Greed and Need

I've been watching loads of different american shows lately that discuss in one way or another the Writers Guild of America-Strike thats shut down production on so many TV shows. I dont have a deep knowledge about what the issue is, and i dont have an opinion on "who is right", but it's so puzzling to hear these mega-rich celebrities give their little support speeches for the poor poor writers in need. The picture is painted, as always is the case during strikes, of the greedy selfish employer, and the poor needy worker. The rational self interest of the employers is always deemed as greed, but the same rational self interest of the workers is always deemed as need.

When did need become relative? People nowadays usually want to live in a nice neighbourhood, have a washer, a tv, a car, and maybe travel every now and then just like most people in western countries, but when did this become need? If there is no real possibilty of you having to live on the streets not knowing if your going to survive the night as you havent eaten anything for 6 days, then you really arent in need. You are just pursuing your own self-interest, like most people in the world. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, keep on striking, if you feel you could get better wages and working conditions or whatever the strike is about. That is completely fine. Just dont say you are in any need, or that you are not acting with the same self-interest as the producers.

The living conditions that the "poor workers" in the west live in these days, would be called luxury just a couple of hundred years ago so why isnt the average westerners pursuit of a nice house, a tv and a car considered greedy? If you can pose the argument, "why does [insert horrible selfish rich person] really need that fourth mercedes or houses in 8 different countries? Why cant he just be content with one car and one house?" then why cant you pose the argument, "why does that worker really need a bigger house for his family or a dishwasher? Why cant he and his family just be content in their one bedroom apartment and washing their dishes by hand?".

Neither of these people had any real need for either that fourth mercedes or that dishwasher, as they would have survived nicely without them as well, so why is the one wanting a fourth car a rich selfish asshole, but the one wanting a dishwasher isn't? Both are trying to better their own living conditions, that both are in a historical context considered amazingly good, so why do we accuse the other of being greedy, and the other being needy?

Another thing that brushes the subject is something i hear here in Finland quite often. Many people complain why more rich people arent donating their money to help the poor in africa or something. "If i were rich, i would definitely give the bulk of my money to charities, but those rich assholes dont care" is something you hear, but at the same time, this same person who is complaining and making something like $30K a year himself buys a new flatscreen TV or goes on holiday to Spain with his family, rather than giving the bulk of his money to poor africans. If you just wanted to survive, you could probably live on something like $4K a year if you wanted to, so you would have about $25K a year you could donate to africa. With the price levels in poor countries, you could singlehandedly help hundreds of people significantly every year, but you choose not to, because having a flatscreen and going on holiday is more important to you. Why isnt this selfish if the megarich guy is?

When did having a nice place to live, having a car, having a TV and going on holiday every now and then become these human rights that everyone can have without feeling like they are selfish. Most western countries have surpassed the level of having the vast, vast majority able to have food to eat, water to drink, clothes to keep us warm and a place to sleep, so why are we still making value judgements on things that people want in addition to this? Why is buying a private jet any more selfish or greedy than buying a dishwasher, as we dont actually need either to survive?

And if there ever comes a time where most people can afford private jets, then the poor and needy jet-owners are probably moaning about the selfish rich assholes that go to Mars with their private spacecrafts or something. "I cant ever make the time to see my friends in Australia if i have to wait in line at public airports all the time. I really need a private jet". "But, damn those greedy assholes that have to make holidays to Mars on their private spaceshuttles, why cant they just be content with this planet?"