Almost everyone has respect for soldiers. With the notable exception of Vietnam, soldiers have always been welcomed home with the warm thanks of their grateful countrymen. Even when we disagree about the wars they are asked to fight, we generally honor the men and women who do the fighting. We admire their training, tenacity and bravery, and especially their devotion to duty and each other. We build statues and memorials to them. We know that they put themselves in harms way, for little pay, so the rest of us don’t have to. We marvel at their acts of heroism. We stand in awe of those few who intentionally give up their own lives to save the lives of the men in their unit. The selfless sacrifice stirs us. It causes thousands of us to walk up to complete strangers in uniform who we see at the airport to thank them for their service. They hold a special place in our affections.
But, consider the mercenary. They are also well trained, tenacious and brave. They also willingly place themselves in harms way so the rest of us don’t have to. But no one writes songs about their heroism. There isn’t a single statue in a single town in America that honors them. Nobody would buy a book entitled, A Mercenary’s Diary. The very idea of someone who is willing to sell his killing skills to the highest bidder sickens us. We turn away from such people. We don’t see them as selfless and honorable. And yet, they perform the same function as a front line soldier when the bullets start flying. Why don’t we honor the mercenary? Because of one thing...motivation. The thought that someone would be eager to fight if the price was right, for whichever side wants him the most, reduces the job of soldiering to a mere financial transaction. Fighting, even fighting our enemies, when stripped of devotion and love of country becomes the blackest of arts. The triumph of money over principle changes everything.
This thought has dominated my waking hours for the past few days. Why do we work? What motivates us to strive and struggle for money? Many noble things, no doubt. We want to provide for those we love. We want to have a nice home, a nice car, educate our children, go on nice vacations. All of these things require money. The motivation to provide these things is what drives us out of bed every morning. We know that we can’t just sit around expecting someone else to give us anything. This is right and proper. But is the pursuit of money all that matters. Does it matter how we earn our money? For this discussion, I am not referring to what is legal and what is not. I think we would all agree that selling drugs to middle school kids is an evil enterprise, no matter how profitable it might be. But, not everything that’s legal is noble. Not every profitable transaction is honorable. Each of us are asked to make moral distinctions on practically a daily basis. I am sick. I need a vaccine. To obtain that vaccine is it morally justifiable to skip the line, throw some money around to bypass those unable to do so? It is the same with how we earn money. Everyone must ask themselves, Although what I’m doing is perfectly legal, is it just? Is there such a thing as too much money, an amount that would change who you are were you to become in possession of it? From my perspective after 62 years, I believe that making money off the misery of others, capitalizing on the failure of others for profit feels like darkness to me. Ambulance chasing lawyers come to mind. Payday lenders. Loan sharks. Price gougers. Short sellers...
Motivation matters...and these days, motivation is everything.
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