Distribution of Wealth

Throughout all time and in all societies, the distribution of wealth has been and will always be a problem. I doubt there will ever be a solution that will satisfy the masses. 

It was the English philosopher John Locke who was known as the “Father of Liberalism.” He believed that a person should be able to enjoy individual freedoms, and that the government should protect those freedoms. Locke preceded Adam Smith who was known as the “Father of Capitalism.” Smith also believed that the government should not intervene in the workings of the marketplace. Smith’s ideologies are spelled out in his book The Wealth of Nations. From the problems of the Industrial Revolution came the idea of Socialism: that wealth should be distributed equally. Capitalism seemed to produce too many losers and not enough winners. 

For over fifty years, I have struggled personally with the unfair distribution of wealth. Having come from both a famous and wealthy family, I always feel the need to take care of those less fortunate than myself. Over the past thirty years, I now have had enough experience to realize that people who are really motivated to succeed in life will do so, regardless of their economic circumstances, and that there are people who are willing to accept as much help as you give them, never intending on trying to better their lives along the way. 

                                                                                       Image credit: flickr.com

The irony of my situation is that my dad began as one who did not have many resources to help him fulfill his dream. At age six, he decided that he wanted to be a cartoonist. He served three years in World War II, and upon returning, he began to do all he could to fulfill his dream. His Peanuts comic strip was syndicated in 1950, and he went on to become the most famous cartoonist the world has ever seen. 

Being a part of that legacy causes me to favor the idea of capitalism. The world is filled with people like my dad who would not have been able to contribute to society if it had not been for the freedom to do so. That being said, dad was always bothered by the income he received from drawing the strip. It did not seem fair to him that although he did the same thing every day, for fifty years, his income increased constantly. But, isn’t this what capitalism is? Dad created a product that the world loved. It was the choice of the Peanuts fans that caused his income to increase. 

As a human race, we are here to dream, however big or small. Capitalism allows the dreams of one to be enjoyed by many.  

Title: “Are you Snoopy’s Father?”

•   Something Big: Bird’s-eye View

Last summer my son was able to drone my mom’s 260-acre property on Kauai. The first time I saw his drone shots of my mere five acres, I was blown away. As humans, we intellectually realize that we do not see the world as birds do, but I doubt we ever realized what they actually did see. Flying in an airplane is not the same thing; only a drone shot can show us what we’ve all been missing. My mother turned 90 years old this year, and I can honestly say that giving her a drone video of the 260 acres that she has created over a span of 30 years, is nothing short of a miracle.

•   Something Broken: Divorce

You never think it’ll happen to your family. Actually, I didn’t even realize it happened to hardly anyone. It was the ‘70s though: the decade of a very high divorce rate. All things considered, it went well. My parents both remarried, I was almost an adult anyway, and the good times continued; just in a different way. But, let it be said that the effects of divorce never end, moving from generation to generation. It’s not bad; it’s just annoying.

                                                   Image credit: https://flic.kr/p/9mREbe

•   Something Artistic or Man-made: My Peanuts siblings

My dad hated the question, “Are you Snoopy’s father?” He knew what they meant, but he always said, “No.” His poor fans looked perplexed. In essence, he was Snoopy’s father, but he was also mine. The Peanuts comic strip was “born” in 1950, and my siblings and I were all born between 1950 and 1958. Because I was the age of the characters, I have to say that they did feel like siblings to me. I always felt kind of dumb thinking of fictional characters as real human beings, but I did. They were very real to me, and I liked having them around. It’s been over fifty years since I grew up with my dad’s other “kids,” and my feelings are still the same: I like having them around. They bring me security.

•   Something Mysterious: Miracle of Birth

It feels too cliche to discuss the “miracle of birth,” but I must. You have to be there to fully comprehend and absorb the miracle of it. Many mothers say that there is nothing like the miracle of their first-born, but I beg to differ. I began to realize, as I made my way through all nine births of our children, that the more I had, the more miraculous it seemed. It was a mystery as to how these little souls could’ve been growing inside me for nine months and then one day just come into this world as a complete being, ready to start their own life.