Andrew Carnegie, excerpt from his book “Wealth.” There are but three modes in which surplus wealth can be disposed of: it can be left to the families of the descendents, or it can be bequeathed for public purposes, or finally, it can be administered during their lives by its possessors.
Mr. Carnegie had a very simple question for the society. What should the super wealthy do with their money? Quite simply, it is their money so they can do what they want with it. However, Mr. Carnegie was a very astute man who thought that 1. If the money is left for other family members, it really is to keep the family prominent and have the money flowing to the children etc. 2. He also thought that money that would be distributed after someone died was because the person(s) could not take the money with them. If they could, they would. 3. Here Mr. Carnegie was a very strong proponent of the wealthy disseminating the money and fortunes while they were alive. In this way, it could be done properly, with the aim of helping humanity.
The above by Andrew Carnegie surely sets the stage for the entire class. No one is an island, and no one stands alone. We all need each other to succeed. This was an extremely wealthy man, who knew that the rich had to get involved with the populace. He did not believe in so-called charity cases, but he did believe in doing the right thing for the country. It also reminds me of the 2012 General Election, when President Obama said that the rich would have to pay their fair share of taxes. If working class people can pay 38% of their income to taxes, well then I guess the rich can pay 18%. The individuals that come to mind when I read about Andrew Carnegie and his endeavors, are Bill and Melinda Gates. The Gates’ are also very wealthy. That being said, they decided that they would bestow most of their money toward the advancement of mankind.
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