The pandemic has affected our everyday lives tremendously—mostly for the worse. However, while many families are struggling to get by with the economic recession, most of the world’s wealthiest have become even richer—with the most prominent case being Amazon’s Jeffrey Bezos, the second richest person in the world, amassing a net worth of 191.7 billion US dollars.
Presently, while many are struggling to make ends meet, Bezos could fund his own travel to space. Many of today’s youth were appalled by Bezos’s space venture, as they believe that billionaires are inherently evil—undeserving of their wealth and the reason behind the exploitation of the working class. However, the majority of this hatred against Bezos is based on entitlement.
A major argument is that the $5.5 billion spent for Bezos’ space expedition should be, instead, donated to charity for better causes, such as addressing world hunger or eradicating diseases. Although the money for his space expedition could theoretically be used for the welfare of others, the idea that Bezos is wrong for not doing so is highly hypocritical.
The narrative is that it’s morally wrong to spend on personal indulgences as long as humanitarian crises exist. However, if one belongs to the lower middle class and above, it is almost impossible to claim that they have never spent money on unnecessary indulgences. Claiming that Bezos is morally wrong because he used his wealth to enjoy a space venture may contradict their life choices.
At the end of the day, it’s Bezos’ money. As long as the rich do not acquire their money illegally, people shouldn’t feel as if they get to dictate how others' money is being spent.
Sure, one’s charity is something we should commend; however, it’s not something we should socially oblige. While the rest of the world may benefit if Bezos redistributed his wealth, the simple fact is he has no moral obligation to do so. Moreover, no one did anything to be entitled to his wealth in the first place.
The idea that charity should be mandatory is based on entitlement, and it’s a fundamental principle that people should be allowed to spend their money the way they want to. If we make charity obligated, it would be utterly contradictory to the very idea of charity—which is donating for goodwill. By making charity a social obligation, we are devaluing genuine charity work.
While there are valid reasons to dislike Bezos and other wealthy people, such as issues in character, the quantity of their money, and the way they spend it isn’t one of them.
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