On Greed is Good
Either I watch too many movies, or some of my readers don’t watch enough. Then again, I could be the oldest person to read my blog (I’m forced to proof it several times because when I turned 40 I became Typo Woman). "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good," is probably the most famous quote by Gordon Gekko, Michael Douglas’ character from Oliver Stone’s 1987 film Wall Street. Douglas (click on the photo to enlarge it; it became distored when I enlarged it on my end) won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for his performance.
The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.
The title of yesterday’s post was supposed to be punny. However, it’s also relevant on two levels:
- Respect for money, desire for money, lust for money, isn’t always bad. If I’m trying to make as much money as possible to fund the causes I care about, how is that bad? As long as I’m not doing anything in direct opposition to my beliefs to get that money (like, say, gambling and winning at the greyhound track), what’s so negative about having it?
- The kind of greed Gekko is talking about, but for justice for animals, is good. Isn’t it? Isn’t that what we all have in common in this much-splintered movement?
This concludes the apologia pro vita mia (and blog title) for today.
