Another good point by ElM, though incomplete: <
emerging economies are grabbing a bigger slice of global output will frighten many people in the rich world. It shouldn't: living standards depend on absolute not relative growth.>
Because few people discuss or think about virtues on a daily basis, they have forgotten that there are seven deadly sins. They forget that sins are things which make one's OWN life bad. They usually also make other's lives bad, but that's not the main point. People think morals and virtue are for prudish old religious fogeys from the 19th century, not hip 21st century worldy ironical [aka cynical] dudes. They will relearn, at great cost to themselves, the value of virtue and morals.
Envy for example, is a seven deadly sin.
Income disparity is a great woe around the world, supposed to lead to misery because everyone isn't getting equal outcomes. Governments are redistributing 90 to the dozen to reduce the inequity [and, more importantly, to buy votes to dry their crocodile tears].
As ElM says, it's the absolute level of each individual's life which matters. Things are great for everyone and getting greater. The number of people in absolute poverty is almost nobody and the few suffering are suffering political repression, not some force of nature. There is plenty of capital to spread around the world and make everyone comfortable. There is not enough political will spreading around the world - people even vote themselves poor, as India did for half a century and is still doing, though not so badly
Envy is a manifestation of greed and greed is the root of all evil. Not money, though people commonly have that misunderstanding.
Greed, envy, theft - sins to avoid. Honesty, saving, work, thrift - virtues to live by.
Mqurice |
