Gene Simmons from KISS said that
“Money is not the root of all evil.
The lack of money is the root of all evil.”
Gene Simmons threw out quite the zinger
“Money is not the root of all evil. The lack of money is the root of all evil.” He flipped the script, challenging a notion we’ve long heard and in his opinion, redefined it. But is that even true today?
Money can be a tool or a weapon, a means of liberation or manipulation. When we don’t have enough of it, life gets tough, often unbearably so. The unfairness, the lack of sharing, the endless struggles, these are the seeds from which desperation grows. And desperation can indeed lead to acts we label as evil.
But what about those who do have money?
We know Gene has plenty of it!. And yes, today, it seems that wealth can breed its own brand of wickness. Fearful of losing their fortunes, the wealthy build walls, both physical & metaphorical, to keep the rest out. They might see the poor not just as less fortunate – but as threats – their own fear or disgust morphed from greed, cultivating the divide.
Theodor Roosevelt once said, “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” This highlights the troubling reality today: greed & evil can be found at both ends of the wealth spectrum. The poor may act out of desperation, while the rich act out of fear of losing it & from desire to protect their status.
So where does evil sit?
It lurks at the extremes of wealth & poverty, where desperation & fear meet. And the bridge between this divide seems well & truly broken?
If the wealthy shared more openly, those with abundant resources could create thousands of little revenue stream jobs for thousands of individuals. Keep it casual, not like a factory, but like a scale of weights. The value in lifting others up with just a small portion of the hoarded riches starts the build for a future of collaboration & mutual support. A much more secure one than being guarded by
Wouldn’t it be nice if the “Elite Take All” mentality gave way to “We All Win”?
I’d love a world where wealth was a means to extend a helping hand, in fact, I’d put my hand up to help distribute it. An offer of $1000 a week to make ends meet might be enough to start building our own wealth. Especially if the recipient improves or contributes to their community with it.
The ‘sharing’, not as charity, but as an investment towards a more just & balanced society. Everything needs balance to thrive, and right now, we’re sorely off-kilter. We are sooo not thriving!
What’s the next best move?
What’s that first tiny, tiny step one that can be taken – implemented – to start tipping the scales back? How might we foster a culture of sharing, where wealth isn’t a weapon but a tool for collective good. If the rich want to stay wealthy, let them; if that’s the drive they prioritise in life; nothing wrong with that. It’s when their head delves into the space of greed that they become lost!
Wealth is followed by the need for power as the proverbial order of ‘growth’.
It’s a thought-provoking challenge – one worth keeping in the rear vision mirror for the day the ride becomes stationary – pondering upon as we navigate this dilemma of complex imbalance. What would inspire change without dictating it? What’s the track that leads to the future where wealth & generosity walk hand in hand? A nice reality – sure – but where does it start?
I never stop asking the questions.
One idea keeps circulating in my mind.
What if the wealthy added to their desire for accumulation, the notion of circulation? How hard would it be to develop a system where the wealthy offered $1,000 a week (or equivalent per country’s inflation) – not as charity – but as an exchange of value.
Recipients could return the favor through acts of service, mentorship, innovation, or even small-scale community projects that enhance the world around them. A skilled craftsman could restore something of historical value, an artist could create public works, an entrepreneur could test a new idea, or a local grower could grow & provide fresh produce to a neighborhood in need.
In return, the benefactor wouldn’t just be giving – they’d be investing in a society where their wealth remains valuable because the system they thrive in remains strong. If the world they live in flourishes, so does their fortune!
Gene? Any other ideas?
GeneSimmons #Kiss #RocknRollPhotoArt #LindaBellPhotographer
