as their contribution to the world. The means doesn't matter. Often the market steers them into something truly productive but too often they accumulate vast sums of wealth in no proportion to their true production. In many cases their to production is highly negative on others and on society..

For me personally I would point out that you don't become a pediatrician to make lots of money. My former roommates now anesthesiologist and ophthalmologist make 2-3 times what a pediatrician makes. The choice was clear to me then and I'm glad I decided as I did.

My father (grade school drop-out) owned and ran a multi-million dollar business that was mine for the taking but Overland Aviation Flight Safety Equipment held no interest for me. Oh and I didn't grow up wealthy. Dad's money came in late in my high school and in college years.

For some of us..... many of us the reward is not in cash but in the contributions we make... the things we create.


The libertarian society rewards the greedy and unproductive and neglects the most truly productive and creative people of all.


I don't envy wealth in proportion to production. I don't envy massive wealth with no proportion to production... I mostly pity it except for its negative effect on the rest of hard working society...for THAT I despise it. I once watched a show on one of the wealthiest men in the world. Some sort of scheming trader or financier who had billions but wasn't happy because there were other people with more money then he. HE was ENVIOUS and JEALOUS. He was a pitiful man and I suspect many wealthy people... especially those born into it are as well.


Yes I too wish there was a Great Invisible Hand God who distributed out checks in exact proportion to ones productivity... but unlike you all I'm just not a True Believer in such things. I'm an atheist, an intellect (with poor grammar), a pragmatist and a planner who lives in the real world. I dislike superstition... it's distracting and inefficient. We can do better we just need BETTER planning but not more planning.

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A Real Republican

"Now it is true that I believe this country is following a dangerous trend when it permits too great a degree of centralization of governmental functions. I oppose this--in some instances the fight is a rather desperate one. But to attain any success it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything--even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon "moderation" in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas.5 Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Dwight D Eisenhower (in a letter to his brother)

Hard times for these times By Charles Dickens

Hard times for these times By Charles Dickens: "Utilitarian economists, skeletons of schoolmasters, Commissioners of Fact, genteel and used up infidels, gabblers of many little dog's eared creeds the poor you will have always with you. Cultivate in them while there is yet time the utmost graces of the fancies and affections to adorn their lives so much in need of ornament or in the day of your triumph when romance is utterly driven out of their souls and they and a bare existence stand face to face reality will take a wolfish turn and make an end of you"