As I hear more on the earthquake that struck Nepal my heart goes out to all affected.
An associated story on Yahoo yesterday told of a chief executive at Google who was killed while making a climb on Mt. Everest yesterday, due to an avalanche that was triggered by this same earthquake.
It's just a terrible event all 'round and I am saddened by what has transpired as are most other folks.
Not to denigrate this natural disaster that has left many dead, homeless or worse, but this event got me thinking about something else in regard to that mountain climbing executive in general.
I am not casting aspersions at him personally.
This is rather a commentary on our society and the way it operates.
In regard to this American who was killed in the avalanche.
He's a highly placed Google executive.
I'll bet he's very valuable to the company and worth a lot of money.
And he engaged in a highly risky hobby, mountain climbing.
And his company was "a ok" with that evidently. I'd go so far as to say they probably encouraged him in this pursuit seeing as it lent an air of excitement and glamor to him but also attached itself to his company.
Now suppose you are a lowly peon in a company, not an executive making fists of money, and slogging away in a job, being a cog in the wheel and making a modest salary.
It's a sure bet you can't afford to traipse off to another continent to play adventurer. Get your employer to allow you to have that kind of time off from your job? Nope. Not to mention you having the sort of disposable income that mountain climbing in far off lands would cost you.....passports, plane flights, accommodations, guides, equipment, etc.
So maybe you have another risky hobby.....like smoking cigarettes.
Hey, it relaxes you and it's something you can afford to indulge in and something you don't have to fly somewhere to engage in.
But practicing this hobby also had consequences.
Consequences that the company that you work for and provides your health coverage deems "bad".
So your employer puts pressure on you in various ways to give up this hobby.
Your fellow workers who don't smoke get health bonuses while your rates to go.
The company bans smoking on their job site which makes your job experience unsatisfying.
A peer pressure culture at the office against smoking takes hold and you are made to feel bad about yourself and this company pressure even extends into your lifestyle outside of the office I'll bet.
And this all "a ok" with the people who run your company, because they are among this upper, elite class of society....and they make the rules.
IMHO-This is just another case of our society having a double standard.
The Elitist Class is admired and encouraged to engage in risky behaviors and are seem as glamorous. And we, the unwashed masses, are told by the elitist media to look up to these folks and their behaviors.
Why am I not surprised?
The elite in this country run our companies and make-up our governing bodies.
Over 50% of the current sitting legislators in Congress are millionaires-271 of the 533 members.
The wealthy have everything in this country locked up.
They are not looking out for you or I.
We are on our own out here.
The Double Standard is alive and well in America in 2015.
Sluggy
“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we
ReplyDeleteare. They are different. ” F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby
We follow the Golden Rule. Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
I was struck by the fact that the only person we saw was probably the wealthiest person killed.
I, too, was sad for all of the people killed. I commented to someone that I am continually amazed that these earthquakes and other disasters rarely occur in N America. No, I don't think we have special protection from anyone above.
the one thing that always gets me is when you hear of a celebrity hospitalized for exhaustion. When is the last time you were ever admitted to a hospital for exhaustion? I'd live in one if that was the case. Now I know that the term exhaustion can be used to cover real reasons but we regular folks would never be able to get that kind of care.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we not coerced by the insurance companies to assess our risks, just like smokers. Why don't companies coerce those who get speeding tickets, or just plain race cars on the weekend, to stop those activities? What about those who drink alcohol or do recreational drugs, even away from the workplace? Our extra-curricular activities should have a bearing on how we are insured, or benefit otherwise (like receiving bonuses mentioned here). We should be assessed on a percentage of risk, and it shouldn't just apply to smoking, but no one thinks about that. Most of us can be elite at something, but, alas, not many of us make money at it. It is the rich that we have a problem with, although I don't fully understand why. Is it because that with it comes privilege? Are we jealous? Perhaps, but it's more than that. Maybe it's because we don't think they worked as hard to get there, or that they don't work hard now that they are there, while we must toil away every day to eke out an existence. Maybe they were born into money, and for that, they feel superior. We feel that, and we hope that someday they are knocked down a notch. But, it doesn't happen. Remember the boy who claim "Affluenza" and was not punished appropriately for killing many people while driving intoxicated? He was not punished as another would have been under the same circumstances, and we are appalled. Life isn't fair. So, let's be concerned with ourselves. We will never be able to adequately judge another, because we don't know them or their circumstances. I'm just over it when celebrities or the affluent make the news out of something that is commonplace. So, I avoid the gossip and live as well as I can without hurting anyone. It's all we can do.
ReplyDeletewell written post and answers........
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered where would the world be if it were not for rich people. The generosity of rich people, I mean. Would the same hospitals be built? Would medical schools be built? Would the same medical services be supplied to the poorest of the poor were it not for the generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates (who just want to wipe HIV off the face of the earth). Or what about the Gates Foundation that provides jobs, scholarships, grants, eduction (they build schools) or the $44.7million they just donated to eradicate tuberculoisis off the face of the earth. What about billionairess Oprah Winfrey and the school she built in Africa providing education to African girls for the first time? How about the billions of cash Presidents Clinton & Bush have raised to help eradicate AIDS out of small, poor African towns no one has even heard of. Where do you think all of our hospitals come from? Who do you think builds them? The American government? Ha! Or from donations and fund raising of the rich and famous???? Who are the first ones on line, out there, when there is a hurricane, tsunami or any other worldwide disaster, donating their time, energy, talent and money giving concerts, raising cash and awareness? It is celebrity awareness sometimes that is the ONLY thing that can raise a public's braincell. Think of Elizabeth Taylor and the death of Rock Hudson due to AIDS. Taylor alone practically cured the world of AIDS due to her celebrity AND richness. Do you think if it weren't for Taylor and Hudson anything would have done to help solve the AIDS epidemic? Our government was just letting gay men die. Kim and Kanye West are currently raising money for AIDS research.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a very sad day in the civilized world if we did not have the rich and famous. Say whatever nasty things you want to say about them but ask yourself this question: who can help the people more in Napal right now? You? Their government? Our government? Or from the outreach of money and donations from the rich and wealthy??? Do you really think that had not a Google executive, such as Dan Fredinburg (he and his google staff travel the world photographing exotic locales so that you can see it for free on your laptop or smartphone) hadn't perished, perhaps Nepal would NOT be getting the national attention it is getting now? Celebrities and rich people bring awareness and attention to many matters in this world that without them, would just fade away into oblivion.
Fredinburg didn't waste his life away by smoking cigarettes. He dedicated his life to helping others, making our world a better, more exciting place. Do you use google search on your computer? Do you use google maps? Where the heck do you think those photos come from? Robots?? Do you think the Company Google is going to help the people of Napal? You betcha! Google didn't cause the earthquake. But they have the big bucks to help those who are suffering and they have the big bucks to help Napal rebuild.
Well you TOTALLY missed the point of my post here!
DeleteI was NOT talking about this earthquake incident and the suffering that will follow and who will or who won't be helping the Nepalese people.
This just got my mind considering the double standards in our country(and most of the 1st world)that exists between the elite class and the rest of us who make up this planet.
The same rules don't apply do us as to them, do they not?
I am all for charity by private citizenry and not through government. Mainly because when governments delve into charitable causes they don't generate $, they just take it from us the unwashed masses, to hand over to someone else.
And not all corporations give out of purely altruistic reasons. How many always want something in return?....their name on a hospital or library wing in return, or a seat on a board?
Some companies make giving(both monetarily and of your time) to certain causes mandatory to their employees. My hubs company has done that with certain PC causes they publically support/fund and if you want to remain in good standing at your work place and not be cast to the side when promotions come you are coerced into giving. Now does that sound right in a democracy?
So much for being able to put your charity dollars and muscle into what the individual deems the proper cause!
So who actually funds a portion of that particular corporations charity cause.....their workers who want to remain in the good graces of their employer. But who gets their names and invites to tournaments/high end publicity functions/etc. and gets praised?.....the CEOS and Chairmen of the Boards who made participation mandatory!
And it's fabulous that same ultra-rich give generously and do good. But face it, many of them do not have a heart(and they know who they are)and do it just for the publicity, prestige with their peers or some other self-serving reason.
This so not about who is or isn't helping the victims of this particular incident!
I was taught, when you give, it is God who knows who gives. For whatever reason. We store our treasures up in heaven. Not on this earth.
DeleteCouldn't fit it on one comment. Here's the rest:
ReplyDeleteAs for Linda's remark that North America has no earthquakes, why don't you google that! You'll find out that Alaska is a sitting earthquake deathtrap (loss of oil to heat your homes, drive your cars should Alaska be destroyed by an earthquake), as well as several sites in California, Hawaii and Missouri. GO GOOGLE IT!!!
I find it saddening that you can take a tragedy such as Napal and the death of over 3000 people and turn it into a battle between the rich and the poor. Hope the poor can send in their one dollar bills and help those in Napal. Because without the wealth of the rich, it's going to be a long, hard slug to get medical care, services, supplies, water and rebuilding supplies. If you think some government agency is going to help, ask those people in Breezy Point, NY how FEMA helped them out? Two years after Hurricane Sandy they are still waiting for those great, green American useless bucks to rebuild their homes.
If there is a double standard, it has been created by those who are envious and jealous. Without the rich and celebrity, our world would be a very sad and dark planet. It's sad how twisted our world has become these past 7.5 years and how the rich and famous are so hated and despised. I know where to place the blame. Don't fall for it. Don't fall in to the trap of blaming the rich for your woes. It's a communist trademark and we all know how that worked out.
And who said anything about BLAMING the rich for your woes?
DeleteWe are all responsible for our own actions/behaviors and if you are in a bad position it is because of many little choices you have made in your life that have brought you to that state. It's not because of your government or because Oprah Winfrey has more money than God and won't give you any of it. And people need to stop blaming somebody else for their situations in life.
But don't you think that "the rich" get more breaks? How often can they buy their good-for-nothing children out of jail terms for drug dealing while some Joe Shmoze's kid end up with a life sentence for drugs?
They just don't play by the same societal rules as the rest of us.
Rich people get breaks. So do good looking people. So do blondes get breaks. So do adorable children get breaks. So do elderly grandmothers get breaks. So do poor people get breaks. It's called life and it isn't fair and balanced. Never was and never will be. I detected an undertone here, even from commenters about blaming the rich for all of their woes. It was started by Obama and I hope it ends when he leaves office. There's a current running that pits the haves against the have nots. Everyone on the planet will never be the same and equal. Despite all the laws and regulations. During Obama's term, it has been the largest grab of wealth distribution. That's a fact. Whether we believe it or not. The rich is different from us. And so are blondes, the young, the elderly, the poor, the latinos and I can go on and on forever. The bitterness we all feel towards the rich has got to stop. It's self defeating. Of course there are double standards. And triple and quadruple. That's just the way it is. So, NO I don't think the rich get more breaks. In reality, I think the poor do. The poor gets breaks on their taxes, college loans, college enrollment (Ivy League) and government benefits. If we need to hate or blame anyone, it would be corrupt politicians. Lets hope we don't vote them back into office.
DeleteI don't necessarily think the elite get more Monetary breaks when it comes to the governments hand in their pockets but they get ALL KINDS of breaks in life in other ways.
DeleteAnd I DO count politicians as among the elite. It just boggles my mind how American voters think that politicians are "just like them" and keep voting for some of the most heinous ones out there because they have aligned themselves with one party or another. The 2 party system is just so broken that it can't be fixed. Dem and Rep are just 2 sides of the same coin and will NEVER get us anywhere. And don't get me started on the IRS and that whole scam.
The last 8 years have been all about redistributing our wealth in this country.....and because we don't have really crafty lawyers and tax attorneys and friends in high places down here in the hoi paloi like the elite, we have born the brunt of that redistribution.
Special interest groups get benefits "regular people" don't get yes......free all kinds of things from the government. And the one that really gets me is that people who pay NO taxes each year get MONEY BACK?!? WTF?!
And just why do politicians roll out these programs to benefit certain special interest groups? To BUY their votes!
And the American people can't remember past the last media smear campaign of a politician against his/her opponent or the last crisis to really think about what is really going on in the world before they cast their vote. The lemings keep themselves tied into this bad political system and keep voting for the same scummy candidates. It all wen to hell in a handbasket back when being a politicians became a life's work instead of a public service duty you performed and then went home back to your career/life.
Ok I am done responding and keeping this sparring match going as it's not getting us anywhere, is it?
Thanks for offering your counterpoint though and getting us all thinking on matters that truly matter. 8-)
Thanks for being courteous enough to post my comments. I appreciate it. It's A OK to agree to disagree. :)
DeleteI feel for all of the people and for his family but I thought the same thing. He was famous for a moment because of his death , famous in his live of work because of his life. Still death is death no matter how it comes. The real victims are the people who will put up with the lack of services and the grief they will feel at their loss.
ReplyDeleteI too, felt the same way. SO many are suffering but because of his status he will be all that we hear about. It's a bit mean to say but the only thing that matters is status and money and the rest of us are SOL!
ReplyDeleteThere is a total double standard, especially about smoking. This part of the world will be rebuilt because the rich people of the world will continue to pay $50,000 to climb Mount Everest and throw their trash on the mountain on their way up and down. The poor people without a hand in the pot of mountain climbing revenue will hurt the most.
ReplyDeleteI commented on this yesterday, but must not have published. My company would have not problem with me taking off time to go climb a mountain, as long as I had the vacation days to use. But that isn't something that interests me. An employee with one of our companies actually is on Mt Everest right now. He has been tweeting about it. He is safe.
ReplyDeleteMy company did "encourage" me to quit smoking. I did, too, to save money on insurance premiums. Win win for me.
I don't drink, don't smoke, don't climb mountains, kayak, go on safari, go camping, or even leave the country. Jeez. I'm boring! That being said, I think food service workers are on the top of the list when it comes to stressful jobs that affect health. So no matter what I do or don't do, I think I'm at some kind of risk. Meh!
ReplyDelete