Paradox of Affluence

361 Words2 Pages
Paradox of Affluence Paradox relates to the wide separation of the wealthy and poor, for usually alongside affluence exists great poverty. A cheap way of defining affluence is to think of it as simply wealth – of any kind, not solely monetary. The more affluent a society is then the more wasteful that society can be of its own material and financial resources. Simply put the paradox of affluence is this: We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years. Power, economic power creates political power. The problem with power is that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". So whoever has the power to control will not be willing to give it up. Preservation of power becomes the game and human life counts for nothing. In a society where one unwilling beggar roams the streets, the biggest psychological fear of the rich and powerful is to become a beggar one day. So that person will do everything in their power to accumulate more wealth to ensure that poverty will never happen to them. The rich and powerful also help create governments that will make laws to protect them, provide uniforms and guns to one part of the population to guard their safety and give guns but no uniforms to the other part of the population so that social wars will always be among the general public in order to keep them from knowing and understanding his agenda. If the general public notices their corruption, there would be chaos everywhere. When peace returns they or their organizations will be back to rule again. The cycle will continue to repeat itself, after the chaos, peace, prosperity, depression, and so on. Unless a new leader who knows the answer to the social woes is found, who is willing to introduce the much needed reforms, there is no hope, because the powers
Open Document