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.  

Lofty Goals

The central theme in George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch focuses on young adults and their lofty goals. I cannot honestly say that I see myself as one who, at that age, even had goals, much less lofty ones; rather, I am filled with experience gained by having watched my nine children navigate this difficult time of life.

https://flic.kr/p/2Sxgb1 

My ability to deal with the ups and downs and the heartaches of my children’s young-adult lives has changed dramatically from the first to the last child. For the first few children, when life would let them down, I wore their pain like I would a cozy winter coat. I didn’t see how we would get through the disappointments. By the time I got to about the fifth child, I began to see life’s struggles as normal; almost predictable. And now, as I empathize with the last few children, I feel myself standing at a safe distance––a distance that allows me to see more clearly. I do not wear their problems anymore; therefore, I am much more prepared to actually be of help.

Besides being there in the hard times, a mother needs to be there when her children believe in life and the dreams that are in their hearts. No one wants their lofty goals squashed by anyone, especially their own mother. If your mom doesn't believe in you, who will? I may have knowledge of the sad fact that their lofty goals will not turn out exactly as they hope, but I certainly do not have a crystal ball that tells me what will happen instead.

If I don’t know, and they don’t know, then what is the point of my undying support? The answer is: go along for the ride as though all will turn out as they had hoped and dreamed it would. Does that mean I am deceiving my young, impressionable children? No. On the contrary, it is showing them that every person on this planet takes the same trip: it’s called life. And we are here to go through it together; ups and downs, successes and failures. It all counts. It’s all for the experience. And there never was just one way to do it anyway.