From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Sun Jun 23 2002 - 00:02:39 MDT
From: "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey@datamann.com>
> Olga Bourlin wrote:
> > From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
> > > In Swedish there are two words that get translated into greed in
> > > English. "Girighet" means greed. Then there is "Missunsamhet", which
> > > refers to dislike of seeing others have something. As I see it, the
> > > missunsamhet-component of greed is the big problem. It is what makes
> > > people dislike successful people and wish them less success.
> >
> > If I understand your translation from the Swedish, it seems "girighet"
is
> > actually the big problem. It is what makes rich people dislike poor
people
> > and wish them more poverty.
>
> I've never known a wealthy person to wish more poverty on others...
They may not wish it, but "more poverty" happens when you've got a country
(USA) with socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor.
> they may despise the poor for their lack of capability, luck, or
> opportunism.
Despise the poor? Why would anyone with more "capability, luck and
opportunism" despise people with less (of those conditions)? Many of
America's poor are children - others are simply sick, old, demented, maimed,
the not-too-swift. Whatever happened to compassion (or just plain old
noblesse oblige)?
> Are you still hanging with the boyars, Olga?
Never have, Mike. (Didn't Peter I close the iron door on the rank and title
of "boyar?")
Missunsamhet
> seems to be equal to 'jealousy' or 'resentment', and is indeed a big
> problem. Having known many people throughout the economic spectrum, I
> can say the poor hate and resent the rich far more than the reverse.
If the are not too smitten with the rich, one can at least understand some
of the underpinnings. But, what, exactly, is the "problem" as you (and
Anders) perceive it to be? Is the problem one that mainly affects the rich?
the poor? our society? Whose problem is it? And what can be done about it?
Olga
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