A few thoughts I’d like to convey to the rich and powerful…

A quote that made a deep impact on me growing up was one by Mahatma Gandhi…

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”

My father lived by it. My mother lived by it and I try to live by it. I’ve tried hard and now am trying harder even more. I try to be more mindful around people and their feelings. I try to be careful about what I say and do. I try to behave respectfully around other people, behave in a manner as I would like them to behave with and around me. I try to be kind, simple, gentle, courteous and preach a message of kindness and hope anytime I can. Deep down I believe in our human potential for goodness and truly believe we as a species can learn from our mistakes, hold hands together, take a brave step forward as a civilization, improve and be there for each other while treating each other kindly. I do sincerely hope that day would come, perhaps within my lifetime and we do not repeat mistakes of our past, of our ancestors; we learn from them and focus on progress, thorough improvement where we are all happy and at bliss. 

Having said that…

Sometimes I also feel greed, stupidity, small-mindedness and ego will be the death of us and our civilization. We are a violent species, we torture and kill for fun, for meagre physical rewards, out of spite. We can be shallow, stupid, uneducated, repeat the same mistakes over and over again with no concern over repercussions. We focus on short term rewards and not long-term goals. We do not focus on the big picture, we focus on instant gratification instead. It’s all about me, me, me, money, money, money…kill people, melt the ice caps, gain more money, screw more people, destroy their homes, pocket more money, screw climate change, screw the planet…we want more and more. Accumulate, accumulate, accumulate…horde, horde, horde. And I ask…

For what??

What is your end goal?

What then?

Where is all this leading to?

All the money in the world, all the land in the world, all the water in the world, all the women in the world…the rich and powerful have it all and still want more and more….greed gone rampant and crazy even when we have the awareness of our mortality and that we can’t take our wealth with us when we die….

What is all this leading to?

You earn.

And then what?

You start a family.

And then what?

You accumulate wealth.

And then what?

You screw over people…

And then what?

Have a messy divorce…

And then what?

Be estranged with your kids…

And then what?

Become powerful with influence….

And then what?

Become an industry leader…

And then what?

Be at the top of your field

And then what?

Own land and companies and all that you touch…

And then what?

Own everything!!

And then what?

Control a nation…

And then what?

Control nations!

And then what?

Exert your power and influence. Screw over people. Destroy their homes. Spread MY empire across the world.

AND THEN WHAT??

A golden casket for my burial.

And at that point, I just want to take a deep breath and yell a big “FUCK YOU!”. Fuck you. I do not understand the rich and powerful, the corrupt and the inept one bit. Not one bit!!

Hey guys; when you are at the top and it is lonely, and you are all ready to backstab each other at the drop of a hat…did the top of the mountain also make you suffer from oxygen deprivation? Is that why you behave so stupidly? Do you have any remorse? Any guilt? Any shame?? Do you have any idea what you are doing? Do you have any idea about the extent of the damage you’ve caused and its repercussions?

Stop the insane pursuit of wealth. You can have all the world and more but know this; you are a mortal…you will never be God. And when you die, six feet of land is all you get and need…regardless of who you are and what you own.

I do not care who you are or where you come from…bankers, politicians, CEO’s, media giants, social media owners, presidents…grow the fuck up!

Learn to take responsibility for your actions for ONCE in your life and do the right thing. Work towards a goal that’ll help you AND the people around you. Be kind. Be of service. Leave behind a legacy that’s worth remembering. Add a sense of purpose and meaning in your life that’ll elevate you as a human; it’s not all about the selfish pursuit of wealth and power!

We as a species already have an expiry date on this planet. When it is our time, I do not want our demise to be due to greed and stupidity combined with a lack of foresight and common sense.

But I fear it might be if we don’t own up to our actions and take responsibility.

Seriously…please grow up and do the right thing before it is too late. As people in power or an ordinary man…I don’t care who you are…. let people shed tears of sadness when you die…let them not cheer and clap when you die. Think of the legacy you are leaving behind.

Do the right thing for once in your life and show some remorse for all the fucks-up you’ve done!

Signed,

An exasperated common man.