Some one once told me, “If you don’t understand something, follow the money.” I think that is the truth whether we like it or not.

Personally I feel that although yes, a lot of people who have money donate more, but there are a whole bunch of others who pursue money from a purely selfish perspective and fuck over anyone they need to so that they get the money they want (where they can buy the three $10million homes and the yacht and… and… and…).

In just the same way, there are people without money who would give whatever they could to help others and those without money who will knock down anyone else to get an extra dollar.

Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Get rid of your somedays: personalized help now available

Stephen – Rat Race Traps last blog post..Warning: This Board Game Could Get You Out of the Rat Race

@ Stephen – Firstly, it’s not necessarily true to say the person that gives $1m has more value than the person that just gives their time.

My mom worked voluntarily for over 20 years for Marie Curie the cancer charity before she passed away. She raised a lot of money and brought in dozens of volunteers that then in turn raised money. Her value would have exceeded $1m and there are a lot of people like her. They are the bedrock of most charitable institutions. The reason being, few people give $1m even when they can afford it.

I was once privvy to a talk given by the senior guy for TV & Media relations at one of these companies about 10 years ago. He told us that all charitable help was viewed as a dollar value (yes, he even called it a dollar value in the UK) and that was the only reason they did it. He went on to say the ROI for the right kind of partnership was 7x that of normal advertising.

I have worked for 3 multi-billion dollar international blue chip organizations. The way they operate has zero to do with helping people and everything to do with creating profit to keep stockholders off their back. That has generated an appalling fear-based short-term approach by companies and we’re seeing some of the results of that now.

There are some very kind and altruistic wealthy people and there are some that spend more money avoiding paying tax than the average person earns in a year. There are some honest and there are some dishonest. There are some that have got their money helping others, there are some that have got their money by stepping on others.

Although I never worked in the Pharm industry in my 20 year sales career, I worked with plenty of sales people that did. It was for a long time (until IT exploded) the highest paid sector in sales. It was also viewed as the most unethical and corrupt.

There are of course plenty of rich people employing the less well off. Equally there are a lot of cash rich companies that are dumping staff now because they are fearful of their stock price and how Wall Street will react if they don’t, rather than because they have to.

In the depression John Deere refused to foreclose on their loans because they could afford not to. That bred generations of farmers that are fiercely loyal to them. In other words a kind and compassionate act resulted in sound business too>

Do you think that will ever happen again?

Stephen – Rat Race Traps last blog post..Warning: This Board Game Could Get You Out of the Rat Race

You are so very gutsy for bringing such a controversial blogger and blog post to your blog. But, of course, that’s why we love you so!

And Nathalie: I agree with you that “people who make a lot of money are not evil.” But in your post it comes across like you are saying “people who DON’T make a lot of money are evil.”

I’m not sure that’s what you meant but that’s how it sounds and is one of the reasons you are getting such heated responses.

And, by the way, women who are mothers don’t need to add another job to their already busy lives by making money during their infrequent down times. What they need to be doing is taking care of themselves every chance they get, cause they are already giving PLENTY to society by raising their children.

That suggestion comes across as very insensitive and unempathetic to moms. Again, I doubt that it is something that you intended to convey.

It seems to me that your main point was to challenge people around knee jerk reactions towards rich people. Which is a valid thing to look at. But, because i felt so triggered and pissed of by some of your other allegations it made it very difficult for me to even hear your main point.

Just sayin’!

chris zydels last blog post..CATASTROPHES R ( NO LONGER) US

Or Evan?

It’s a tough call, but maybe you’re right and you have it nailed and they don’t. I have my doubts though.

I wasn’t talking about mishearing and quite frankly your arrogance (as it appears to me) when you talk about stuff being wrong and ideas being stupid just pisses me off and adds nothing to the debate.