The original story was written by Charles Dickens and first published on December 19, 1843. It is a morality tale of a miser, one Ebenezer Scrooge and of his redemption to kindness & generosity.
Nice summary, Perry. I remember the 'greed-is-good' (Film: Wall St) in the 1980s and the Thatcher/Reagan switch to privatisation of that which belongs to all. Voices that pointed out what would happen were shot down in flames as 'naysayers'. And the "we all rise together" ethic (on which I was brought up) after the horrors of two world wars, died.
And yet I see in our communities that helping one another out is still strong in the hearts of the many. Trouble is, the power of the elite is now increasingly embedded in laws and institutional structures and political favouritisms and 'philanthropy' funding academia, science, media, etc, all to the same end of increasing the power of those already in power.
Thank you for sharing this quote from the Christmas Carol
»...a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster...« what a dazzling description of Scrooge's character.
"greed" originally carried the meaning of "hunger," which makes me think that the so-called 'super-wealthy' must have a problem with assimilating all the wealth they are accumulating. This is no longer about money. It's about power, or some illusion of it.
Thank you for describing the contemporary secular society. Another confirmation regarding how lucky kids and I are to belong to Chabad Jewish community instead. Where wealhy are obligated to help less fortunate. Where people care, laugh together and cry together, making sad events more bearable and happy events many times better!
An excellent and timely read Perry. Thank you. I am reading this book aloud to my kids during our lunchtime literature lessons. It is a necessary read whose lessons will hopefully be taken to heart. ❤️
Well said, Perry, and thank you for the movie link. This is always a good time of year to revisit A Christmas Carol and I often listen to audiobook versions of it. I wonder what would happen if the Billionaire Class had to time travel back to a Victorian Debtor's Prison and stay there.
Other than time travel to a Victorian Debtors Prison, many of the tech billionaires want to go to Mars. Although I am against colonization, it still seems like a great idea.
There isn't an egalitarian society on earth and never had been nor ever will be. From the Amazonian rain jungle to the greatest nation-states to families to churches there has never been a level playing field and one could mount an argument that it is mathematically impossible for there to be one.. The inequalities are measured in metrics of power, influence, status, popularity, access, and so forth. So many things, so many slices of all different kinds of cake. The billionaires have large portions of the wealth cake, but wind up with tiny portions of the popularity one. To which latter state they are by and large indifferent. People are so envious after all. Wealth, like power, doesn't ennoble all who have it. Hearts remain hard. Reformed misers are not uncommon but in individual cases the reform seldom extends to redistributing all ones wealth, just strategic amounts.
I wonder if the coming environmental calamity will create a small leveling effect. In general shared misery, yes. In power and wealth probably not. Ricky Lanusse talks about "storm autocracies.". That's a likely outcome.
I consider the hoarding of wealth a sign of mental illness; and, thus, one symptom is that these billionaires are indifferent to the ways of thought that a normal healthy person possesses. This includes being in harmony with Nature. But the billionaire mindset is acquisition, competition and domination. And also destruction. In short, they are sick. Very sick.
Thus, in my estimation, to envy a billionaire is to envy a mentally unhealthy person. Not something I can emulate or understand, Michael. I do not envy them; I sometimes pity them. They trapped themselves in a one-dinensional world. They are really not that interesting as persons, say, compared to Einstein, Newton or Tolstoy and dozens of other geniuses throughout history.
The system on which they have gained their power will fall when the people wake up. They own everything by their man made laws which we the people have been hypnotized into believing have power over us. Most people have no understanding of the tax system, the financial system the real estate or the legal system.
Even the spirit of Christmas, that of giving to express one's love for others and for life is mocked by BLACK friday mob events, and the pursuit of materialistic gains of items built to break. I am afraid that even the lesser people are so far gone that they cannot even see the cages they exist in. The more of us though who can find a way to talk about this as you do Perry, maybe more will wake up.
I noticed Christmas decorations/sales at retail places going up halloween weekend this year.
Yes, materialism and consumerism has a great hold on people, putting themselves into cages. One is debt.
Yet, I see more and more people stepping away from such a way of thinking. I will keep talking about it, Karafree, because I want to help people free themselves.
Dickens was big on the American lecture circuit and remains a presence? I wanted to remember how... I have not read his 'American Notes'. I found an extract telling of his crossing apparently as a well-off man on the Cunard Line's paddle-steamer 'Britannia' from Liverpool to Boston, New Year's Day 1842. There is a lively account of a storm, and it took 21 days.
Age of coal and steam and capital, railways and London? Our youngest's searches for family history found a direct branch on my side of the family re-locating from hard rural times (father in Australia as a middle-aged convict) to the same mean streets that informed Dickens.
American philanthropy and the future of the world on the wave of the carbon pulse? Amazing short podcast by Nate Hagens' yesterday on the subject, wearing his pre-Christmas gift of a hat: Frankly: 'The man who thanked me for ruining his life' .
The man had taken Nate seriously and done 400 hours listening and had many a sleepless night. He had never been a Scrooge, just a succsessful venture capitalist, which is a mindset thing?https://bit.ly/49GPINU This is not for everybody, so take it easy!!!
Yes, a mindset thing. What is the difference between a venture capitalist and a vulture capitalist? Bear in mind, the vulture serves a need in Nature. Can the same be said for the venture or vulture capitalist? A very serious question, indeed.
Dickens was not above supplementing his income from book sales by going on the lecture circuit. America, the land of opportunity, beckons..The Siren Song of wealth. He is not among my favourite writers, but he wrote a few good books. Told some nice stories. And to his credit, he was an animal lover, having two pet ravens, in succession, as companions: Crip and Crip Ii.
I don't know anything about venture capitalism but Nate does, from before he got ecology. Characteristics they share with 19thC? it seems VCs believe they are still on the crest of the wave, and get fired up with risks? (Read Dickens mid-Atlantic.😊)
Britain was first industrial top dog and with sea power majorly into expanding markets happy with risks on top of the wave, relishing the expanding frontier. By early 20thC, although the Empire still looked good, big trouble was brewing...
My grandfather read his family regular Dickens' stories and on Sundays, foreman plumber, fed an outlying family of relatives who walked 3 miles to his house for the one square meal of the week. Sounds quite modern now.
One Empire down by the time I watched a relative's TV when Elizabeth II was not crowned Empress of India on that still-stunned and grey day in London.
Excellent essay Perry. I also like the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim and watch it each years around this time.
I like to think I am optiimistic as well and hoping that the billionaire class will have a wake up moment. I suppose once one reaches a certain level of greed, it becomes self-perpetuating and the focus is no longer on the currency of the day, but rather power. The greed for power feeds the ego and spins in motion at such a pace that they become one in the same.
For me, the nature of greed permeates so much that it transcends acquisition of assets and power. The greed is almost like the manifestation of an ego out of control. The actions of greed (ego) become a way for the ego to self-identify and recognize itself as "Look, I did this and I did that!"
I also like the 1951 Sim's version. Yes, when greed takes over and becomes a way of life, there is nothing good that remains. It can also be compared, in a figurative sense, to a parasite that takes over the mind.
This can explain why the billionaire has an inability to give, even though he has taken so much, more than he can possibly need. His mind tells him that he does not have enough. It is delusional thinking of an unhealthy mind.
Well said Perry. So many layers to this one. Greed is the tip of the iceberg. Lots of questions come out of this one. Christmas for me has a glimpse of what you hope for. The movies, the smells, the sounds, the smiles of hope. To that I raise a glass to you for sharing and giving here. Thanks for writing. We need you 🙏❤️
> Whether or not the wealthy, and the billionaire class in particular, apprehends this message, as Scrooge eventually does, remains to be seen. I highly doubt it, and this is one case I would love to be wrong.
That will simply never happen. The only way forward is to restructure society so such wealth accumulation to the billionaire stage is impossible. The problem is that the entire reason these people are billionaires is because they are the best of the best at exploitation. Giving isn't even the answer, in my opinion: even if some give their money away, the money still represents exploitation and it will just be others benefiting from that. What we need to do is stop the exploitation entirely.
Nice summary, Perry. I remember the 'greed-is-good' (Film: Wall St) in the 1980s and the Thatcher/Reagan switch to privatisation of that which belongs to all. Voices that pointed out what would happen were shot down in flames as 'naysayers'. And the "we all rise together" ethic (on which I was brought up) after the horrors of two world wars, died.
And yet I see in our communities that helping one another out is still strong in the hearts of the many. Trouble is, the power of the elite is now increasingly embedded in laws and institutional structures and political favouritisms and 'philanthropy' funding academia, science, media, etc, all to the same end of increasing the power of those already in power.
Very well put, Joshua. There are laws in place that I sense many healthy minds will set aside and ignore.
God bless us everyone!
Thank you for sharing this quote from the Christmas Carol
»...a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster...« what a dazzling description of Scrooge's character.
"greed" originally carried the meaning of "hunger," which makes me think that the so-called 'super-wealthy' must have a problem with assimilating all the wealth they are accumulating. This is no longer about money. It's about power, or some illusion of it.
There are some unhealthy appetites at work, no doubt, along with money acting as a replacement for some lack of nurturing when young.
Thank you for describing the contemporary secular society. Another confirmation regarding how lucky kids and I are to belong to Chabad Jewish community instead. Where wealhy are obligated to help less fortunate. Where people care, laugh together and cry together, making sad events more bearable and happy events many times better!
An excellent and timely read Perry. Thank you. I am reading this book aloud to my kids during our lunchtime literature lessons. It is a necessary read whose lessons will hopefully be taken to heart. ❤️
Yes, always a good time to revist and read. Thanks Jenn.
Well said, Perry, and thank you for the movie link. This is always a good time of year to revisit A Christmas Carol and I often listen to audiobook versions of it. I wonder what would happen if the Billionaire Class had to time travel back to a Victorian Debtor's Prison and stay there.
This might encourage them to reconsider their greedy ways.
Other than time travel to a Victorian Debtors Prison, many of the tech billionaires want to go to Mars. Although I am against colonization, it still seems like a great idea.
There isn't an egalitarian society on earth and never had been nor ever will be. From the Amazonian rain jungle to the greatest nation-states to families to churches there has never been a level playing field and one could mount an argument that it is mathematically impossible for there to be one.. The inequalities are measured in metrics of power, influence, status, popularity, access, and so forth. So many things, so many slices of all different kinds of cake. The billionaires have large portions of the wealth cake, but wind up with tiny portions of the popularity one. To which latter state they are by and large indifferent. People are so envious after all. Wealth, like power, doesn't ennoble all who have it. Hearts remain hard. Reformed misers are not uncommon but in individual cases the reform seldom extends to redistributing all ones wealth, just strategic amounts.
I wonder if the coming environmental calamity will create a small leveling effect. In general shared misery, yes. In power and wealth probably not. Ricky Lanusse talks about "storm autocracies.". That's a likely outcome.
Probably so!
I consider the hoarding of wealth a sign of mental illness; and, thus, one symptom is that these billionaires are indifferent to the ways of thought that a normal healthy person possesses. This includes being in harmony with Nature. But the billionaire mindset is acquisition, competition and domination. And also destruction. In short, they are sick. Very sick.
Thus, in my estimation, to envy a billionaire is to envy a mentally unhealthy person. Not something I can emulate or understand, Michael. I do not envy them; I sometimes pity them. They trapped themselves in a one-dinensional world. They are really not that interesting as persons, say, compared to Einstein, Newton or Tolstoy and dozens of other geniuses throughout history.
Couldn't agree more. They are trapped in an ant hole of narrow dimension, confined in a brass bottle, stoppered with their greed energy
The system on which they have gained their power will fall when the people wake up. They own everything by their man made laws which we the people have been hypnotized into believing have power over us. Most people have no understanding of the tax system, the financial system the real estate or the legal system.
Even the spirit of Christmas, that of giving to express one's love for others and for life is mocked by BLACK friday mob events, and the pursuit of materialistic gains of items built to break. I am afraid that even the lesser people are so far gone that they cannot even see the cages they exist in. The more of us though who can find a way to talk about this as you do Perry, maybe more will wake up.
I noticed Christmas decorations/sales at retail places going up halloween weekend this year.
Materialism is what makes the world go round.
Yes, materialism and consumerism has a great hold on people, putting themselves into cages. One is debt.
Yet, I see more and more people stepping away from such a way of thinking. I will keep talking about it, Karafree, because I want to help people free themselves.
The more they entice us by materialistic pursuits, the more they trap us.
Good read and thinking everybody, thanks!
Dickens was big on the American lecture circuit and remains a presence? I wanted to remember how... I have not read his 'American Notes'. I found an extract telling of his crossing apparently as a well-off man on the Cunard Line's paddle-steamer 'Britannia' from Liverpool to Boston, New Year's Day 1842. There is a lively account of a storm, and it took 21 days.
Age of coal and steam and capital, railways and London? Our youngest's searches for family history found a direct branch on my side of the family re-locating from hard rural times (father in Australia as a middle-aged convict) to the same mean streets that informed Dickens.
American philanthropy and the future of the world on the wave of the carbon pulse? Amazing short podcast by Nate Hagens' yesterday on the subject, wearing his pre-Christmas gift of a hat: Frankly: 'The man who thanked me for ruining his life' .
The man had taken Nate seriously and done 400 hours listening and had many a sleepless night. He had never been a Scrooge, just a succsessful venture capitalist, which is a mindset thing?https://bit.ly/49GPINU This is not for everybody, so take it easy!!!
Yes, a mindset thing. What is the difference between a venture capitalist and a vulture capitalist? Bear in mind, the vulture serves a need in Nature. Can the same be said for the venture or vulture capitalist? A very serious question, indeed.
Dickens was not above supplementing his income from book sales by going on the lecture circuit. America, the land of opportunity, beckons..The Siren Song of wealth. He is not among my favourite writers, but he wrote a few good books. Told some nice stories. And to his credit, he was an animal lover, having two pet ravens, in succession, as companions: Crip and Crip Ii.
Thanks Perry!
I don't know anything about venture capitalism but Nate does, from before he got ecology. Characteristics they share with 19thC? it seems VCs believe they are still on the crest of the wave, and get fired up with risks? (Read Dickens mid-Atlantic.😊)
Britain was first industrial top dog and with sea power majorly into expanding markets happy with risks on top of the wave, relishing the expanding frontier. By early 20thC, although the Empire still looked good, big trouble was brewing...
My grandfather read his family regular Dickens' stories and on Sundays, foreman plumber, fed an outlying family of relatives who walked 3 miles to his house for the one square meal of the week. Sounds quite modern now.
One Empire down by the time I watched a relative's TV when Elizabeth II was not crowned Empress of India on that still-stunned and grey day in London.
Vultures and ecology while the ecology lasts?
George C. Scott made a great scrooge. So did Patrick Stewart.
I did not see the Patrick Stewart version. I must look into it.
Excellent essay Perry. I also like the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim and watch it each years around this time.
I like to think I am optiimistic as well and hoping that the billionaire class will have a wake up moment. I suppose once one reaches a certain level of greed, it becomes self-perpetuating and the focus is no longer on the currency of the day, but rather power. The greed for power feeds the ego and spins in motion at such a pace that they become one in the same.
For me, the nature of greed permeates so much that it transcends acquisition of assets and power. The greed is almost like the manifestation of an ego out of control. The actions of greed (ego) become a way for the ego to self-identify and recognize itself as "Look, I did this and I did that!"
I also like the 1951 Sim's version. Yes, when greed takes over and becomes a way of life, there is nothing good that remains. It can also be compared, in a figurative sense, to a parasite that takes over the mind.
This can explain why the billionaire has an inability to give, even though he has taken so much, more than he can possibly need. His mind tells him that he does not have enough. It is delusional thinking of an unhealthy mind.
Well said Perry. So many layers to this one. Greed is the tip of the iceberg. Lots of questions come out of this one. Christmas for me has a glimpse of what you hope for. The movies, the smells, the sounds, the smiles of hope. To that I raise a glass to you for sharing and giving here. Thanks for writing. We need you 🙏❤️
Thank you, Jamie.
> Whether or not the wealthy, and the billionaire class in particular, apprehends this message, as Scrooge eventually does, remains to be seen. I highly doubt it, and this is one case I would love to be wrong.
That will simply never happen. The only way forward is to restructure society so such wealth accumulation to the billionaire stage is impossible. The problem is that the entire reason these people are billionaires is because they are the best of the best at exploitation. Giving isn't even the answer, in my opinion: even if some give their money away, the money still represents exploitation and it will just be others benefiting from that. What we need to do is stop the exploitation entirely.
I do not see it happening, but I am open to hearing the views of others.