For one to win, another must lose

My parents taught us to respect money, but not to worship it or allow it to possess us. They taught us how to build enduring wealth through an unbreakable value system based on principles and uncompromising virtues. Attaining wealth without faith, compassion, integrity and concern for bringing others along can lead to emptiness and despair.

The national lottery,  "Survivor," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" "Big Brother," etc., have become staples of our cultural consciousness. These shows and events — and their promise of instant fortune — nourish our secret desires for power and respect. The common thread: All of these game shows carry the suggestion of an alternative, an escape from the daily drudgery of work. They promise that with a million dollars, all of our problems and anxieties will disappear.
 
The message probably has a special resonance in America, where citizens have been weaned on the myth that fortune awaits them. Lacking a sense of genuine cultural history, Americans have been bound together by a common belief in credit. Capitalism is our motherland, and our cultural heritage was forged in the post-Civil War boom, when shrewd men took advantage of the Industrial Revolution to secure vast fortunes. From their success sprang the notion that in America, a better life awaited.

This rags-to-riches theme formed a powerful folklore; one that linked capitalism with the beautiful possibilities of life. The capitalist system is built upon the notion that the friction of workers competing against one another benefits the consumer and thus the economy. The classic definition of capitalism is that for one to win, another must lose.