Since the beginning of time money has been a driving force behind the decisions of everyday life. Even before such standards of the dollar and the euro, bartering had the same economic effect. During the Renaissance, the Silk Road was a major bartering center for Europe and Asia. Eventually the idea turned into what is known today as the monetary system. Despite its antiquity, proper management and control have eluded the rulers of most states because they have taken a broad interpretation of the importance of money. Economists tend to overestimate the purely economic, narrow, and technical functions of money and have placed an emphasis on its negative social, institutional, and psychological aspects. This has created the notion that money is the root of all evil. It is my goal to prove that money is not the root of all evil but the root of all good.
Money yields powerfully important psychic returns such as an individual’s social rank or a countries position in the Gross National Product league table. However, money should be widely interpreted to include discussion not only of currency and banking but also building societies and the fiscal framework. Even in medieval times these aspects were of considerably great importance than conventionally believed. One of the timeless problems caused by a history of misusing money is inflation. In his book, A History of Money, Glyn Davies analyzes this never ending conflict between the interests of creditors vs. debtors. Debtors want to increase the quantity in an attempt to give themselves a better financial standing, while creditors attempt to increase its value over others to maintain a good quality. For example, the Price Revolution in England, which lasted from 1540-1640 was an issue of population pressure taking control. This caused grain prices and the cost of living to increase and resulted in demand-pull inflation. These situations create a sense of lacking neutrality in its effects among the fortunes of the community. However, rising population is not the only cause of inflation.
Wars, throughout history, have also been a major contributor not only to inflation but also to the corrupted belief of money. Over the past 1,000 years the “war ratchet” has succeeded in increasing prices while devaluing money. Davies explains this when he says, “Most of that time debasement was the most common, but no the only way of strengthening the sinews of war.”(646) The financial consequences of Alexander the Great, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the crusades, the 100 years war, the civil war, and especially the two world wars are treated in this way. The importance of war as a cause of inflation increased with the adoption of paper money in the west. This ideology is what turned the United States into the Arsenal of democracy and the Merchant of death because we choose to allow the war ratchet to control our government.
When we look to the history of the United States it is noted that money plays a significant role in corrupting politics and government, through not only elections but also the everyday policies that are being passed. Bill Moyers depicts the greed and corruption seen in elections and policies through his story “A Culture of Corruption.” He allows for some analysis that because campaigns are privately financed people with real meaning get shut out of our “democratic process.” This is because lobbyists don’t see the safety in surrounding themselves with these officials. He further shows how outrageous the cost is to gain political office. A seat in the House of Representatives has reached the price of over a million dollars. Then once an office is gained each member of congress is surrounded by 65 lobbyists. The total cost of maintaining the influence of these lobbyists is $200 million each month. That’s $2.4 billion per year just to seduce federal officials. Now when we look even further into the legislation that has gone through in the past it becomes obvious that the bulk of legislation passed through Congress is purely tax breaks for huge companies such as Exxon Mobil to ensure that even with the wilting economy they make profits around $30 billion through subsidies.
Society has reached a point where anyone who attempts to be successful through ability is removed. In her book, Atlas Shrugged, philosopher Ayn Rand expresses this societal problem when the character Hank Rearden creates an amazing lightweight yet highly durable metal that could replace steel. However, the government is so influenced by the already existing steel company run by Orren Boyle; Rearden gets shut out by the science institute claiming his metal to be unsafe and unreliable. The government also goes to the extremes of forcing Rearden to only own one type of resource and make him share the formula for his metal with everyone else. When Rand makes this depiction of government she’s speaking of the direction the U.S. federal government is headed. Now, you have seen what money is not and because of that we are in the poor state of considering it the root of all evil. Now I would like to show you what it truly is.
The United States was the first society to use and give emphasis to the phrase, “to make money.” This is what has created the misconception that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak. However this is inaccurate because money is abused by the strong at the expense of the weak, and the abusers are the one who attack the makers of money. However money and wealth cannot be a product of the “strength” of the looters with their muscles and their guns that are condoned by government, Wealth is the result of a person’s ablility to think. However, money isn’t made by the intelligent at the expense of the fool. Neither at the expense of the incompetent nor the lazy. As Rand says, “Money is made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can’t consume more than he has produced.” Bill Gates, who began with nothing but an idea, this idea which became the world know Microsoft program. He had the will to use his ability to its extent and excel beyond all the already in place programs blocking him. Because of this, a simple program, Microsoft Word, turned him into the most well know multi-billionaire. Money is the means of all trade. It was the means of trade to get Bill Gates started. An investor made the trade of materials for a product, and this product was adopted into the market at a value to be traded for the fundamental need of money to trade for goods. Money allows no one to decide the value of your own efforts but for two voluntary parties to trade efforts with each other. Nothing more, nothing less. It allows for the judgment to be made without force on deals that are mutually beneficial. When searching for a job you don’t present an employer a list of your vices and expect to be taken seriously. You present them every value you have to offer and expect to receive an equal benefit. Reason is the basis of decision making. This is the basis of existence that is recognized by the symbol of money. Is this what you consider the root of all evil?
“Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values if he’s evaded the knowledge of what to value and will not provide him with a purpose if he’s evaded the choice of what to seek.” It does not give intelligence, prosperity, respect, or wealth to the undeserving. The majority of the “wealthy” today have seen money destroy them. This is because they do not see what it truly means to have wealth.
We are standing in the middle of one of the greatest achievements of productive civilization. In this technological age we have the ability to do great things whether it be to create lunar colonies on the moon or turn Mars into a livable place. Since the initial landing on the moon we have not set foot back there again, nor are we making any decent progress toward Mars. Why might you ask, because we are placing a damn on the lifeline to the programs- money. It’s quite ironic how this phrase, to make money, which so easily slips through the mouths of many, originated from a time where wealth was achieved through the labor of slaves. The looter is the one who sees no difference between the power held in the dollar versus the power held in a whip making him the most ignorant of men. Now we speak of this term as looters would speak of producers, slaves, traders, shopkeepers, industrialists, positions that a child wouldn’t dare to wish to achieve. These are the people who show the ability to follow that phrase coined by Americans, who have the ability to make money. Yet now looters feel the ability to denounce the people who follow these words as being un-American or just worthless of anyone’s time.
“Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good you ask for your own destruction.” When you refuse to see this you and no long allow money to be the simplistic tool of trade it was meant to be, you become the politician that corrupts the government through greed. In this moment you become the tool to be abused. “Blood, whips, and guns—or dollars.” It’s your time to choose, and you don’t have forever. Money is nothing more than an simple tool and that when you allow it to be something else you are no longer an heir worthy to your wealth. Society needs to realize this. Inventors like Bill Gates and scientists like Albert Einstein and Leo Salard used their intelligence to produce objects of value and therefore earned the respect of others not through the amount of money they had but through their hard work and ability. Money gave them absolutely nothing but was only a tool to their success. When money becomes the success then it is no longer money, or at least what money truly is. Because of this, money is not the root of all evil, but the men and women who attempt to corrupt our belief of money are.
Wars, throughout history, have also been a major contributor not only to inflation but also to the corrupted belief of money. Over the past 1,000 years the “war ratchet” has succeeded in increasing prices while devaluing money. Davies explains this when he says, “Most of that time debasement was the most common, but no the only way of strengthening the sinews of war.”(646) The financial consequences of Alexander the Great, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the crusades, the 100 years war, the civil war, and especially the two world wars are treated in this way. The importance of war as a cause of inflation increased with the adoption of paper money in the west. This ideology is what turned the United States into the Arsenal of democracy and the Merchant of death because we choose to allow the war ratchet to control our government.
When we look to the history of the United States it is noted that money plays a significant role in corrupting politics and government, through not only elections but also the everyday policies that are being passed. Bill Moyers depicts the greed and corruption seen in elections and policies through his story “A Culture of Corruption.” He allows for some analysis that because campaigns are privately financed people with real meaning get shut out of our “democratic process.” This is because lobbyists don’t see the safety in surrounding themselves with these officials. He further shows how outrageous the cost is to gain political office. A seat in the House of Representatives has reached the price of over a million dollars. Then once an office is gained each member of congress is surrounded by 65 lobbyists. The total cost of maintaining the influence of these lobbyists is $200 million each month. That’s $2.4 billion per year just to seduce federal officials. Now when we look even further into the legislation that has gone through in the past it becomes obvious that the bulk of legislation passed through Congress is purely tax breaks for huge companies such as Exxon Mobil to ensure that even with the wilting economy they make profits around $30 billion through subsidies.
Society has reached a point where anyone who attempts to be successful through ability is removed. In her book, Atlas Shrugged, philosopher Ayn Rand expresses this societal problem when the character Hank Rearden creates an amazing lightweight yet highly durable metal that could replace steel. However, the government is so influenced by the already existing steel company run by Orren Boyle; Rearden gets shut out by the science institute claiming his metal to be unsafe and unreliable. The government also goes to the extremes of forcing Rearden to only own one type of resource and make him share the formula for his metal with everyone else. When Rand makes this depiction of government she’s speaking of the direction the U.S. federal government is headed. Now, you have seen what money is not and because of that we are in the poor state of considering it the root of all evil. Now I would like to show you what it truly is.
The United States was the first society to use and give emphasis to the phrase, “to make money.” This is what has created the misconception that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak. However this is inaccurate because money is abused by the strong at the expense of the weak, and the abusers are the one who attack the makers of money. However money and wealth cannot be a product of the “strength” of the looters with their muscles and their guns that are condoned by government, Wealth is the result of a person’s ablility to think. However, money isn’t made by the intelligent at the expense of the fool. Neither at the expense of the incompetent nor the lazy. As Rand says, “Money is made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can’t consume more than he has produced.” Bill Gates, who began with nothing but an idea, this idea which became the world know Microsoft program. He had the will to use his ability to its extent and excel beyond all the already in place programs blocking him. Because of this, a simple program, Microsoft Word, turned him into the most well know multi-billionaire. Money is the means of all trade. It was the means of trade to get Bill Gates started. An investor made the trade of materials for a product, and this product was adopted into the market at a value to be traded for the fundamental need of money to trade for goods. Money allows no one to decide the value of your own efforts but for two voluntary parties to trade efforts with each other. Nothing more, nothing less. It allows for the judgment to be made without force on deals that are mutually beneficial. When searching for a job you don’t present an employer a list of your vices and expect to be taken seriously. You present them every value you have to offer and expect to receive an equal benefit. Reason is the basis of decision making. This is the basis of existence that is recognized by the symbol of money. Is this what you consider the root of all evil?
“Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values if he’s evaded the knowledge of what to value and will not provide him with a purpose if he’s evaded the choice of what to seek.” It does not give intelligence, prosperity, respect, or wealth to the undeserving. The majority of the “wealthy” today have seen money destroy them. This is because they do not see what it truly means to have wealth.
We are standing in the middle of one of the greatest achievements of productive civilization. In this technological age we have the ability to do great things whether it be to create lunar colonies on the moon or turn Mars into a livable place. Since the initial landing on the moon we have not set foot back there again, nor are we making any decent progress toward Mars. Why might you ask, because we are placing a damn on the lifeline to the programs- money. It’s quite ironic how this phrase, to make money, which so easily slips through the mouths of many, originated from a time where wealth was achieved through the labor of slaves. The looter is the one who sees no difference between the power held in the dollar versus the power held in a whip making him the most ignorant of men. Now we speak of this term as looters would speak of producers, slaves, traders, shopkeepers, industrialists, positions that a child wouldn’t dare to wish to achieve. These are the people who show the ability to follow that phrase coined by Americans, who have the ability to make money. Yet now looters feel the ability to denounce the people who follow these words as being un-American or just worthless of anyone’s time.
“Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good you ask for your own destruction.” When you refuse to see this you and no long allow money to be the simplistic tool of trade it was meant to be, you become the politician that corrupts the government through greed. In this moment you become the tool to be abused. “Blood, whips, and guns—or dollars.” It’s your time to choose, and you don’t have forever. Money is nothing more than an simple tool and that when you allow it to be something else you are no longer an heir worthy to your wealth. Society needs to realize this. Inventors like Bill Gates and scientists like Albert Einstein and Leo Salard used their intelligence to produce objects of value and therefore earned the respect of others not through the amount of money they had but through their hard work and ability. Money gave them absolutely nothing but was only a tool to their success. When money becomes the success then it is no longer money, or at least what money truly is. Because of this, money is not the root of all evil, but the men and women who attempt to corrupt our belief of money are.
I wrote this speech for Forensics and it has been posted because it is a belief I stongly hold and I wish to share this belief with the world and although its much more powerful spoken the effect still exists when read.
