Forum Thread

Rich man and can man in the light of the lamp

Reply to ThreadDisplaying 3 Posts
  • alongcameaschneider
    2013-08-01 06:49:56 PM
    Not Logged In
    Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    An off-the-WEB forward to me from my conservative old friend
    A guy is walking along a Florida beach when he comes across a lamp partially buried in the sand…..
    He picks up the lamp and gives it a rub. A genie appears and tells him he has been granted one wish.
    The guy thinks for a moment and says, "I want to live forever."
    "Sorry," said the genie, "I'm not allowed to grant eternal life."
    "OK, then, I want to die after the Democrats balance the budget and eliminate the debt.”
    "You crafty little bastard," said the genie...


    And my response

    The millionaire owner of a business is walking along a beach in . . anywhere. He comes across a lamp partially buried in the sand. Annoyed, he exerts just enough effort to kick just enough sand over it so it's no longer visible. "Why should I stoop to pick up shit when I'm worth the high seven-figures?" he smirks.

    But the sands shift just a bit and another ultra-rich snatcher-upper of tranche-trounced condos is walking along the beach and comes across the lamp, again just partially buried in the sand. He sees a thin, ragged guy gathering empty cans.
    "Pick that up for me and I'll endow you with enough to buy a full can!!!!" he states.
    He takes the lamp while passing the dollar.
    The scavenger thanks him, and observes, "that's a beautiful thing. Lot of people would buy them. Lot of people could have jobs making them."
    "You're right," the rich man acknowledges. "You're not as dumb as you appear."
    "I was in upper-level management before the company I worked for went under. Couldn't compete." If only corporate capital had been allocated to on-shore, American jobs, millions, like me, out of work would have jobs."
    "Eh, tough on some, maybe. But that's their problem, not mine."
    "But the problem is the country's," says the can-guy. "If people were making things here, earning wages here, they'd have money to pay taxes here, and of course not be depending for survival on government programs!!"
    "You insinuating something?" the dapper capitalist asks.
    "Why don't you initiate a renaissance. You're obviously well-off I saw you get out of the limo with the driver up there waiting for you to finish surveying this distressed beach-front hi-rise. Why don't you put a couple thousand into starting a business -- hiring some people to make beautiful lamps like the one you found? I'll be your salesman, straight commission to start."
    "Great idea!!"
    "Help the unemployed, yes. Provide an impetus to your peers, Provide even a pittance as kindling to re-fire this country's economy, and . . . ."
    The rich guy cuts him off mid-sentence.
    "You've got to be kidding. Manufacture anything here? In this country? When I can send this lamp as a prototype to East Bangladesia (since China's getting too high-handed and -paid) and it ends up costing ME pennies compared to dollars?? Don't you get it, fool? I've got it!!! We've got it!!! The 5 +/- %. Not only the wealth, luxury, ease, ostentation, superfluity, mansions and Masuratis and Gulf coasts and Gulf Streams and all . . . . . . . we got the Democratic Party to displace all the blame onto !!!! How sweet
    it is. (Here's another buck, get yourself another coke or something. Take part in the U.S.economy yourself.
  • Guy Dwyer
    2013-08-02 06:07:48 PM
    Not Logged In
    Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    That's a very good example of how sarcasm can be quite effective.

    To me what is a greatest concern about rich Republican and Libertarian men who hate "bleeding heart liberals" and Democrats, is that so many of those rich men are hypocrites who masquerade as Christians.

    To give you an idea of what I mean, I'll just repost what's listed in a sidebar of an article, Poverty: America's Greatest Shame:


    The Judeo-Christian Imperative to Care For the Poor

    Hypocrites masquerading as religious Christians or Jews claim that government should not promote the general welfare, and they claim that the rich are blessed and that the poor deserve their lot. But just look at what the Bible actually says:

    "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to remove the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; and when you see the naked, to cover them?" -- Isaiah 58:3-24

    “Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: take them out of the hands of the wicked.” – Psalm 82:3-4

    “He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he that honors the Lord has mercy on the poor.” – Proverbs 14:31

    “He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and what he has given will be repaid.” --.Proverbs 19:17

    “The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked care not to know it.” – Proverbs 29:7

    “Judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” -- Proverbs 31:9

    “If a brother or sister is naked and hungry, and one of you who are warmed and filled says to them, ‘Depart’ and do not give them those things which the body needs; what does it profit you? Therefore, faith without works is dead, being alone. Yes, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works, but show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:14-18)

    “And all that believed were together, and had all things common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed proceeds to everyone as they had need.” -- Acts 2:44-45

    “None among them lacked, for those that owned lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds from the things that were sold, and distributed them to everyone according to their need.” -- Acts 4:34-35

    “Then [Jesus] said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.’” -- Luke 6:20-21

    “[Jesus] went to the synagogue and stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.'” -- Luke 4:18:

    “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’" -- Mark 10:21-22:

    “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or relatives or rich neighbors, so they may invite you in return to be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid [by God].’" -- Luke 14:12-14

    "None among them can be found richer than another. It is their law that all who enter the sect must divide their property among the members of the society, with the result that there is never seen among them either abject poverty nor great wealth, for, since every man's possessions are put into the common treasury, they all have, like brothers, one inheritance.” -- Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian writing of the Essenes ( the Jewish sect to which Mary, Joseph, Jesus and James belonged, which is why the disciples of Jesus did the same thing according to the Christian book of Acts).
    .
  • eternal flame
    2013-08-04 07:50:35 PM
    Not Logged In
    Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    Very impressive posts on this thread. We should find a way to "distribute" this to a prominent GOP church in every city, and put it on comment sections of every newspaper. Maybe send copies to GOP political party campaign offices. And directly to politicians who "claim" to be Christians.
    The GOP need a very loud and thundering "wake up call" -- & learn the REAL basis of Christian faith. (Which is also part of our Jewish heritage).
    As the GOP practice "fake" govt policies which destroy democracy, they also practice "fake" religious dogma, which destroys true Christian ideals.
Reply to ThreadDisplaying 3 Posts