Statues

In spite of some pundits’, especially Glen and Neil on Fox News, efforts to sweep under the rug the scandals at AIG and the big banks and the big auto companies, the fact remains that there is a lot of arrogant hypocrisy roiling around in the vestibule of bigmoneydom these days. We have actually read or heard individuals say that we have to pay these people these big bonuses because it is contractual, or because we need to keep the most talented hands working for us. But, worse than that, worse than all of that, they expect us to believe it! That’s arrogance. And that is more than a little irritating.

It used to be that in order to have a statue sculpted in someone’s honor he or she had to do something of major significance. By the way, now that I think about it there aren’t all that many statues to women—go figure; in fact I can only think of two offhand. Nevertheless, it is less true today than in times gone by that great deeds are so memorialized. Statues have been supplanted in our times by bank statements. Consider…

A millionaire—I mean one who has one million—has enough to guarantee his roof, his food, his health. If that same person has a thousand millions (one billion) he has more than is seemly. So why does he want it? Well, it’s his statue to himself. One can drive only so many new cars, eat so many steak dinners, visit so many countries. A billion dollars for one person is obscene. Of course there are those who actually earn their billions by the sweat of their brow and the money actually just falls on them, e.g., Bill Gates or Walt Disney. But statues—uh—I mean bonuses to those who have brought economic disaster on their company and indeed their country! To expect ordinary folks to worship at the foot of such a statue is arrogance; there is no other word for it. And yet so many do.

Starlets of dubious talent, rock stars that beat up their girlfriends, talking hairdos and their three thousand dollar suits on the TV news all expect you to love them. And, of course pay them. Why should we? They aren’t going to pay our bills. Sorry, but to expect such is arrogance gone mad!

But a more basal question lies under the surface. Why are these people so bent on having these statues erected to themselves? Why are they so hell bent on squeezing the common sucker out there out his or her last drachma? I suppose the simple answer is ego, conceit, the game; maybe all of the above.

The socio-economic climate in today’s world, and I include our own community, is not good. It is corrupt, it is vainglorious, it is emblematic of a disaster that may already be overtaking us. It is imperative that we educate our young people on values that actually are values. It is important that we start now. And, yes it is everyone’s business. If we indeed are going to erect statues to people, whether they be of bronze or marble or of green money, at least let it be for extraordinary exploits and deeds, not because it is included in flawed legalistic crapola called contracts.

A long time ago, a man named Marcus Porcius Cato was walking across the forum in ancient Rome. He was with a fellow senator. The senator was admiring the statues placed there by his fellows in the Roman government. “Cato,” said the senator, “I see all of these statues here, yet not one of you. You are famous and well known. Why not?”

Cato stopped, looked over at the man, and said, “My friend, I would much rather one ask me why there is no statue to Cato than why there is one.”

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