Monday, November 14, 2011

"You cannot serve both God and money": Matthew

43 countries have laws requiring graphic images on cigarette packages to discourage smoking. The United States and Australia are poised to enact similar laws.
Last week, in a lawsuit brought by cigarette makers, a US court issued a temporary injunction to delay the US law based on questions of constitutionality.
In Australia, where the new law received broad political support, cigarette companies are also fighting back. They're accusing the government of everything from copyright infringement to violating free trade agreements. They're also threatening to flood the market with cheap cigarettes. David Crow is CEO of British-American Tobacco, Australia's biggest cigarette company. "We will obviously focus on pricing, given it's the only thing really left to focus and differentiate brands. More people will smoke. We all know. Things get cheaper, people buy more, and more kids will smoke. And that is obviously completely opposite to what the government intends."
I understand the argument about free speach and constitutionality.
What I don't understand is this:
How can anyone, individual or corporation, place greed ahead of people's welfare?
What ever happened to ethics?
What good is human existence if money has more value than people?
Money will never buy happiness an no amount of money is ever enough. Money can be a drug, the more you have (once your basic needs are met) the more you want. The pursuit of greed led to our Wall Street crisis. It is causing the increasing gap between rich and poor. If we are not careful it will lead to the collapse of our civilization.
We need a new philosophy, individual, corporate, and government. A philosophy that says we are all in this together, that people come before profits, that love is more valuable than money.

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