Ayn Rand’s Advice on America’s Money Problems
James Dugan
Money is on my mind. Maybe it is the constant news about states cutting budgets and slashing everything from national parks to Kindergarten. Or maybe it is that nagging time of year when the calendar will dictate the air conditioner’s return and its inflated bills. But if you think that money doesn’t matter, well I’ll let Ayn Rand guide our post, “Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue.”
Now a budget isn’t a sexy topic, but on Monday it became the biggest story in the nation. U.S. hits debt Ceiling reveals how far this new Congress is willing to go to change America. We have always raised the ceiling since its inception in 1917. The story is mute for now but if Congress stays obstinate, real changes to fundamental benefits of being American will have to change. Treasury Secretary Geithner will have to decide on what bills the US will pay and what bills he will let slide. The country will not be able to pay everyone on time and our credit will suffer. We will become deadbeats around the world. So Ayn Rand teaches, “So you think that money is the root of all evil. Have you ever asked what is the root of all money?”
This proposes many interesting questions to chew on this lunch. Who should we pay if we only have limited funds? Can you live with a bad credit score for your nation? Will you be able to show your face in China on vacation when you know that your country has basically not paid their electric bill? I was from a generation when our parents demanded you get a credit card to build good credit. How else would you buy a car and one day a house? It was probably the worst advice the banks and the US government made us believe, but it led to a comfortable life and not much stress in my twenties as credit was widely available. But as the Recession has taught us, like the Depression taught my grandparents, hope (credit) is not a thing with feathers, but with many weighty stones to limit your freedom. Ayn Rand knew, “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
And in this time of cutbacks, even more disturbing news has appeared to slice our lowest wage earnings by the hour: Computers will replace your waiter. Now I have always felt guilty about the $2.85 waiters and waitresses earned and I try to never complain and I always try to leave 20%, even for bad service. But imagine this large diverse group of Americans, many just waiting for chance in their careers or making ends meet in their households, are cut by a tablet because it is quicker, more convenient, or plays games while you wait for your chicken fingers and baked potato. When economic times get tough, human labor gets cut, and technology will once again cost us, but then I will never pay a tablet 20%, even if it brings me extra sour cream. I resort to Ms. Rand for the truth, “Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter.”
My final money story is one of hope: Lottery Unclaimed. There is a person in Kensington who has or has recently held a lottery ticket worth 200,000. The ticket is set to expire on May 26, but as I have found out many times growing up, Kensos will not be rushed. The idea there are places in this country that people buy lottery tickets and not check them is great. Money means nothing, but the hope of acquiring a lot of it for little work is worth a buck at the counter. $200,000 in Kensington is a King’s treasure but I have a feeling it might be safer for the person who won it, never to claim it. What would they do with it? Move from Kensington, go to college, dine at Capital Grille? No, they will probably go back to the same deli, eat the same lunch, bet on a few more Eagles games (while paying off the debt from last year), and head to the casino in Fishtown. In the morning, they will be found beaten close to death with nothing in their pocket. It is probably better just to keep the ticket and frame it and go buy another ticket just in the hope that lightening strikes twice. I understand why you won’t turn that in, pal, but Ayn Rand wasn’t from Kensington, “Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think.”
In the end, whether it is the U.S. not paying some bills, waiters being paid too much, or a winning lottery ticket not being claimed, we are all living the American Dream. We are just one day away from disgrace, one computer away from oblivion, and one ticket away from everything we ever wanted. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Money often costs too much.”
You didn’t think I would end with Ayn Rand did you?
Reader Comments (3)
http://swampland.time.com/2011/05/13/the-gops-godless-philosopher/ Interesting read from Time Magazine. I'll write more later about my feelings on Rand's philosophy of life and money.
Good post with interesting quotes. I noticed you didn't mention responsibility too much in your discussion of the American debt crisis. It's not as if this one vote on the debt ceiling will be the sole factor in destroying our nation's credit. We've already all but destroyed it with thirty years of irresponsibility. We've allowed our Debt to come within a few percentage points of GDP and devalued our currency. Something has to change somehow and I am encouraged that at least some politicians are echoing Truman's sentiment when he said "the buck stops here."
I didn't know about the swampland.time article. I didn't even know Republicans were idolizing Ayn Rand -- I guess the Cold War is really over. Thanks for the send -- it was very entertaining. Clarence Thomas and Fountainhead -- that cracks me up.