Wealth
And I was thinking presidents who have Serious Money behind them
have a whole other dimension of power
which goes with the Money.
The person with Mammoth Wealth
has a machine, an apparatus, a whole big Thing backing him up.
You don't even have to spend any of the money, a lot of the time, I think -- just Having It, and people Knowing You Have It
confers upon you a certain influence.
The politician who has Serious Wealth has the added advantage that many people he encounters will --
1. want to please him
2. want to be associated with him, and
3. be extremely reluctant to tick him off.
It's like a whole big -- clod -- of Power and Influence, without having spent a dime.
-30-
That's it - the power of the money, especially established, connected money. Money makes the political system go 'round and if you're connected, well.......
ReplyDeleteI think one of the contrasts between the Kennedys and George Bush is the fact that no matter what their wealth, the Kennedys understood the social contract. They understood that part of the reason they were so wealthy was because of the freedoms and infrastructure that Americans enjoy. They did not make their wealth in a vacuum and they understood that old phrase "a high tide lifts all boats."
The Bushes on the other hand seemed to go out of their way to thumb their noses at the social contract.
This blog reminds me of that old Gregory Peck film, The Million Pound Note (must have been a different title in the US?), where a couple of brothers set out to show that a man of wealth doesn't need to spend any money :)
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'd respectfully disagree with Lisa, in that whilst JFK and in particular Bobby certainly understood their obligations, it seems (to this distant observer anyway!) to have been more than balanced out by the rest of the family - their father was hardly a saint after all!