Because people pursue greater value, many local residents take great risks to mine large stones from overseas islands and bring them back. Because the stone is relatively large, it is really inconvenient to use it as a trading tool. Therefore, the residents of the island did not move the stone when trading. They only made a verbal statement from the owner of the stone to tell everyone that the stone had changed hands. It is said that an interesting story happened on Yap Island: a wealthy family claimed that a huge and boundless stone "flyed" on the island 400 miles away to show that his family possessed huge wealth. In fact, the residents of Yap had never seen what the stone looked like or how big it was. The wealth of this wealthy family exists only as an idea in the minds of the islanders.
In 1898, the German government took over the Caroline Islands from Spain. Managers plan to rebuild Yap's roads, but island residents resist.
When the Germans realized that all the wealth of the islanders was the stone "fees" scattered around the island, they came up with a way to subdue these residents. They sent people to use black dye to draw black crosses on all the stones on the island, declaring that stones with black crosses were no longer money. In this way, the islanders suddenly lost all their wealth and had to build roads honestly according to the wishes of the Germans. At this time, the Germans sent people to clean the black crosses on all the "fee" stones and declared that these stones were still money. The residents of Yap were delighted to regain their wealth.
2. Gold is such a wonderful thing! Whoever possesses it becomes master of everything he desires. With gold, you can even let your soul ascend to heaven.
——Columbus Letter from Jamaica 1503
There is no such thing as money circulating around. This thing can destroy city-states, drive people out of their hometowns, teach good people bad, make them go astray, do shameful things, and even make people do evil and commit various crimes.
——Sophocles' "Antigone"
3. The views on money of several anti-corruption directors.
(1) The Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Suzhou Municipal Procuratorate said that I have been engaged in anti-corruption work for so many years, and I have experienced the temptation of criminals trying to give me 654.38 million yuan, and I have also heard suggestions from friends asking me to resign. I can quit my job and start a company to make a lot of money as a lawyer, but I always believe that pursuing money should not be the only goal in life, otherwise it will go astray. The investigation into the case of the former deputy director of the Suzhou Municipal Foreign Economic and Trade Commission deeply touched me. After making a windfall of nearly 3 million yuan in just a few years, he was still not satisfied. His goal is to accumulate 5 million yuan in original capital during his term. Bribery, bribery, corruption and other methods were used. With so much money, he dared not deposit it in the bank. His family hid money everywhere, but he was very stingy with money. His son went to college because one third was. Many people, like him, do not have a normal mentality towards money. If you set the wrong goal, you will take the wrong path.
(2) Xie, Deputy Procurator-General of the Gulou District Procuratorate of Nanjing City, has been the Anti-Corruption Director for many years. She said, if someone asks me whether it is better to have money or no money, whether it is better to have more money or less money, I will definitely answer "having money is better" and "more money is better", but there is a premise, that is, money must be It is my legitimate income from honest labor.
17 engaged in anti-corruption work and came into contact with hundreds of people who fell at the feet of money. These people have different positions, different criminal circumstances, and different amounts of money involved, but one thing is the same, and that is the "dislocation" of their worldview, outlook on life, and values, as well as the resulting serious distortion of the concept of money. Money has become the capital of grandiosity and vanity, while career and family love are "worthless" compared with money. The former deputy director of the Provincial Planning and Economic Commission accepted more than 700,000 yuan in bribes. His books are full of money and his bed is covered with money. However, his brother came to Nanjing with his son to find him. When he went back, he pretended to have no money, but borrowed 100 yuan from his colleagues. His brother and nephew died in a car accident on the way back. After his arrest, he burst into tears whenever he mentioned the loss of a loved one. "A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way", obtains his legal income according to the principle of fair distribution, and at the same time repays the society and the people with his hard work. This is my view on money.
(3) The deputy prosecutor of the Taicang City Procuratorate talked about a case she handled when she was the anti-corruption director.
She was impressed by the criminal's view of money.
The former general manager of Taicang Water Supply Company received more than 2 million yuan, but he didn’t have anything decent at home. She takes crabs, soft-shell turtles given by others, and even some fish caught by her husband to the hotel to sell. In the past few years, the hotel has spent more than 30,000 yuan on accounting. When she heard that the investigation was tight, she buried the money in the ground. After a while, nothing happened, so she asked for leave to go home and take out the money to dry. In the end, even my daughter didn’t believe that her frugal mother had so much money. This case touched me greatly. How can you keep money in mind? Can the amount of money be equal to the value of life? I don't think so. The more ill-gotten wealth there is, the lower the value of a person.
(4) The director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Changzhou Suburban Procuratorate said that money has no taste, but how to make money and how to spend money has taste.
I once investigated and dealt with a village party secretary. His normal annual income exceeds 654.38 million yuan, but he is still too short of money. Whatever you ask him to do, he can't do it without paying him. Even if it is from the same village, he will put his hand in his pocket, even if it is a few hundred yuan. He shamelessly accepted the money, but was stigmatized by the masses. Having been engaged in anti-corruption work for so many years, I always remind myself that if you take money too seriously, you will become a prisoner and slave of money. Especially those whose opponents have a certain amount of power are likely to be deceived by money and embark on the path of corruption.
(5) Donation and charity are a kind of social investment, an interaction and win-win situation between enterprises and society.
The Hurun team, which has been committed to compiling mainland China's rich list, released the "Mainland China Philanthropist Ranking" in 2004, which was the first philanthropist ranking in the mainland. The Ministry of Civil Affairs, Shanghai Charity Foundation and other institutions have provided strong support. Among the top 10 billionaires in mainland China's 2003 rich list compiled by the Hurun Report team, only 4 were on the philanthropist list, and they were all ranked after the top 10. This time, 50 philanthropists were included in the list. In 2003, these 50 philanthropists donated a total of 654.38 billion yuan in cash and materials, with an average donation of more than 20 million yuan per person. The main donation directions are: science education, disaster relief, and health. The average age of entrepreneurs on the charity list is 48 years old, and there are 14 philanthropists under the age of 40 (including 40 years old). The Hurun team believes that now is the right time to compile relevant lists to promote social awareness of charity.