There are some things all the money in the world cannot buy; amongst which are health, happiness, peace, class, manners, good breeding, and least of all respect.
Indubitably, posession of great material wealth is capable of buying you a degree of power, but to what purpose is that power?
Would it secure you a more comfortable life; a life more comfortable than that which you can already buy with your vast wealth? No, you don't need power to make a comfortable life.
Could power guarantee you the best of health? No. Money might be able to buy you the best medical treatments available, but power couldn't ensure your health.
Neither could power give you class, manners, nor good breeding. You could buy the most expensive designer rags with which to sheathe your body, you could buy the finest jewels for personal adornment, you can send yourself to the best schools in the world, you can boast of having an address book full-to-bursting of the personal numbers of the most hoity-toity who's who on an international scale, yet none of these could give you class, manners or good breeding.
Power can give you status, which in turn earns you a degree of respect. A form of it, at least.
Fuck. That.
What a lot of people respect is money. Money --> Status --> Respect. And that's how moneyed people end up being respected, no matter what kind of people they are. That's the natural progression. What it frankly is, is fucked up.
It's not that I don't understand how it got that way. What it is is a vicious cycle. People need money to survive, more so of poor people. Where they can get money from is the Rich. The Rich then exploit the Poor, because the Poor have no choice, to make Themselves richer. At the same time, you can't have these anjing kurap tepi jalan getting anywhere near as prosperous as the Rich, coz then Society would really have gone to the dogs. Oh yes, the unfortunate degeneration of society would really begin then. So what you have would be the Rich getting Richer off the repressed Poor .. and congratulations to the Rich for maintaining their exclusive position! After all, why shouldn't they keep their exalted positions as Gods who dwell in the Mt. Olympus of Society, high above the Poor Nothings and Nobodys? They're Rich! They've got something the Poor don't: Power! They've got Respect! They've earned that respect with their dollars, they deserve that respect!!! The Poor shouldn't aspire to too much, after all. Bodoh. Kalau pandai, takkan miskin. Kuli. Nak kaya?! Ada hati, konon. Sometimes the Rich conveniently forget their roots.
The Rich get richer, the Poor remain repressed.
Money is the Root of All Evil. I beg to differ. The Greed for Money is The Root of All Evil.
What bothers me is not the Money. It's how people act (and react) to it. Money is only Money. When people start believing it is something more than it actually is, that's where the seeds of Evil are planted. I would be a hypocrite if I said that I didn't want a lot of money to buy nice things, but I don't want my wealth to be built on the misery of others. How the fuck could I live with myself? How could I eat the food bought with tainted money? How could I sleep in the bed begotten of other's misery?
Power corrupts. Insidiously, and absolutely. Too often power turns people into egomaniacs. Admittedly, not all people with money and/or position turn out this way, but let's be honest, how many don't? Already inflated egos then become more pumped up by carpet-baggers, ass-kissers, boot-lickers and barwahs who latch on, hoping for scraps to fall from the tables, hoping to catch a free ride to Money Land.
What never ceases to amaze me is that Rich actually wants people like these around him, more often than not for the sole purpose of having someone to stroke his egos and for him to bully. Filthy scum of society. I dare any of them to be honest just once in their lives. Show me the company you keep and I'll show you who you are.
And I will never understand how the Rich always try to repress those not in their strata. What the fuck is so wrong about helping someone else become rich as well? What!!? Hina sangat ke a person who's only trying to make the best life he can for himself and his family? Who's only trying to earn an honest and decent living? Who's only trying to carve out a place for himself in this world? Hina sangat ke sampai you have to deride him, and belittle his hard, honest efforts, and laugh at his idealistic ideas of morals and principles?
All to often, it's the dishonest ones who prosper in their dealings. Why is it so unfair? Why does God reward the ones without scruples with material wealth? The ones who have no compassion, no kindness? Orang tak beragama? Why is it that we're always saying "Takpe. Nanti Tuhan bagi balasannya." Why can't they get their just desserts now? Why? Why? Why?
Years ago, I first became disillusioned with humanity. More years of observation, the disillusionment only gets greater. I have no more faith in humanity. To me, society has already gone to hell. It no longer serves a useful function. If only there were a nuclear catastrophe, or another ice-age, then humanity could start again from scratch. There's no guarantee it won't turn out the very same way, but we need to realise the .. I want to say 'obligations' or 'responsibility', but I think it'd be inaccurate .. but we need to think beyond the Self. I think the Buddhists have it right when they say that attachments and obsessions with the material world causes Suffering.
All this misery and suffering caused by material things and their superficial derivatives (i.e. "Power" and "Status") are nothing but a bunch of crock. That's why I absolutely hate it when someone says to me, "You're too good for me, above my status. Takkan I nak mengharap pulak." What the fuck is status beyond something insecure rich people invented to reassure themselves? It is nothing but illusion and petty games.
I don't give a fuck if it's called being rude, but I don't give a fuck if you were born the Queen of England, or the Raja Muda of Selangor, or if your father was a goddamned gajillionare.
What earns respect is achievement. You earn respect because of the things you've done, of the principles you uphold, of the good and kindness you've committed. Your deeds speak for themselves, and your deeds determine the level of respect you are owed. Being born into a "socially prominent family" doesn't hold shit for me. No respect is owed for an accident of birth. More often than not, I find "socially prominent families" utterly disgusting, dispicable and disgraceful. Usually it's due to their own exalted opinion of themselves and the degrading way they treat - and think of - others. Whatever society in which they are regarded as 'creme of the crop', I don't want to live in.
Yes, once again, I acknolwedge that not everyone is like this, I know some good, rich people too. But what a minority.
A volunteer at the SPCA who cleans after cat-poo could be more deserving of respect than some kononnya high-and-mighty Tan Sri (who, by the way, almost definitely bought his title). Respect should be paid to deeds, not money nor status. It's unfortunate that the illusions of power are so tightly enmeshed in the workings of society that nowadays respect is so often casually demanded (and as unthinkingly given!) for the poorest and lamest of reasons. Respect, if not truly earned, is no respect at all.
I am not proclaiming that I have superior morals. I'll be the first to admit my deficiencies, but I believe there are common values in this world that transcend religion and spiritual beliefs. Regardless of what religion you ascribe to, or do not, there exists this natural law which differentiates the good from the bad, and that this knowledge is inherent in every human being. That (some) people deliberately disregard what instinct tells them is wrong disappoints me profoundly, hence the loss of faith in humanity. Sure, there must surely be more good people in this world than the bad, but that the bad ones seem to be able to take dominance with the good people being almost unable to do anything about it .. I just no longer have any faith. All will be settled after the material world no longer counts .. or so I hope. It's the one thing I have any faith left for.
>:o( I just needed to rant. I guess this was set off by .. a recent incident. It is unfortunate that the people who seem to be amongst the worst transgressors of basic decency and common courtesy happen to be members of my family. I am so utterly disappointed and ashamed. They were once ... decent people. I believe they once knew humility, and kindness. Once upon a time. The Love of Money corrupts; Power corrupts utterly.
In a way, I am grateful to have known them, to have seen them like this. It will serve as a life-long warning for me against the lures of false Status and the dangers of becoming too heady with Power.
Having the power to immediately secure a table in any busy restaurant, to buy the hotel should the doorman bar you entry, to order Mercedes-Benz to design a car just-for-you .. all these things are ultimately inconsequential. To be kind, to be compassionate, to be considerate .. these things matter.
Riches do not equate class. Knowing who's who in society, which fork goes with which dish, having a posh accent, and being able to speak French does not equate manners. Being a member (sometimes even being a pseudo-member is good enough!) of a "socially prominent family" does not guarantee good breeding.
Poise, finesse, elegance, good manners, gentility, integrity, class, genuine respect. None of these can be bought, not if you owned the world. I could be dead poor, but I'll bet I could still have manners, class, and truly deserved, truly earned respect.
