Comments on Ethical Musings: Shoes, tea parties, and happiness

My ancestors fled to this country to escape persec...

2010-02-07T15:54:20.301-05:00

My ancestors fled to this country to escape persecution and to find better opportunities for themselves and their descendants, i.e., for the same reasons that most immigrants come to this country today. Unlike current immigrants, some of my forebears unjustly displaced the land’s original occupants, offering no compensation but taking what these newcomers wanted.

My bias is global rather than national. The world’s best long-term hope for the future likes in moving toward a global community. Allowing the free movement of peoples across borders promotes greater equality and diminishes the forces of envy and greed that lead to war. My bias toward things is to be a minimalist rather than acquisitive. I periodically examine my life and lifestyle to determine what I should give away. Unfortunately, considerable disparity exists between my lifestyle and my ethical standard. Yet, having a vision gives me a goal toward which to progress and against which to measure my progress.

The instruction not to judge does not eliminate the helpful necessity of constructive criticism. Tamara Mellon, for all of her clothes, is certainly no less of a person, no less valuable, than am I; perhaps she has achieved more spiritual and moral growth, even with all of those clothes, than have I. Yet we both remain very much works in progress.

I’m not angry because nobody has taken my country away from me. People who feel disenfranchised need to engage the political process more actively. Some of their anger frankly puzzles me, e.g., people making considerably less than $250,000 per year stridently opposing to raising taxes on those making more than that amount.

In today’s Raleigh News and Observer, on the editorial page, a Duke professor argued that top executives should, by law, not be allowed to earn more than 100 times the compensation of their lowest paid, full-time employee. Although one can identify some potential difficulties with such a law (e.g., what constitutes compensation), the basic principle helpfully aligns the interest of workers and managers. Today, the ratio sometimes exceeds 300 to 1, highest paid to lowest paid, causing great skepticism about the national economic system.

After reading the article, the following words cam...

2010-02-06T20:11:35.408-05:00

After reading the article, the following words came to mind, "judge not unless ye be judged". I find a liberal bias in the article about the tea party. No I'm not a member but I agree we need to do something to make us Americans feel like WE own this country. Neither Republican or Democrat party will confront our biggest issues. Taking from the rich to give to the poor is not the answer. Maybe taxing the churches might help and they should be proud of their sacrifice.
The real answer is when our government makes it more economically sound to have manufacturing jobs in this country. By letting more illegals in to work at cheaper wages is not the answer and is the root to many of the Tea party concerns.
My simple answer,as any problem should have, is to make the top executives salary and benefits a maximum set multiple of the average wage of the workers. Many of their benefits will not occur until a lapse of ten years have occurred since the benefits were offered.
We are not the repository of the poor, war torn, rejected and dejected from around the world. Neither should our people be the liberators of non democracies. We need to let the people in their country decide what type of government or culture they wish to have. They may have the best government or culture for their situation.
Americans, the poor and the rich, have worked for the benefits afforded them. Your insinuation that the Tea party rejects ALL non English or European ancestry people has to be wrong and biased.
I too feel that illegals entering our country is wrong. The worse part is to give them opportunities in health care, social security and other benefits just because they are here. Too many middle income people do without in order to keep what they have earned and worked for in countless generations.
Some people and I'm sure all of us have items we do not need but have bought because we could. I'm not envious of 800 shoes but she might think my tools, extra car, or house is not justified.
For the Haitians giving up their kids during this tragedy is terrible. It is sad but will they have more kids when they have recovered from this tragedy and await the next one.
Fixing issues that have taken decades or centuries can not be undone in years.

Excellent post. I need to hope that for every Ta...

2010-02-06T13:14:20.733-05:00

Excellent post.

I need to hope that for every Tamara Mellon there is another Paul Farmer.