From: Mark D. Fulwiler (mfulwiler@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun Sep 19 1999 - 20:20:45 MDT
It's hard to view the pre transformation Scrooge as any sort of "hero"
for extropians. True enough, he was not initiating force against anyone
and was providing a fairly good job for his clerk and a service of value
to his clients. However, he clearly was an unhappy person. Although
obviously of great wealth, he lived like a miser. He had no friends and
held an irrational grudge against his nephew. He lost his fiancee
because he spent all of his time making money, and now spends his
evenings alone eating gruel. What a wonderful life!
After the transformation, Scrooge does not sell his business and go sit
on a mountain top in India. On the contrary, he stays in the business
world. He gives his sole employee a well deserved raise and agrees to
help his crippled child. Just from a purely practical point of view,
Scrooge's clerk will probably be much more productive because of these
actions and one can only assume that eventually he will be made a
partner in the firm. Likewise, Scrooge's charitable contributions will
most likely do wonders for his public image and one can only imagine
that even more customers and money will come pouring into his business.
I can imagine old Scrooge being a generous contributor to charity, but
also spending a little bit more of his money on himself as well.
And really, who wants to be a unloved old grouch?
Mark D. Fulwiler
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