Looking at threads, articles, and other newstories about the debt ceiling makes my belief that fear and money are mankind's greatest motivators even stronger. I don't know if it is a bad thing but at the same time I am not sure if it is good because it seems like love, generosity, goodwill and all that other stuff should be greater motivators. I have heard and know that wars tend to "boost" an "economy" but I wonder why it takes killing each other to get off our butts and do something with ourselves. Same way with certain jobs where people only show up "because of the money". Do people not have hobbies and interest or some sort of activity that they love? Is there not enough love in the world?
I think the people who are in it for themselves thrive on money and fear. There are people who aren't in it for themselves and in it for others but they usually aren't the people in power.
Before saying that most Americans suck, etc. - look at yourself and how much money you donate to charity and how much time you spend volunteering.
Money has a role of central importance because it so closely symbolizes power. In our current "democracy," the more money you have, the more power you have. Ideally, everyone's influence would equal precisely one vote.
The evolutionary Imperatives: 1. self preservation (staying alive) 2. procreation (sex , money and power to ensure progeny)
This is a key problem with Western democracy. From a statistician's viewpoint, the fact that our candidates are a self-selecting sample with certain common traits (oratory ability, desire for power), is something worth thinking about. If American leadership were a sample for a study, it'd be ruled unscientific and biased. i had a crazy idea... local representatives who are selected based on criteria of merit---a standardized test, excellence in a certain field etc...votes would determine which of these essentially randomly selected candidates would win each district, then they would convene together and elect national leaders out of their bunch. of course that has problems too...aristocratic like, perhaps elitist, and what's a good measure of merit that can't be gamed? But we shouldn't be wholeheartedly embracing the politics we have just because our "democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."
I have to differ. For the vast majority of people, money equals freedom. The freedom to do what you want with your time (ie. NOT work), freedom to travel, eat at nice places, etc. I don't think most lotto winners give a damn about how to use their newfound wealth to influence public policy, lobby, etc. Before we get all self-righteous and call everyone *****ty or little Eichmans, let's analyze why we ourselves go to work. Yes we work for money, Does that make us all power-hungry a-holes? Hardly. I bet most of the liberal and leftist people on this very topic work for a paycheck. No we largely work for money to survive because we don't live in some fantasy state where everything is provided for by the labor and toil of someone else. And money is readily exchanged for the things that help our survival. Imagine how diffcult a currency-less, barter-system economy would be. If some of you loathe working for money so much, then go volunteer at the homeless shelter on weekends. You would be working solely for the benefit or "love" of others. They could really use help in any way and you will feel great about it afterwards. (also you could look down on others not volunteering themselves - )
you sound "Confucian?" That's the problem with democracy. It creates "politicians". At least the Supreme Court and Fed chairmanship are (sort of ) our of harm's way. I would wager that the vast majority of politicians (GOP or Dem) are probably a-holes in real life.
Not unless you're part of the top 1%, some of which inherited their wealth, and do live in that fantasy state. come at me bro. I work for money and I volunteer. nothing says you can't do both. >
Yeah that the top 1% though. I was moreso responding to some other posts here like SNC's rather arrogant sounding post. Also - the contention by others here that people are generally motivated by money because of the "power" factor. Good for you for volunteering your time. I sincerely hope others here do the same - especially before calling people ****ty.
In my experience and opinion, most people are good, just that the system makes them bad... I'd say fear and money are big motivators of people, but that love can be equally potent. It's hard to blanket judge people, if there's one thing I've learned, it's not to judge because people can definitely surprise you. So yeah, I agree with you I guess.
You don't differ with me much at all. This went down like a fat hang glider when I posted it, but here's a link to the rest of it anyway: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=6143682&postcount=13
I guess you're just trying to be insulting by simplifying a cogent critique down to the empty assertion that anyone who questions the system "loathes working for money." Oh, and good job volunteering and working solely out of your "love" for the homeless. Wouldn't it be great if we made the system equitable enough that we didn't have homeless people? That would really show how much we care about them.
Would I be wrong to say one reason I want to volunteer my time toward something like Child Advocates is so that I can tell single, attractive women that I volunteer my time towards unfortunate children in the hope that the single, attractive women will be more likely to want to have sex with me? I think maybe I should have added sex to the list of motivators. Or is sex the true motivator? Like Dave Chapelle said "If a man could **** in a cardboard box he wouldn't buy a house".
Yepper 1. Fear keeps you alive 2. Money gets you sex, power and keeps you alive Those listed by the op are Means to an End . .. . so . . . The real Motivators are Self Preservation and Sex [Reproduction and HAPPY FEELINGS] Rocket River
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BdbnssEZ_Xk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Rocket River
