From Iceland — NOT TRYING TO FOOL ANYONE

NOT TRYING TO FOOL ANYONE

Published December 3, 2004

NOT TRYING TO FOOL ANYONE

Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear that the singular goal for his entire life has been to amass and maintain a fortune. Plain and simple. You will never hear him making some sanctimonious claim that his greed keeps thousands employed, that his wealth enables him to donate much more money to charities, or that his acquisitions add to the health of the nation’s economy. No, Trump wears his greed as a badge of honour. He knows why he’s been put on this planet and makes sure everyone else knows it, too: he is here to earn.

Trump’s honesty with himself and the rest of the world makes him a more emotionally stable captain of industry – happy with who he is and what he wants to do – and less likely to make rash and foundless decisions which could cost many jobs. Weasels like Milken and Lay, on the other hand, possess a dishonesty which almost smacks of self-loathing. The constant justifications and excuses drain their energy and take their focus off of the business of doing good business. They are hence prone to make mistakes that can do serious damage to the same economy they help control.

If you are one of the super rich of the world, you would much better serve the global market (and your bank account) by following Trump’s example. Admit to anyone who will listen that you are a shameless, money-grubbing foot soldier for the capitalist horde. Display your greed without shame or embarrassment. Put your surname on everything you own. Buy that gold-plated mailbox! It’s in the job description.

We all have our parts to play in the global market economy. Most of us will be working jobs which we settle for, living from paycheck to paycheck to maintain an acceptable standard of living. We fight to ensure that we are not only protected from those conducting the global market but that we get a bigger share of their wealth. We live in these roles without feeling the need to lie about why we play them. Why should it be any different for the super-rich?

It would naturally be ideal if the super-wealthy really were benevolent contributors to society, slicing off a good chunk of their earnings to help maintain a decent standard of living for all. And while there are some millionaires, such as George Soros, who do take this philanthropic role, we might as well be honest in admitting that the vast majority of those entering the market are not there to play the generous uncle. Look to Trump, ubercapitalists, and admit your role in the market game. Nothing is more damaging to the sense of self than lying to the world about who you are. For someone in charge of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to inflict this sort of damage on themselves, it’s bad for all of us.

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