1/25/2009

Frugality is a false virtue

Someone sent me an email about how frustrated teachers are today. And the in the email were several works of students that made my day. I quote a few sentences from this one. ‘I am a boy. I am a boy because I am not a girl. A boy is a boy. I have two mothers and one father. They are mad. I am also mad. I hope they have plenty of money. And when they die I can have all their money….’ Actually I will love to have such students. The life of teachers must be hilarious. There was this MP who was invited to a trade association dinner. He started his guest of honour speech this way. ‘A car is a car. A small car is also a car. I drive a small car. You all drive big cars. My small car takes me here. Your big cars also take you here. I am smarter, right? Oh, he did not say all these lah. I just made it up. I think the MP was trying to impress the big businessmen that just because they were driving big Mercs and BMWs, they don’t make any difference to him. Maybe he was trying to educate them on frugality and not be show offs. The new catchphrase is boastful. But he forgot that lesser mortals are just lesser mortals. All show offs. He can continue to drive his small Japanese car, the lesser mortals will still want to flash around in their big continental limousines, yes to show off. Oh, I remember someone telling me that in paradise only the rabbis drive around in Rolls Royces.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

My Dear Fren redbean;

may I wish You and All who celebrate Lunar New Year,

A Healthy And Happy One follow by many other years!

Let us keep our spirits high.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi patriot and all bloggers and kings of WBA, Happy Chinese New Year.

Emperor, WBA : )

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

People will save, invest or spend according to their own preferences on what goods to buy for what purpose, and how much cash to hold or how much to invest.

There is no issue here.

In Keynesian economics, hoarding (saving) is looked down upon. Keynes encouraged spending and investment, but without the underlying savings. In his economic corpus or ideas, it was important for the govt to print money to invest, so that production could continue and we'd all be rich.

Savings, in the Keynesian view, was a vice.

Jaunty Jabber said...

In big or small cars they drive, I care to beg, please do not drive us crazy !!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi lesser mortal, welcome to the blog.

keynes was an economic guru that propounded the theory of spending to keep the economy from running to a halt. if you have been for a foot massage, you are doing what keynes was advising.

if we are to follow keynes, then we should all be buying and driving big cars. oops, sorry for those who cannot spend away.

Anonymous said...

i would love to adopt the keynesian prescription and do my patriotic duty to 'stimulate' the economy - anyone here kind enough to provide me with the money??

Anonymous said...

Saving is a VICE . can it be equated that borrowing monies from the bank is NOT.. In economic downturn like this, we should borrow more monies from the bank & spend what we can or cannot afford, the objective is to spend.

Keynesian is more a Western concept. ultimately such western philisophy of borrowing and spending against hoarding & saving will ultimately end in the way america is now. The Oriental concept of staying lean & thrift and save is still an Asian way.

KANEsian or no keynesian - money on hands is better than credit note from the bank.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

> The Oriental concept of staying lean & thrift and save is still an Asian way. <

Not just 'oriental' but Indian, Middle Eastern and other cultures too.

This won't be around for long. Too many Asians studying at 'progressive western liberal' universities and returning home with bum-fucked ideas that will economically ruin many Asin countries in the not too distant future.

I hope I'm wrong.

Anonymous said...

That civilizations and nations rise and collapse is a natural cycle. I think it's healthy.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I too think it's healthy because it is entertaining, and entertainment — especially tragic-comedy (aka 'black' comedy) makes people who have a streak of schadenfreude laugh their balls off. Medical science has proved beyond doubt that regular hearty laughter is healthy.

Life would be too boring if humans weren't capable of neurotic thinking and reactionary actions!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

we should encourage the americans to continue to spend and stimulate the world economy with their huge consumption pattern. but need to make them go easy on the oil.