Enough, and the freedom she allows.
The “you know what you should do” syndrome of the rich is Royal. Ask a Mighty Mongol. Prussian Prince, Russian Empress or Grand Sheik what they want to do, what wakes them up in the morning and they will say exactly what Howard Schultz, Bill Gates or Elon will say. I want to work hard for the betterment of the human race, and I, by the way, have that special something that makes this possible. Evidence: I am “successful.” My success gives me power to do things like fly my private jet to Ethiopia to fix things for the Ethiopians and then be back home in time for tea. These are King things. A culture that allows some few of its many to become richer than ninety percent of the rest is a monarchy. Is run by Kings and sometimes Queens with lesser but still very wealthy earls and Dukes who pay court, kiss rings, and generally party on with the glittering Royals. They are quite keen on the faint democracy that maintains their status and power, sometimes they even dabble with a run or two themselves: Kennedys. But, above all, the system will maintain them, not because they are nasty selfish or vindictive but because they were born to rule, they are more talented, evidence again: they are “successful.” And we invest in them the emotional attachment instilled in us by Emperors, Nationalists and Popes for centuries. And despite the mewlings of Jordan Peterson etal. Emotional attachments that re not natural to the free.
We are very keen on promoting a democracy that they control which is no democracy at all but a version of Plato’s enlightened Prince, or Princes, a Disney Prince. There will be rotten Trump Richard the Thirds but there will be John Kennedy Lion hearts, we just have to wait them out. We many, we happy many, and we do, wait. In thrall to the Rich. There is a divinity that doth hedge them.
Yesterday on a roll through YouTube I ran into an interview with Donald Glover, I was in a crowd so muted but but I could read the little words. He is super talented fellow, and the advice he gave was steady, stick to your guns, hard work etc. As if we had never heard this, ever before. How many books? But it was him saying it, this is the stuff of Kings. Emotional attachments in an age of vicarious lives. It is the many that makes the few after all. The 1% are there because the 99% put them there. And sustain them there, hoping to join them there, if only they could express their inherent Royalty… somehow.
The other thing Kings do is tell others what they should do. They are anointed managers. And who does the average guy or woman imagine themselves to be? Managers. Or the other thing, I guess. In America, should you not aspire to be king you are deficient.
To be clear about the Founding: they had no interest in democracy, equal democracy, they like Rome: rule by Aristocrats, land owners. It is true, they were not hereditary, anyone white man could be one. They didn’t abolish slavery, and the myriad other variations still alive today and kicking, not just because they were racists, they were, but because you cannot create an aristocracy without a serf class. And one can be created even faster by enslaving people. The job of the new American was to think great thoughts, write declarations and oversee plantations. And in the American version , the revolutionary one, above aristocrats were not bound by God to lead the charges. Looking hard at it this is the sum of all the claims to starting anew: no Trump would ever feel the impulse to fight in any of Americas wars. This would be done by we know who. Huey Long said ‘Every man is a King’ and I’m the King around here!” This was Jeffersons dream articulated by Stanley Kowalski.
18the century European men were a stew indeed. Poor or rich. But not good material on which to start a progress toward a better future. The enlightenment tradition seems to have had some interesting ideas regurgitating Aristotle etc but they shone with a Supremacist light: all men are equal because we said so! But I suggest that every man being a king, looking at kings as they really huff and puff, is a great emasculation. Builder, protector, hunter, guide, ditch digger, truck driver, bus conductor all confer infinitely more dignity than Earl or Duke, or queen.
Metaphor, I am an actor, it is March, I am into my third month of joyous, difficult and valuable work. For next to nothing. It is the way it goes sometimes, in fact often. To be paid I must be employed. That is my union’s stipulation and mantra. I am forbid to work for myself. Several things happen here, the joy, value and challenge disappear, replaced by a kind of obedience. A gratitude that I have been chosen by someone capable of seeing my value. I am affirmed, like a child.
This is employment in general: to please and impress the boss/ master. Of course, in this reality, the perky chappie decides to aim at bossdom. To hoist him or herself above serfdom. Aha! By kissing rings, stabbing backs, a way with kings, until the day when he is free to be: what? Is this a man which I see before me? His nose ring toward my hand.
It doesn’t work. No dignity, merit, largesse, humility required. No dancing on beaches. No disappearances, no seekings, no adventures, just relentless calculation plotting planning grasping. Eyes on Olympus no time for Parnassus. And once arrived in whose company are we?
This is no gripe against this delusional community. That would be right and tight in their bread basket. A discontented grumbler, jealous, whiny. But no. My last three months was joyous and looks to continue. I am no Leftie that haunts the soft head of David Brooks. I wouldn’t be you for all the coke in Colombia. I am free you are not.
The discussion goes so: equality of opportunity v equality of outcome. Which side are you on? I am on the third side. Adequacy of outcome: enough. This sets me free of dependence on shallow fools and enables me to set forth. Were I a Brooksian poor man longing to be rich, to be a king, a special person, a success an “individual” you would indeed have me by the short and curlys. But I’m not, so you don’t. Enough is your bane. Why every wretched tale in the myth is rags to riches.
What these riches give you exactly is hard to ascertain. It is not visible, maybe your deeper quality is hid. The evidence that is visible is not convincing. So I’ll stick to adequacy of outcomes and democracy within your fascist shores.