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There is no true wealth but life

I've been enjoying Alain De Botton's documentary series Status Anxiety. Here's the beginning of the third part:

The whole series starts here.

6 Replies to “There is no true wealth but life”

  2. Peter A Leonard writes:Wealth is power. On the one hand we are a society that worships status – status locked into the whole “success” thing, measured (mostly) by wealth. On the other hand we love to despise the “rich” – for example the media hodgepodge following Gordon Brown’s comments recently on David Cameron – as “privileged” , “elitist”, etc. After all, if Gordon stood up and criticised the “poor” there’d be riots in the street.Slightly off the point, but the fact “UN Copenhagen climate talks are in disarray” is tied into this whole success/wealth trough. The “wealthy” developed nations want to tear up the Kyoto agreement and replace it with a proposal that places unequal limits on per capita carbon emissions for developed and developing countries in 2050. This means that people in developed countries would be permitted to emit nearly TWICE as much under these proposals….the wealthy get more wealthy?!Britain has proposed a fund of £6.2bn be set up to pay poorer nations to help adapt to “climate change”. These same nations (probably correctly) have asked for a fund of £246bn (this to come on stream by 2020). They have about the same chance as a snowball in hell of receiving this.Now, I’m far from convinced by much of the model data churned out by the climate scientists – but I do believe in “climate change”; it’s self-evident the climate has changed dramatically in the past. However if, as some claim, we have about 96 days to save the planet – what do you think’s going to happen? It’s all about wealth and power. The developed countries control the world’s purse strings. The message always seems to be, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say”! And people with wealth control the media – the media that projects success, qualified by £s or $s, as something devoutly to be desired; thus the cult of status worship.Mother Teresa of Calcutta when alive gained far fewer column cms in our newspapers than David Beckham, or Bill Gates. Dan Brown is a successful writer – all authors should (MUST as far as the publishers are concerned) aspire towards his type of success, based, certainly not on art or writing ability, but on the number of $$$$$s he and his agents milk from his products. But I’m straying far from the point, so time to say Adiós, ¡hasta luego!All the best.Peter

  3. By the way, if anyone’s interested, I’m cutting and pasting an e-mail below:Dear friends around Europe,The Copenhagen climate summit is on the verge of collapse already — developed countries have failed to lead the way with sufficient cuts and real money to finance a deal, and trust was lost when a flawed draft by the Danish hosts leaked today.European nations have led the way on climate before. But so far in Copenhagen, we have failed to do our job. In these last short days, Europe’s leaders must rise to the moment and become true dealmakers.Our leaders are meeting in Brussels this Thursday and Friday to decide how far they’ll go for a real deal in Copenhagen. Let’s flood them with thousands of phone calls from their own citizens, pressing them to rescue the summit by offering fairer and more ambitious proposals, instead of standing by and watching our future fall apart. Click here to take action now:http://www.avaaz.org/en/europe_be_a_leaderAt the link, you’ll find everything you need to send your message – suggestions about what to say, the right phone numbers, and reports of how our calls are going.After years of careful preparation, we can’t fail in the last days for a simple lack of leadership. Let’s do all we can to save the climate deal — follow the link above to act now.With hope and determination,Paul, Iain, Benjamin, Alice, Milena, Ricken, Paula, Graziela, Taren and the whole Avaaz teamMore information:Newsweek — “The ‘Danish Text’ Disrupts Copenhagen: What You Need to Know”:http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/12/08/the-danish-text-disrupts-copenhagen-what-you-need-to-know.aspxGuardian — “Gordon Brown: EU cuts must go deeper to get Copenhagen climate deal”:http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/07/gordon-brown-eu-emissions-cutsE3G — “30 Percent and Beyond: Strengthening EU Leadership on Climate Change”:http://www.e3g.org/programmes/europe-articles/eu-should-raise-its-emissions-reduction-target-latest-e3g-briefing/China View — “40 percent emissions cut in Europe feasible: study” :http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/09/content_12614055.htm———————————-Want to support Avaaz? We’re entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way — donate here.ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means “voice” in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Click here to learn more about our largest campaigns. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages! You can also follow Avaaz on Twitter!

  4. You’re posting this video inspired me to write a blog post about it.I have read and enjoyed it. Thanks for the link. I might comment further later.It’s all about wealth and power. The developed countries control the world’s purse strings. The message always seems to be, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say”! And people with wealth control the media – the media that projects success, qualified by £s or $s, as something devoutly to be desired; thus the cult of status worship.

    Mother Teresa of Calcutta when alive gained far fewer column cms in our newspapers than David Beckham, or Bill Gates. Dan Brown is a successful writer – all authors should (MUST as far as the publishers are concerned) aspire towards his type of success, based, certainly not on art or writing ability, but on the number of $$$$$s he and his agents milk from his products.All good reasons, it seems to me, to steer clear of procreation. Just yesterday I was re-reading a certain chapter of Gulliver’s Travels:http://www.jaffebros.com/lee/gulliver/bk3/chap3-8.htmlI had often read of some great Services done to Princes and States, and desired to see the Persons by whom those Services were performed. Upon Enquiry I was told that their Names were to be found on no Record, except a few of them whom History has represented as the vilest Rogues and Traitors. As to the rest, I had never once heard of them. They all appeared with dejected Looks, and in the meanest Habit, most of them telling me they died in Poverty and Disgrace, and the rest on a Scaffold or a Gibbet.

    Among the rest there was one Person whose Case appeared a little singular. He had a Youth about Eighteen Years old standing by his Side. He told me he had for many Years been Commander of a Ship, and in the Sea Fight at Actium had the good Fortune to break through the Enemy’s great Line of Battle, sink three of their Capital Ships, and take a fourth, which was the sole Cause of Antony’s Flight, and of the Victory that ensued; that the Youth standing by him, his only Son, was killed in Action. He added, that upon the Confidence of some Merit, the war being at an End, he went to Rome, and solicited at the Court of Augustus to be preferred to a greater Ship, whose Commander had been killed; but without any Regard to his Pretensions, it was given to a Youth who had never seen the Sea, the Son of Libertina, who waited on one of the Emperor’s Mistresses. Returning back to his own Vessel, he was charged with Neglect of Duty, and the Ship given to a favourite Page of Publicola, the Vice-Admiral; whereupon he retired to a poor Farm, at a great Distance from Rome, and there ended his Life. I was so curious to know the Truth of this Story, that I desired Agrippa might be called, who was Admiral in that Fight. He appeared, and confirmed the whole Account, but with much more Advantage to the Captain, whose Modesty had extenuated or concealed a great Part of his Merit. Etc. Etc.There is no hope in this world. Personally, I can only hope that there is some other.

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