so..what constitues greed?

[pjbleek]

Greed----
The definition of the said word is as follows:excessive or rapacious desire, esp. for wealth or possessions.
(I am doing a project for sociology on greed) and we have to watch a movie (I chose Wall Street) and discuss its underlying theme. Now this movie came out in 1987 and 22 years later we still see the ramifications of it and was wondering what you thought of those who think that it is OK for these people/businesses who still practice this ideology. I know that I, myself would love to string some of these CEO's up on a flagpole and let them rot....

 

[skyblue]

greed........peoples desire to own it all at the expense of those who rely on it

 

[wednesday]

Sometimes I get greedy and go for an expansion early in the game, to get my resource income up. There is nothing as indulgent to base economy as a fast Nexus, but you have to look at what that greed will cost you. You're much more prone to a rush and if your opponent has opted for a proxy, then your greed will have turned to gg.

lil suzie say what?

gg isnt that a horse?:24::24:

 

[pjbleek]

Little Suzie I think is talking about Starcraft.

I think the definition in the first post answered the question in the Topic Title.

But, I will say this about that: whatever you think is the point that indicates greed, usually two long steps away from that point is where it really is. By definition, Western culture (specifically American) is greedy. If you're an American, you've probably been brought up learning greed as a virtue.

please elaborate? Greed as a virtue?

 

[sierrabravo]

That's an entirely new level of greed. Piggy Piggy Piggy Fuck Piggy Piggy.
as quoted by Lewis Black...

 

[wednesday]

Um.....right, so this is all Americans yes??

 

[pjbleek]

A virtue is basically a trait that one values, specifically a trait valued as good.

Americans are bred to want more than they need. You see it on the most basic levels in terms of food consumption in the poor where they aren't starving, they're becoming obese; you see it on the highest levels with the CEOs making millions off of the government and tax payers as their companies go under even after they're bailed out.

Virtues and morals are not natural. They are learned. America has learned greed; greed is a virtue in America. It is a valued trait, and valued as good.

I think it is from the "survival of the fittest"...if you look through history it is all the case of those who have against those who have not!!!

 

[Peter Parka]

Greed isn't anything to do with how much you have got, it's to do with how far you pusue what you want (not need). A millionaire isn't greedy if he got his wealth honestly and didn't neglect non material things to get it. A poor person on state benefits is greedy if the're neglecting their health and family ect to pusue getting rich.

 

[Alien Allen]

Pj it is too bad you did not have this come up a couple of years ago. At another site there was a moron who thought Gordon Gekko was somebody to be admired. Lord did we have fun giving him shit for that.

 

[pjbleek]

Pj it is too bad you did not have this come a couple of years ago. At another site there was a moron who thought Gordon Gekko was somebody to be admired. Lord did we have fun giving him shit for that.

PMSL...Gordon Gekko the king of greed...."greed is good"


:24::24::24::24::24::24:

 

[Alien Allen]

PMSL...Gordon Gekko the king of greed...."greed is good"


:24::24::24::24::24::24:

I can try to find that thread and send you a link to it. It was grand fun.

 

[BlackCherry]

A virtue is basically a trait that one values, specifically a trait valued as good.

Americans are bred to want more than they need. You see it on the most basic levels in terms of food consumption in the poor where they aren't starving, they're becoming obese; you see it on the highest levels with the CEOs making millions off of the government and tax payers as their companies go under even after they're bailed out.

Virtues and morals are not natural. They are learned. America has learned greed; greed is a virtue in America. It is a valued trait, and valued as good.

You have got to be kidding me. I wasn't going to waste my energy responding to this, but broadstroke ignorance about an entire nation of people makes my head want to explode. We're not "bred" for greed. As a quickie alternative to your theory on the poor...the poor becoming obese is not because they are greedy. It is because the garbage food industry is readily available and cheap. A person making minimum wage who is paying all of their other expenses like the rest of us often only have a couple of bucks in their pocket at the end of the day...they can't shop like you and I can and their only alternative is cheapie garbage...even foods in the grocery store that are actually affordable in bulk are things like macaroni and cheese, ramen, etc. As for the CEO's getting bailouts and greedily spending it. I'll give you that one...but that has nothing to do with the fact that they are American and they were bred that way...not only that but you are talking about maybe 1% of the population when you're talking about the top level CEO...how is that a snapshot of average "America?"

The median income in the US is 40K right now...the majority of Americans are middle class and while yes we are taught to dream big and do our best, I don't see how that varies from any other culture. We are taught to try to do our best to get ahead to have a better life, but that does not constitute greed. If I go to work and do the best that I can do, it directly makes life better for the people around me (I work for a charity) so explain to me how desiring to do my best to better myself and my community is greed...I don't get it.

 

[Strauss]

A virtue is basically a trait that one values, specifically a trait valued as good.

Americans are bred to want more than they need. You see it on the most basic levels in terms of food consumption in the poor where they aren't starving, they're becoming obese; you see it on the highest levels with the CEOs making millions off of the government and tax payers as their companies go under even after they're bailed out.

Virtues and morals are not natural. They are learned. America has learned greed; greed is a virtue in America. It is a valued trait, and valued as good.

Hmmm...........seems ignorance is a virtue as well.

 

[sandwichhorror]

Worldly possessions is what gets in the way of a lot of people. In fact, it's most people's ruin. The only way to salvation is through the sandwich. The sandwich of horror. There's nothing more purely human than horror.

 

[sierrabravo]

Worldly possessions is what gets in the way of a lot of people. In fact, it's most people's ruin. The only way to salvation is through the sandwich. The sandwich of horror. There's nothing more purely human than horror.

...i just read that as my browser was navigating away... :confused

 

[Dynamic]

I would say the world is bred to be greedy. We live in a society where everything revolves around money. The more you have, the more of a survivor you are. I believe that we are brought up with people pressuring us into being successful, into living a life better than others around us.

For example, one may be content with living in a tent out in the woods, and to him he/she is successful in what they have done in life. However, the rest of society looks down on them because they have chosen to live this life. When a person makes $100 million they are successful, but to that person they are still driven to make more, because they have not yet reached their full potential.

I think its the way humans are raised, and also the society we live in. I think if we were raised without a system that has money, and lived in complete anarchy, and we ALL did it, then greed will no longer exist.

Check this idea out The Venus Project - The Redesign of a culture

Now, I believe if a system like this was implemented into willing, and future generations, greed will no longer exist.

 

[Obdurate]

Greed is a girl keepin' the poon to herself.

 

[BlackCherry]

I included you in that because it was quite clear that you are able to have that luxury to choose to spend your money that way. If the choice is between paying your electric, heating, housing, first and you're considered within the poverty level it does not afford you that luxury...nor does a food bank...you have to take what you can afford or what is given to you. Even children receiving free lunches at school do not have that luxury because schools particularly in depressed and poorer neighborhoods (and this is a whole 'nother kettle of fish) don't have the resources to even provide healthy lunches. For some kids that's the only meal they get...and it's also where they learn their eating habits. So to say, once again, it's greed that motivates poor people to be fat does not make sense.

 

[SgtSpike]

Greed isn't anything to do with how much you have got, it's to do with how far you pusue what you want (not need). A millionaire isn't greedy if he got his wealth honestly and didn't neglect non material things to get it. A poor person on state benefits is greedy if the're neglecting their health and family ect to pusue getting rich.

:homo:
Got that right.

And I'd have to agree with BlackCherry. I'm not particularly well off, but buying a house recently has cut into my budget for areas like food. That, on top of the fact that my wife and I both work full time and go to school full time, so we hardly have time to shop, makes it REALLY difficult to eat healthy. As much as we'd like to eat fruits and veggies every day of the week, we simply do not have time to go shopping on the weekdays, and hardly any fresh produce lasts a whole week.

It is difficult, but certainly not impossible, to get out of the habit of eating unhealthily when you are poor. It's too easy to take a $2.00 hamburger instead of trying to find healthy foods that will fill you up for $2.00.

 

[Peter Parka]

You have got to be kidding me. I wasn't going to waste my energy responding to this, but broadstroke ignorance about an entire nation of people makes my head want to explode. We're not "bred" for greed. As a quickie alternative to your theory on the poor...the poor becoming obese is not because they are greedy. It is because the garbage food industry is readily available and cheap. A person making minimum wage who is paying all of their other expenses like the rest of us often only have a couple of bucks in their pocket at the end of the day...they can't shop like you and I can and their only alternative is cheapie garbage...even foods in the grocery store that are actually affordable in bulk are things like macaroni and cheese, ramen, etc. As for the CEO's getting bailouts and greedily spending it. I'll give you that one...but that has nothing to do with the fact that they are American and they were bred that way...not only that but you are talking about maybe 1% of the population when you're talking about the top level CEO...how is that a snapshot of average "America?"

The median income in the US is 40K right now...the majority of Americans are middle class and while yes we are taught to dream big and do our best, I don't see how that varies from any other culture. We are taught to try to do our best to get ahead to have a better life, but that does not constitute greed. If I go to work and do the best that I can do, it directly makes life better for the people around me (I work for a charity) so explain to me how desiring to do my best to better myself and my community is greed...I don't get it.

But Americans are fat and lazy. :ninja

*I'll get my coat*



*Please dont shoot me*! :jk