Greed

[Grizzly]

"Greed is wanting more than one earns."

When poor people beg for food to eat, is that greed? They are asking (and want) for something they did not earn

 

[stamperben]

"Greed is wanting more than one earns."

When poor people beg for food to eat, is that greed? They are asking (and want) for something they did not earn

You know that old saying, Children should be seen and not heard? Well, the poor who are hungry should be NOT seen and NOT heard.

It eases the conscience that way.

 

[MachZer0]

"Greed is wanting more than one earns."

When poor people beg for food to eat, is that greed? They are asking (and want) for something they did not earn

Begging could be considered a form of earning, an undesirable form for sure. Demanding that someone else give you food would be different

 

[MachZer0]

You know that old saying, Children should be seen and not heard? Well, the poor who are hungry should be NOT seen and NOT heard.

It eases the conscience that way.

A surprising perspective from one I consider to be a liberal

 

[bricklayer]

But, in Umaro's example, they are doing exactly the same work. They are earning the same amount of money for the business, but one is taking home more money. Why?

Two different prices for the same product is why people shop around.

 

[bricklayer]

"Greed is wanting more than one earns."

When poor people beg for food to eat, is that greed? They are asking (and want) for something they did not earn

and I am greedy for salvation

 

[DaisyDay]

By that same token, would it then also be acceptable for the government to use similar economic leverage against your business? If the owner knows he can demand a lower price from the worker because the worker cannot seek emolument elsewhere, wouldn't it follow thy the government can demand a higher price for operating within the city limits, say higher property taxes for instance, because you're still technically free to move your store to the boonies?

That's a different token - to be the same, the government would have to tax the business that can not move more; the business owes more than its more mobile neighbor because it is not in a position to negotiate a better deal.

 

[SmellsLikeCurlyFries]

I don't think the person that bought that lake is worried about scorn, so long as they've got the government looking out for their interests and protecting their property "rights."

You put "rights" in quotes, so it begs the question - do you think the gov't ought to force the buyer of the lake to allow the public to continue using it?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Yes, indeed ... the Assyrian humbles the mighty ones ... but only for a little while ...

Now, the rest of the story ...

Isaiah 10:6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. 26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
​

Being on the side of the Assyrian might not be the wise choice, ViaCrucis.

Just sayin ...

I find it fascinating that you chose to latch onto this part of the quoted text rather than the the obvious point and context for which it was quoted.

If I ever build a time machine and am considering going back in time and joining the ancient Assyrian armies in their conquest of the Northern Kingdom then I'll make sure to remember this post. So for that, thank you.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[WiredSpirit]

You put "rights" in quotes, so it begs the question - do you think the gov't ought to force the buyer of the lake to allow the public to continue using it?

Essentially yes, but they should never have allowed private interests to own it if it is the primary source of water. Coca-Cola has been at the center of this exact type of scandal in India. They buy the water source for an entire community then not allow them to use it.

 

[NightHawkeye]

I find it fascinating that you chose to latch onto this part of the quoted text rather than the the obvious point and context for which it was quoted.

Hi, Crypto.

I find it fascinating that you choose to focus on me, rather than deal with the whole truth.

You sympathize with the downtrodden victims ... which is well and good. Yet, you gleefully side with the Assyrian ... not so good.

 

[keith99]

Greed has nothing to do with someone working for the object of their desire.

Webster pretty much nails it:

a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed

One who works hard and honestly to get more and more money is just greedy as someone who cheats and steals to get their money.

The difference is that the thief also has other larger flaws.

Honestly in some ways the thief is less apt to suffer from his greed than the honest worker. The thief is more apt to actually enjoy some of his wealth whike hte honest hard worker is more apt to hoard the wealth and never use it.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Hi, Crypto.

I find it fascinating that you choose to focus on me, rather than deal with the whole truth.

You sympathize with the downtrodden victims ... which is well and good. Yet, you gleefully side with the Assyrian ... not so good.

Because you're the one who took the passage I quoted concerning God's displeasure with laws that oppress and take advantage of the poor, the widow and the orphan and went on an irrelevant tangent concerning the Assyrians mentioned later in the text--irrelevant for the purposes for which the text was quoted concerning God's displeasure with unjust laws that oppress the downtrodden.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[chris4243]

That's a different token - to be the same, the government would have to tax the business that can not move more; the business owes more than its more mobile neighbor because it is not in a position to negotiate a better deal.

Sounds like a good way to reduce offshoring while still getting corporate tax money.

 

[chris4243]

Essentially yes, but they should never have allowed private interests to own it if it is the primary source of water. Coca-Cola has been at the center of this exact type of scandal in India. They buy the water source for an entire community then not allow them to use it.

They're not being greedy, it's just that they earn more money that way.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Because you're the one who took the passage I quoted concerning God's displeasure with laws that oppress and take advantage of the poor, the widow and the orphan and went on an irrelevant tangent concerning the Assyrians mentioned later in the text--irrelevant for the purposes for which the text was quoted concerning God's displeasure with unjust laws that oppress the downtrodden.

-CryptoLutheran

... but entirely relevant to the discussion on Obama.

Who is in the process of humbling this nation ...


Questions?

 

[MachZer0]

If i was earning money and paying taxes, while my neighbor was collecting food stamps and not paying taxes, I would consider him greedy if he said I wasn't paying my fair share.

 

[ViaCrucis]

... but entirely relevant to the discussion on Obama.

Who is in the process of humbling this nation ...


Questions?

Oh, I see, you think I'm an Obama fan-boy and therefore have aligned myself with "Assyria" and that "Assyria" is Obama. So you were totally ignoring what the Scripture says concerning what the prophet says about how God feels about oppressing the downtrodden through injustice and instead chose to fashion an entirely abstract non-argument about how I've aligned myself with "Assyria" which represents Obama in your mind; and then presume that I'm a dedicated fan of Obama.

I don't believe I've been a massive cheerleader for Obama, unless of course you consider rejecting paranoid conspiracy theories such as those promulgated by Birthers and nutjobs claiming Obama is an Islamo-marco-fascist.

I also don't believe Obama is a ten-armed cephalopod with machinations to turn the American midwest into an immense aquarium.

However, that doesn't mean I am an Obama supporter. If that does make me an Obama supporter than I guess I'm also a Romney supporter, a Gingrich supporter, a Santorum supporter, a McCain supporter, and any other supporter one may want to make me.

So if that makes me having sided with "the Assyrian" in your imagination, then nothing much I can do about that.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

If i was earning money and paying taxes, while my neighbor was collecting food stamps and not paying taxes, I would consider him greedy if he said I wasn't paying my fair share.

If your neighbor has been laid off, is currently injured and unable to get work, has no choice but to rely on a bit of welfare and still has to do everything he can just to exist; while you are taking all kinds of tax breaks, and at times getting even more from the government then what you've paid in taxes then no, you can't consider your neighbor greedy.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MachZer0]

If your neighbor has been laid off, is currently injured and unable to get work, has no choice but to rely on a bit of welfare and still has to do everything he can just to exist; while you are taking all kinds of tax breaks, and at times getting even more from the government then what you've paid in taxes then no, you can't consider your neighbor greedy.

-CryptoLutheran

Of course that has nothing to do with what I said, noting that the situation has to be twisted to make allowance for the greedy neighbor who only wants more of what he didn't earn.