The
Visitor asked, "Who are the wealthiest of your world?"
The answer was easy. "Mostly bankers and Wall Street broker types" I said. "Many of them have more wealth than tens of thousands of other people combined."
The Visitor nodded appreciatively. "They must do something of priceless value to your people. Are they the best healers? Do they produce the most food? Do they build shelters and make clothing and other items that make life better for all? Are they the protectors who risk their lives for the sake of others? Do they create music or art or literature that brings beauty into everyone's lives? Are they your best educators? On my world, those we reward the most do the most for the rest of us. Yet, no one is nearly as wealthy as you say these people are. Tell me what they do that is so valuable?"
I thought for a moment, then answered, "Well...for the most part they just use other people's money..." The Visitor looked perplexed. "By that I mean they take money and invest it in things that you mention. They might give loans to farmers or builders. They may find people to invest in a business that makes clothing, or medicine, or even in schools. Then they make a profit off of the loan interest or the investment."
The Visitor's eyes lit up in understanding: "Ah...so they donate money to good causes, ones that benefit the People, and in return they receive a modest reward! Excellent!"
I frowned, his naivete regarding our ways both encouraging and discouraging at once.
"Not exactly. They charge a lot of interest on the loans. If it's an investment, they expect the company to do everything possible to reap the highest profits, including paying workers the least amount possible, using the lowest quality materials they can get away with, cutting corners at every turn: profit matters the most. In a lot of cases, the banks and investors actually end up making more money than those they loan money to or invest in."
Now it was the Visitor's turn to frown."So, what you are saying is that those without any genuinely useful Gifts make more from the efforts of those with Gifts that serve the People, simply because these bankers and investors let them use money? Furthermore, that money doesn't even belong to the bankers and investors to begin with?
"Um...yeah, that's one way to put it".
The Visitor made a noise that sounded like a combination of a toilet flushing and an old truck backfiring.
"That makes no sense whatsoever, that those who have nothing of real value to contribute to People, other than convincing someone to let them use their money, make more than your farmers, teachers, healers, builders, tailors, poets, musicians, artists. protectors...they make more than those who actually DO SOMETHING good? They simply profit off of what those with real Gifts do?"
I sheepishly nodded.
"On my world, we have a name for such creatures, but I am too much of a gentlebeing to repeat it to you now. I can only wonder why a People who would let such a system exist call themselves Homo Sapiens (Wise Man).?"
In a flash of scintillating light and a breeze that smelled like ginger, the Visitor was gone.
The answer was easy. "Mostly bankers and Wall Street broker types" I said. "Many of them have more wealth than tens of thousands of other people combined."
The Visitor nodded appreciatively. "They must do something of priceless value to your people. Are they the best healers? Do they produce the most food? Do they build shelters and make clothing and other items that make life better for all? Are they the protectors who risk their lives for the sake of others? Do they create music or art or literature that brings beauty into everyone's lives? Are they your best educators? On my world, those we reward the most do the most for the rest of us. Yet, no one is nearly as wealthy as you say these people are. Tell me what they do that is so valuable?"
I thought for a moment, then answered, "Well...for the most part they just use other people's money..." The Visitor looked perplexed. "By that I mean they take money and invest it in things that you mention. They might give loans to farmers or builders. They may find people to invest in a business that makes clothing, or medicine, or even in schools. Then they make a profit off of the loan interest or the investment."
The Visitor's eyes lit up in understanding: "Ah...so they donate money to good causes, ones that benefit the People, and in return they receive a modest reward! Excellent!"
I frowned, his naivete regarding our ways both encouraging and discouraging at once.
"Not exactly. They charge a lot of interest on the loans. If it's an investment, they expect the company to do everything possible to reap the highest profits, including paying workers the least amount possible, using the lowest quality materials they can get away with, cutting corners at every turn: profit matters the most. In a lot of cases, the banks and investors actually end up making more money than those they loan money to or invest in."
Now it was the Visitor's turn to frown."So, what you are saying is that those without any genuinely useful Gifts make more from the efforts of those with Gifts that serve the People, simply because these bankers and investors let them use money? Furthermore, that money doesn't even belong to the bankers and investors to begin with?
"Um...yeah, that's one way to put it".
The Visitor made a noise that sounded like a combination of a toilet flushing and an old truck backfiring.
"That makes no sense whatsoever, that those who have nothing of real value to contribute to People, other than convincing someone to let them use their money, make more than your farmers, teachers, healers, builders, tailors, poets, musicians, artists. protectors...they make more than those who actually DO SOMETHING good? They simply profit off of what those with real Gifts do?"
I sheepishly nodded.
"On my world, we have a name for such creatures, but I am too much of a gentlebeing to repeat it to you now. I can only wonder why a People who would let such a system exist call themselves Homo Sapiens (Wise Man).?"
In a flash of scintillating light and a breeze that smelled like ginger, the Visitor was gone.
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