The Elusive Randomness of Fortune

Nothing new here, not a new story at all. Some are born with it and some are born without. Of the latter, some grow into it, marry into it or actually build it, and others remain the same. And most fall soemwhere in-between.

"It" being Fortune of course. Whatever way we look at it, the apparent randomness is there; for (like me) it is right before me but elusive because I cannot seem to be able to grasp it firmly in my hands. And yet it's there, I it.

I rarely think of those for whom, in my eyes, i.e. visibly, it's far away. Take the Syrians, for example, or low income Afghans, both living in fear. There are many others. Take my neighbours, the ones I do not know who may be strugglingto make it financially, through this month.

I (and most of us, I'm sure) think of my other neighbour, the one who fell in love and married that fantastic resourceful  girl: together they have amassed enough to not worry about the future and they look happy together. Very happy. Or yet another neighbour, the one who married that tall thin, beautiful woman with perfect manner, daughter of a very. very auto industrialist...

Most of us think in terms of what we do not have, and much of what we think we do not have comes to our mind through comparison, rather than intrinsic need. We compare ourselves to, the seemingly fortunate, others and feel they're just one of us -- in all respects but one: the ultimate turn of fortune.


And this makes me think:

If all the people living under a jurisdiction of sorts - say a country - were brainwashed into thinking that everyone lived equally badly, would they just sit back and bear it? Especially if they were told that people outside that commuinity or jurisdiction, or country, lived even worse and are heading head-on for a major melt-down?
After all, a comforting lie is alsways a comfort first and a lie second.

Comfort trumps sincerety.

I think these people would.Maybe that is the example of Cuba, the case of Nazi Germany and of the first Soviet era and even, in more subtle ways, take the case of Greece and France, for example; for example, Greece is run by (allegedly) corrupt and visibly weak governments, their present one being a fascist-left wing coalition that has gone back on all its declarations and promises, one that has openly declared that journalists have too much freedom and that the people should be protected from the internet. France has a Socialist President whose popularity has reached historical lows, a government that has never openly lied but is not doing much better in popularity and, when said government proposed to reform retirement and dramatically change tax laws -- all hell broke loose. They took most of it back.
In Greece, taxes & contributions are a record setting 67%, doing business is "punished" (as one minister  - G Kyritsis said), an  additional 26% tax was insituted aimed at contractors, lower-scale pensions were further lowered and... nothing happened. The people jsut bear it. Is it the fear of even worse or is it the comfort of basking in soothing lies. Who knows?

One thing is for sure: another neighbour, one who fell in love and married a very wealthy young lady is very happy with his, equally radiant, wife. They didn't buy it. They live in London UK. Another friend, a beautiful young lady who married a very rich (self-made) man also didn't buy it: they are living in Luxambourg where their son is very happy at the international school.

So, when the French don;t buy it, they revolt. When the Greeks don't buy... they prefer to believe the lie that is fed -- or leave.






One up for being born into, or marrying money: if you don't buy the spiel you can alsways go elsewhere. Much easier than a revolution or bearing it while you're screwed over.