Wanna Be Rich?
The URL for this article is:
www.africaspeaks.com/leslie/0605.html
May 06, 2004
by Leslie
Do you know what I could do with a million dollars? Well for starters, I'd buy me a big ole house and tour the Caribbean with the spare change. What would you do? Stop playin'! We both know that you would rather buy a new sports car than to give to charity. And I know that you would live up to your promise and remain down to earth despite your newly rich status. Heck, so would I. you know what they say, "you could take me out of the ghetto, but you could never take the ghetto out of me," or some words to that effect.
I know that you're a scholar and I'm about to tell you what you already know, but I just have to tell you again. Okay, here it goes... Now I know that you saw that new pair of Jordans on the shelf or that pair of Jlo jeans that you're dying to get into. But tough luck,' cause we both know that by the time that you get paid your money is gone. You've got to pay the phone bill, the light bill, purchase a new school shirt for Kevin... and the list goes on and on. So when exactly are you going to buy the things that you want? Yeah, I know that we all have to make sacrifices, blah, blah, blah...I get the gist. So the only way that you can buy that Mercedes Benz in this lifetime is if you win the lottery. Good luck...I think?
Well, we are both aware that there are limited resources that are available here on this planet. So that all the gold, the diamonds, the oil, the bauxite, everything is of a fixed amount, agreed? Okay, I see that you're feeling me. We are also aware that there are rich people in this world, like Bill Gates, and there are poor people, like you and I. but didn't you know that the only possible way that people can get rich is if others are poor? Yeah, I know, I didn't think of this before just now. Let me draw an analogy here. There are ten people in a room and there are ten large cakes on the table. Obviously if two people share eight of the cakes between them, then the other eight people have two cakes to be divided among them...right? Then, we can deduce that the two people with the eight cakes are much happier 'cause they got eight yummy chocolate coated chocolate cakes with chocolate filling and chocolate chunk toppings and chocolate... sorry about my drifting into fantasy for a minute there. Anyway, back to the real world. If you understood anything that was said before (please tell me that you did!!!) then you would know that our reality is quite similar...minus the chocolate. So capitalism is such that only a few people are privy to the vast amount of limited wealth existing on this planet. Is this really the perfect system? Who benefits? Well I can state without doubt that Leslie is not one who benefits. From what I hear, she 'broken to thief'.
And what about education and the increase in technology? Tell meh brother/sister what dis ting 'bout? Well as far as I see it the so-called education that they grant us is a combination of indoctrination, lies and everything necessary for us to work for them. Thank you lord for dis ting called education...I'm so blessed, so fortunate to be one of the select few to have had the privilege to attend school for seventeen years of my life. No Jim, ah not seventeen years old...mind yuh business bwoy! In my mind, the real education is SELF education, but that is another story for another time. Back to meh point. Modern day capitalism benefits few individuals who are usually white, mostly males and a lot of times Jews. No matter how nice they seem, they are well aware that they need you and me to be poor, sometimes dirt poor, for them to maintain their wealth. Doh worry Sammy, dey going to feed yuh 'cause dey need yuh to dig up dem diamonds in South Africa. How dey ain't go feed yuh, eh? dem had to be mad, mad! Hungry man cyah wok till belly full, ent? They keep us barely alive so that their business continues.
But oh oh, I think we've got a problem. Our labour is being replaced by...(scream) computer technology. So the more dis ting develop, the less human resources are. I see yuh get where ah comin from. Now yuh understand why they develop the AIDS and other viruses. Too many people that they have to take care of...ohhhh. And that's why they abolish slavery...no longer feasible to be responsible for the help. Darn it! Ah see it now Mr. Williams...God help meh, ah see it real clear now. Tony asks, "So even if I get extra in my pockets, there are always going to be those with more money than I? You tryin' to tell me that my dream to be a millionaire, a multi-billionaire would mean that millions of people would suffer? Nah... dis cyah be true...tell meh yuh lying gyal...oh gorm..." Tony, you know dat yuh is meh real bwoy and I does tell you as it is. But the sad truth is that you are absolutely correct. I know that there are some things that you and I may want (which by the way are things that they tell you to want so that they can enrich themselves) but think about those worse off than yourself. Think about those people in Malaysia who labour with little pay to make that pair of sneakers that you want. Think about your brothers in South Africa who are exploited daily to get that diamond ring on your finger. Is it really worth it? No man, it can't be.
The way that I see it, the only solution is the equal distribution of our limited resources. Capitalism has failed miserably...unless you care only about yourself and benefit tremendously from the system. But if you're like me and care for others you would realize the mess that we're really in. So believe me when I tell you I know what it is to wake up real hungry (especially when you like to eat like me) and there is almost nothing when you open the refrigerator. And if you're a picky eater like myself, I know that yuh does get real vex when all that there is to eat is bread and butter...nothing else does make meh feel to cuss on a mornin'! But you know, I realize that as poor as I am, I haven't experienced the worst of it. And I don't think that I want to impoverish others by taking more than my fair share of the available resources. (bye bye Jlo jeans --sniff). So I think I'm cool with being materially poor...there are so many enriching experiences that I am yet to attain. What about you...wanna be rich?
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