Moderate your greed in acquiring wealth

SUPPLEMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Jhunie B. Wahayna

Money, they say is the root of all evils. But it's not the money itself but the obsession to acquire it by all means has motivated a person to do evil things such as: murder, robbery, swindling, plunder, graft and corruption, lying, stealing of people's money, betrayal of public trust, cheating just to stay in power, conspiracy, using the name of God for money making scheme, and among others. If your goal in life is to become rich from a questionable source, your direction towards life is evil.

People should not consider money as their master but rather their servant. If you make money your God, it will plague you like the devil and there will be no peace in your life according to an ancient saying. A person’s character is known in how he treats money. If a man runs after money he's greedily mad. If he gets it without working, he's a parasite. If he gets it through anomalous means he's an evil.

Certainly to become wealthy is not morally wrong. If your wealth comes from legitimate means through honest dealings, you will certainly enjoy the privilege of going anywhere with your head up high and with a clear conscience. Such noble legacy will not only be shared to anyone but to the future generations to come as well. It is the heart that makes a man rich and to become a (real) rich is a summation of honest hard work.

Live your life as simple as you are. Don't do evil what others do. Don’t do evil what others say, just listen to them but do what you feel good and comfortable. After all you are the one dictating the pacing of your life to be upright. If your wealth commands you, then you are poor indeed.

The statement of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile during a Senate Inquiry for the investigation of then the NBN/ZTE scandal was good, and I quote “kung minsan ang kalokohan ay nagiging katotohanan at ang katotohanan ay nagiging kalokohan” (sometimes the foolishness becomes the truth and the truth becomes the foolishness). This statement is absolutely true and undoubtedly a reality. Those greedy and deceitful politicians tweak and twist the lie and convinced the people to accept it as the truth.

The aborted National Broadband Network (NBN) project must serve as a lesson to the greedy government officials especially the incoming ones. According to the Senate Inquiry, the $329 million (P16.4 billion at the exchange rate of P50 to $1 at the time it was negotiated) was over priced by $130 million (P 6.5 billion).

This amount according to a health group is more than half of the entire budget of the Department of Health and more than five times the budget of the Philippine General Hospital. It could have funded 49,000 open-heart surgeries; 325,000 cataract surgeries, and purchased antibiotics for 6,500,000 people. It can also educate millions from the out of school youth Filipinos.

The worst, if the project was not cancelled; these 6.5 billion pesos will only go to the pocket of one or two person. This amount is a loan to be paid by all Filipino people through taxes. This greedy act of a few government officials will affect the life of the masses that will be more affected more than anyone else. Our children to be, and the next generation to come will suffer the consequences of their greediness and lies.

Even if they “moderate their greed” the evil deed was still there. And evil according to the dictionary is the violation of the moral customs or principles. There is no agreement about whether evil is a matter of social custom or correct principle that overrides custom. Evil is usually contrasted with good. In some religion, evil is an active force, often personified as an entity such as Satan or Lucifer.

If you live on “evil wealth” acquired through greediness and lies, the only equalizer between you and the poorest of the poor is that you cannot bring your billion of pesos with you if you die. Death is the equalizer to all humanity.