Well, whiles I am a beggar,

I will rail and say,

There is no sin, but to be rich;

And being rich, my virtue shall be to say,

There is no vice, but beggary.

— Shakespeare,
The life and death of King John, Act 2, Scene 1

WE adapt our views to suit our finances, and as the quote above alluded, the only different view between a rich man and a beggar is the money. It’s always about the money, despite what some persons may try to convince you otherwise.

When they say, “It’s not the money, it’s the principle,” take it with a grain of salt, for it’s about the money. Someone may say, “Even though the amount was small that he stole, I’m not angry with him, for it’s the principle that really matters.”

The principle may matter too but in reality it’s the money, and people do not like to be parted from their money — no matter how small. Take away the money and there is no theft, so the cash is the overriding factor.

They say that a fool and his money are soon parted, that’s because he doesn’t know how to handle it. They say, “Money destroys friendship.”

“If money hadn’t entered the picture then the friendship may have endured.”

“Neither a lender nor a borrower be,” that’s because money will impact negatively on both the lender and the borrower, for the lender will be aggrieved that he can’t get back his money, and the borrower will be upset that he’s being pressured to pay it back.

In all scenarios it’s about the money, as we’ll see right after these responses to what I had to say about ‘Pick, choose, refuse’.

Hi Tony,

The pickings may be small but the process of picking, choosing and refusing could be a delightful adventure. To determine who is right for you, one must go through many women, even courting them and, I daresay, taking them to bed. Yes, pick, choose and refuse, but be careful.

Karl

Anthony,

Many women are so selective that they spend their entire lives picking, choosing and refusing, while there are some women who have no such luxury and are forced to choose the first man who comes along. Time is of the essence, for she knows that if she’s too ‘picky-choosy’ she may not get a second chance. Men, on the other hand, would love to pick, choose and refuse as long as they are able to do so.

Karen

With all the moral fabric, integrity, honesty, good character and great personality, the only real difference between a rich man and a poor man is the money. When someone describes both, all that will be said is, “One has money and the other doesn’t.” When both enter a room, one will be respected and the other might even be told to leave.

Money is what makes the difference, money is what makes the mare run, and all the other elements only fall to dust. It takes cash to care. With all the goodwill in the world, and all the promises and platitudes, without money they are nothing but empty words.

They say the clothes maketh the man but it takes money to buy clothes, and thus begins the lesson. We live in a money-oriented world — and this is nothing new for money has always been the driving force of civilisations dating back centuries.

When the barter system faded into the shadows and money took its place, the focus of man shifted. In the barter system I could trade you 10 goats for your one cow, or two dozen mangoes for four watermelons.

With the advent of money, trade and commerce became simpler and greed and guile gained ascendancy. Money was easier to steal, and cash became king; it became the lure for many who concocted creative ways to acquire it. People were drawn like a moth to the flame, and the love of money became the root of all evil.

When they asked infamous American bank robber Willie Sutton why he robbed banks, he simply replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” That was decades ago but now we have new bank robbers in our midst — and they don’t need guns or violence to purloin cash or coin from those institutions.

Now, all they have to do is click a button, slide a mouse, stare at a screen, manipulate figures, and laugh all the way from the bank. The police say that cybercrime results in billions of dollars pilfered from financial institutions every year in this country. The worldwide amount is staggering and mind-boggling. But whereas Willie Sutton gave the honest answer, these nowadays robbers try to justify their misdeeds by saying that they needed the funds to care for their ailing family members or pay off outstanding debts, and blah, blah, blah. In reality, it’s all about the money.

Just recently in New York the Japanese interpreter of the most highly paid baseball player in the USA was fired by the club and arrested for stealing over US$16 million from the player in order to pay off gambling debts.

No matter how close the person is to you — your confidant, business manager or even family member — money always seems to override everything else, even loyalty and love.

See what happens when parents die and the children who were once loving siblings turn on each other like rabid rats as they fight over the spoils, sometimes resulting in grave injury and death.

Just a few weeks ago a former Ecuadorian vice-president was accused of stealing millions of dollars and took refuge in the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador. In an unprecedented move the Ecuadorian police stormed the embassy and arrested him.

Recently a Vietnamese tycoon was sentenced to death in a US$12.4-billion fraud case. It’s the country’s biggest fraud case ever, and was carried out by a woman too.

Those foreign countries don’t play.

Look at what occurs when people come into good fortune such as winning the lottery. Watch the reaction of friends and family. The vultures immediately start to circle, expanding outwards in a never-ending radius until the person is consumed.

People and relatives he doesn’t even know will show up at his doorstep as the money has now made him extremely attractive. It’s not a new culture or theory, but an established fact. Money is the great attraction.

Many women do not want to hear this and take great offence when it’s even suggested, but when it comes to some women it’s all about the money. Some are subtle with it and may dance around the subject without even mentioning it but the bottom line is, it’s all about the money.

Others are more direct in their approach and make it clear from the get-go: no money, no love. I told you that some women would take offence, especially those who are not so inclined, but the historical facts corroborate my utterances.

When I speak to men who frequent prostitutes I always hear the same thing: It’s all about the money.

“All she wants is the money. There is no love or emotion, just the money.”

To put it bluntly: Nuh woman nuh want nuh bruk pocket man, especially these modern-day young girls. People, especially men, are judged by how much money they have, and even though it might not be said, the thought is there.

“He’s still a walk-foot man while I drive a fancy SUV; I’m better than him.”

This manifests itself even more when a woman meets a man as her assessments and conclusion operate faster than any computer could.

“Hmm, tall, handsome, no car, low-paying job, lives with parents…delete.”

“Dumpy, not good looking, fancy SUV, middle manager at great institution, owns nice house….save.”

Money changes everything. Some people say that if they struck it rich they’d stop working. Others would spend to their heart’s content until it’s all gone. It’s been known to happen even with lottery winners who go broke after a short time. Easy come, easy go.

And yet, there are many wealthy people — millionaires and billionaires — who still continue to work. With all the money that they have acquired, why keep on working? I guess in those cases it’s not all about the money, as exceptions exist to every rule.

Ironically, many wealthy people steal, making you ask the question, “With all the money they have, why steal?” And even when those perpetrators have stolen for years, they still keep on stealing. When is enough, enough?

Maybe it’s the ease of doing it and not getting caught; maybe it’s the adrenaline rush, the thrill, and the high that come from acquiring ill-gotten gain that makes them happy. But they do say that money can’t buy true happiness. Many millionaires are unhappy and suicidal. But the question is, do beggars feel that way also?

“The lack of money is the root of all evil.”

“Pennies do not come from heaven.”

“When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I’m older, I know it is.”

Joe Jackson said, “It’s all about the money.” And Shakespeare preceded him when he penned, “If money go before, all ways do lie open.” So, don’t just take my word for it.

More time.

seido1yard@gmail.com

Footnote: Still on the subject of money, has anyone tried to open a bank account recently? I wish you luck as it’s a most challenging and frustrating exercise. What they ask for borders on being interrogated by the fraud squad. They ask for almost everything — except perhaps your DNA — and who knows if that will soon be a requirement? And it doesn’t matter if you’re a long-standing customer of many years with multiple accounts, you’re still put under the microscope. And yet, who they need to catch they don’t as bank fraud continues to run rampant. It’s the innocent who are put through the wringer.