I think some of the most poignant songs I've heard are those associated with what we call "The Roaring Twenties" and thre "Great Depression." Consider for example Brother Can You Spare a Dime? and We're in the Money and Ain't We Got Fun? and Pennies From Heaven.
All of those songs relate, of course, to money; the desire for it, the dream of it the possession of it and the lack of it. Money inspires art, especially Pop Art. It clearly inspires us as well. It isn't clear anything else does.
Here, I mean, in our Glorious Union. That may be because we make so much noise. We're live loudly if not well. Perhaps our greed isn't unique and is merely noisy. Avarice may be universal, and we're special only because we're exhibitionists. We like to display our greed, our need.
I don't mean to preach. I simply note what is the case.
We live in a plutocracy so it's to be expected that those who have money are admired and those who don't are despised, or at best ignored. But it's surprising that those who are truly plutocrats aren't just admired or envied but even defended or championed, as I've noted before. Defending the wealthy requiries a commitment to money that isn't merely personal. Money becomes an ideal. It's inherently good. It's to be prized as a good.
Those who have money may not be criticized because they have it anymore than those who are virtuous should be criticized because they have virtue.
Defending those who are wealthy merely because they're wealthy reflects a kind of depravity, and perhaps even a perversion. It's not surprising, therefore, that we live in a society where the perversions of the wealthy are tolerated.
