Home »

[karizmua]

In a world so caught up in accumulating material wealth, is it true that "much wealth, much worry?

In 1923, the world's most successful financiers gathered in Chicago. These men controlled more wealth than was in the United States treasury. In the following years, newspapers and magazines printed the success stories of these financiers and urged youth to emulate them. However, years later, some of these successful men were examples of terrible failure and tragedy. Jesse Livermore, the president of Greater Bear on Wall Street, committed suicide. Ivar Kruegar, the head of world's greatest monopoly, committed suicide. Charles Schwab, the president of the largest Independent Steel Company, lived on borrowed money for the last five years of his life and died penniless. Arthur Cutten, the greatest wheat speculator, died abroad insolvent. Richard Whitney, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, was released some time ago from Sing Sing Prison so he could die at his home. And the list goes on...

Our culture seems to hold the rich in higher esteem than any other group and the pursuit of wealth above any other pursuit. Some of you reading this are/maybe/will be rich (one day) and others may be living paycheck to paycheck. Whatever your financial situation, how do you view wealth, blessing or curse? Elaborate on your answer.

[Ambrosia]

I view wealth as a blessing, as long it doesn't turn you into an arrogant person who expect everyone to satisfy all your desires.

[Madan Azibé]

Wealth is definitely a blessing.

Well...the thing is..wealth sometimes ends up in the wrong hands. It all depends on

who has that fortune...gotta know how to handle and make the best out of it..also not letting it control you.

You've been given..so I think you should give back or do something that can benefits others. If you are tremendously rich and aren't happy, how about you go out there and make someone's day, That should cheer you up...believe it or not.. you find happiness in giving!

Maybe these people tragically died, because they were too greedy! That's right..They probably wanted more and more and were all haughty bastards. Some of us are never content with what we have!!

I don't see any of that happening to Bill Gates. He knows better, he has a fondation and is giving away his money...I mean that's what it's all about. Bless back! It should not be all about you.

BIG UP TO OPRAH!!!

-----

[Al Saqr]

Ma très chère Kariz, j'avoue que tu m'as fait très peur. Je n'ai plus envie de devenir riche, mais pauvre.

Oh! Mais les pauvre ne se suicident-ils pas également ? Alors que faire ?

[karizmua]

Al, I like your signatures (very cool)

Ambrosia, and Madan Azibe,

I agree with you two, wealth is not a bad thing. How do one like Al Saqr who want to be rich avoid the emptiness a wealthy life can bring? Somebody help him!

Al,

Yes, disaster affects not only those who have little, but also those who have much. I see you going around the question by asking questions. You should not infer from my statements that wealth is always bad.

It's all about your attitude toward money. Since this month is black history and we celebrate George Washington Carver, the inventor of peanut butter, lost his entire life savings in the failure of an Alabama Bank. Carver, however, was unpertubed, his statement "I guess somebody found a use for it, I was not using it myself".

Facts for the soul:

More than ten million children will likely die from hunger-related diseases this year. Nearly half the world's population lives on less than two dollars per day. As technology, science, and human understanding increase, the chasm between wealth and poverty has grown pathetically disproportionate. Surely, there isn't a lack of resources. According to the New Internationalist, in an article published in Feb 1997, it would have taken less than one percent of what the world spent every year on weapons to allow all the world's children to attend school by the year 2000.

The gross domestic product of the poorest 48 nations is less than the wealth of the 3 richest people in the world.

According to United Nations, $ 13 billion a year would help meet the health and nutritional needs of the poor around the world. If nothing is done, more than ten billion children will likely die from hunger-related diseases this year.

What can be done differently this year that will change these statistics? Check out the millenium goals, http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/ do you think these goals are achievable?

[Madan Azibé]

Not to mess up your thread...but I'd like to know who's the wealthiest person in Haiti? Or The richest Haitian in the world?

[Noudweront]

The funny thing about money is that eventhough those who have it may not be happy, they can make others happy with their money, whether over a short or a long time.

Let's just money allows its owner to have fun in the pursuit of ellusive happiness. The greatest joy of having money comes from what one can do for others with it: the smile om the face of a child with a new toy, the sick feeling better after getting medicine they couldn't afford, making the dream of scholarship of a brilliant student come true, a new outfit for a pretty girl who's never had one, etc...Tears of joy are the sweetest. Money can do that... for others, not its owner.

Originally Posted by Al Saqr

Ma très chère Kariz, j'avoue que tu m'as fait très peur. Je n'ai plus envie de devenir riche, mais pauvre.

Oh! Mais les pauvre ne se suicident-ils pas également ? Alors que faire ?

Curieusement, non! Pas autant que les riches. Generalemnt les pauvres souffrent de la pire forme de pauvrete: la pauvrete d'esprit. En ce sens, ils sont trop depourve pour savoir que la mort est preferable a leur miserable existence. C'est cette ultime richesse qu'exploitent les riches qui se suicident (plus souvent et en plus grand nmre que les pauvres): la richesse de l'autodetermination!!!

[Al Saqr]

Kariz, j'accepterai volontiers toute aide venant du forum. Je ne veux pas vivre une vie vide lol. Mais saches aussi que je n'essaie pas d'éviter de répondre à ta question. En fait, je voulais mieux cerner la question, c'est tout.

Je pense que tu as raison : tout dépend de ton attitude. L'argent n'est pas corrupteur en lui-même : il ne fait que révéler ce qu'il y a au fond de toi car il fait disparaître certaines limites matérielles. Il peut donc être une bénédiction ou une malédiction.

Spoonie, Aristide est dans les 5 premiers, ne te fais aucune inquiétude à ce sujet. Aussi, bien qu'il y ait des personnes ayant de l'argent qui sont discrètes, les haitiens n'ont, le plus souvent, pas ce "standing". Donc il suffit de suivre par exemple les porsche en Haiti pour voir où est l'argent.

Sinon, il y a aussi pas mal d'haitiens de la diaspora qui ont de l'argent légalement acquis, mais ils restent vraiment très très discrets sur la question.

Ce qui est normal, si ça se savait, on leur pourrirait la vie.

Noudweront, tu nous conseillerais donc d'être riche de manière à pouvoir se suicider ?

[Noudweront]

Originally Posted by Al Saqr

Kariz, j'accepterai volontiers toute aide venant du forum. Je ne veux pas vivre une vie vide lol. Mais saches aussi que je n'essaie pas d'éviter de répondre à ta question. En fait, je voulais mieux cerner la question, c'est tout.

Je pense que tu as raison : tout dépend de ton attitude. L'argent n'est pas corrupteur en lui-même : il ne fait que révéler ce qu'il y a au fond de toi car il fait disparaître certaines limites matérielles. Il peut donc être une bénédiction ou une malédiction.

Spoonie, Aristide est dans les 5 premiers, ne te fais aucune inquiétude à ce sujet. Aussi, bien qu'il y ait des personnes ayant de l'argent qui sont discrètes, les haitiens n'ont, le plus souvent, pas ce "standing". Donc il suffit de suivre par exemple les porsche en Haiti pour voir où est l'argent.

Sinon, il y a aussi pas mal d'haitiens de la diaspora qui ont de l'argent légalement acquis, mais ils restent vraiment très très discrets sur la question.

Ce qui est normal, si ça se savait, on leur pourrirait la vie.

Noudweront, tu nous conseillerais donc d'être riche de manière à pouvoir se suicider ?

Al, veux-tu bien m'expliquer la logique de ta conclusion a partir de mon affirmation a ce sujet?

[Al Saqr]

Bien volontiers.

ils (les pauvres) sont trop dépourvus pour savoir que la mort est préférable a leur misérable existence.

Les pauvres sont dépourvus parce que pauvres. Or les riches c'est le contraire.

Donc ils sont bien pourvus.

Donc ils savent que la mort est préférable à la misérable existence.

Donc ils se suicident.