"If you're so smart ..."

    “If you’re so smart …”

   “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?”  This is the quote most often used by the simple majority of our nation’s population.  It implies major stupidity on the part of the questioner.  The best example of this is the Trump Monkey, Elon Musk.  Jumping around on a campaign stage with a chainsaw in your hands and a MAGA cap on your head does not indicate “smart”.  No, being the richest person in the world is a better sign of insanity.  Extreme wealth is an indicator of greed and greed is a rapidly growing epidemic in America, the major symptom of which is squirreling away nuts for an imaginary winter.  Greed is the malignant form of the survival instinct, not an indicator of smart.

   We only have thirteen billionaires living in, as President Trump would say, “The Shit Hole State of Arizona,” in which I reside.  Thirteen isn’t very many, but the state’s government and education system still runs (as do all other states in America) to the music of money.  What started as a game for students to relax with, basketball is now the guiding force of the University of Arizona.  Basketball brings in money and education is generally a cost.  Please remember that the stated purpose of a university is to educate and yet our basketball coach has an annual salary of $3,700,008 and the President of The University (the head of education) is salaried at $1,016,018 per year.  That is to say that the chief educator earns less than a third of what the top coach makes at our university.  This is certainly in line with our nation’s interest.  Would the average Arizonan be more enthused by winning an NCAA Championship in basketball or the hire of the world’s brightest physicist to head the Physics Department at The U?  What about money’s influence on government.  I spent a couple of years as The Arizona Motorcycle Dealer’s lobbyist to the Arizona Legislature.  Financial power is the primary influence on the creation of legislation.  Does money write “smart” legislation?  The answer to that question is, “Only if a benefit to the wealthy happens to benefit all.”  That doesn’t happen very often.

  “Our government is the best government that money can buy.” and I guess that we can all be proud of that.

Cheers, Old Buz          5/18/2025

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