 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
But acquisitiveness, although it is the mainspring of the capitalist system, is by no means the most powerful of the motives that survive the conquest of hunger. Rivalry is a much stronger motive. ...
When the British Government very unwisely allowed the Kaiser to be present at a naval review at Spithead, the thought which arose in his mind was not the one which we had intended. What he thought was: “I must have a Navy as good as Grandmamma's”. And from this thought have sprung all our subsequent troubles. The world would be a happier place than it is if acquisitiveness were always stronger than rivalry. But in fact, a great many men will cheerfully face impoverishment if they can thereby secure complete ruin for their rivals. Hence the present level of taxation.
Source： Human Society in Ethics and Politics, 1954, part II: The Conflict of Passions, chapter ２: Politically important desires, n.4
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The rivalry of wanting to be a little better than others (or other countries) can lead to many disasters.
The rivalry to be a little richer than others (or other countries), a little stronger than others (or other countries), or to be superior to others (or other countries) in many other ways, has produced many good things, but it has also produced many bad things as much as it has produced good things.
In terms of rivalry between states, the worst is the ‘arms race’. Both governments claim to ‘protect the country, protect the people’, and large amounts of taxpayers' money have been spent in the name of “defence”.
Both National Diet members and local councillors, even those who had amassed slush funds and received electoral support from the former Unification Church, could pose as respectable figures by claiming ‘patriotism’ (defence of the country). Typical of this were the Abe faction members (plus the Aso faction), who even after dissolving their faction, showed their strength in the recent LDP presidential election.
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