Why is Wealth Important? LO8803

Keith Cowan (72212.51@CompuServe.COM)
01 Aug 96 13:22:48 EDT

Replying to LO8728 --

Dick Wolff <dickwolff@patrol.i-way.co.uk> continues to distinguish
Americans from others in the role of wealth in their society and concludes
with an example:

>..Gary's assertion that people with Personal Mastery tend to get wealthy and
>famous really would raise confused eyebrows here in Britain, where the
>general assumption is that you get wealthy by being greedy, or by being
>born wealthy. The issue is played out regularly in the media every time
>the directors of our former public utilities award themselves grotesque
>pay rises.

Although I cannot take issue with the fundamental premise here because I
am part of the North American culture, I would hasten to add that in this
continent, people who line their pockets at the expense of the taxpayer
are considered in great contempt here because what is respected is the one
who can capitalize in an ethical way on free market forces. Even the big
banks are held in contempt for their huge profits because they do not
participate in a truly free market (governemt regulations restrict true
competitiion). Of course, public utilities are also government-controlled
monopolies in most geographies. So the example does not illustrate the
principle that you are suggesting.

I would suggest that self-made wealth is respected more than inherited
wealth here. If your assertion is correct, this is indeed a difference
with Britain...Keith

(PS While not LO related, such revelations can help establish a baseline
from which to deal with our inherent different perspectives.)

-- 

Keith Cowan <72212.51@CompuServe.COM>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>