Seems every time there is a recession, I hear some knucklehead pronouncing that rich people will come to the common mans’ rescue. On the bus the other night I heard a guy loudly pronouncing how Warren Buffet and friends will take heart and donate $2.5 million to every household.
These donations would end the recession and everyone would live happily ever after. Isn’t that sweet?
What insanity.
Back in 1998 I had a similar conversation with a coworker who believed Bill Gates would write a check for $50,000 to every American family. After all, Bill Gates could do that. So he would. Like a chain letter gone bad, this co-worker was counting on it.
I know it can sometimes be fun to dream about windfalls like this. But smart people should never count on them.
When dreaming about your future, most of the dreams should revolve around what YOU will do, not other people. Because you can’t control or predict what others will do. You might not even be able to control what you will do. But at least you have more experience with you.
Face the facts of our circumstance (good or bad) and take action to get what we want. If it’s more money, make the trades in your skills for the money. Your rich uncle Larry may leave all his money to his pet squirrel. And Bill Gates may decide to never write that check – I know I’m still waiting on mine.
{ 5 comments }
I think Buffett and Gates have done enough already. I mean, they gave us Obama!? And that’s the best gift any country (wishing to become an autocratic federally controlled disaster) could ever hope for.
Brad, no politics in the comments please.
My plans for success do not involve government or billionaire handouts. Sadly, a lot of people that I know believe that such a thing could happen, should happen, and would solve all of their problems. Of course, they also believe that the lottery is the solution to a dissatisfying life.
I’ve never understood it myself. You need an idea of where you want to go and a plan to get there.
.-= Eric S. Mueller´s last blog ..Graph Jam: Things I Want To Do In New Jersey =-.
The entire lottery business is built on the same idea: it could be ME! Which is why it’s often called “a tax on the stupid.”
To take it from another angle: if everyone in America ponied up $2, the healthcare account would have $600 million in it. A tax? Yes. A more realistic idea than Bill Gates bailing out all of America? I’d say so.
The US Federal Government spends that on healthcare in 8 hours.