Thanks for the positive perspectives CircuitGuy.

I think there is an important distinction though betwen how people are willing to act in a personal concrete instance and what they are willing to, effectively commit, in a general sense.

For example, no one would greedily want to steal 14% of my productive life. However, many of those same people would see no problem with forcing me to sign up for health insurance and to participate in Medicare insurance, etc. Medical spending represents some 14% - 17% of our economy, so if you force me to participate in the medical industry, it is like taking (on some level of average) 14%-17% of my life's income from me. I should be able to choose for myself what portion of my life I want to spend on health care, and I can tell you it isn't 15%. Maybe 5% and happy with 0%, it's a question of priorities. For myself I simply consider it immoral to participate in an industry which, in my view, is so far removed from supply and demand. I don't want anesthesia, if I get cancer just cut it out surgically (should be cheap), if I break a bone just set it the old fashioned way. I'm not willing to pay more because that isn't my priority -- the cost is effectively equivalent to a house, a college education, etc. I should be able to make those choices.

But instead, others will steal 14% of my life and see no problem with it. I'm sure they would have happily returned my wallet.

It's not only about money. I am moderately disabled and was walking with a cane when I fell at the San Diego Zoo. I was unable to get up on my own. Within the next 5 minutes, the following occurred: A man helped me up, a woman got a chair from a nearby restaurant so I could sit, and a man who had a 1st aid kit treated my skinned knee with medication and a bandage (he turned out to be a scoutmaster). A few minutes later, a Zoo staffer took me in a car to their 1st aid station and treated me there. How's that for good people? No one just walked by and left me there. Everyone helped to the extent they could, and I never even got the chance to thank them. I suppose that it's mostly the bad stuff you hear about, but I think people are mostly good.

Very glad for you, CircuitGuy! Not much of that going around, but there is some. My wife and I practice that kind of morality all the time, even in regards to businesses. A week ago we went shopping at Walmart where, amongst other things, she bought two pairs of jeans. On the way home she was checking the receipt and realized only one pair was listed. We turned around, went back, and paid for the other pair. We don't like theft committed on us, so we don't steal from others, even if it is a multi-billion dollar business. I was surprised when the customer service person said that we are not the only ones that have done that because she has had others do the same. That is nice to know.

I found 50 bucks rolling down the street today. We ordered in Chinese. Does that make us bad people. (If I had any way of knowing who it belonged to I would've found them.)

You met a rare producer today, cg. cause for celebration.

That's a good story, thanks for sharing it. One way I've found to shut liberals up when they are pontificating is to take out my wallet, open it up, and tell them to take as much as they want for whatever cause they are espousing. They've never taken the money. It's a lot easier on the conscience to steal if you use government as the middleman (or middle woman), which I point out to them. Maybe that's why I no longer get invited to parties.

I'm very happy for you that it turned out the way it did. There are definitely decent people walking around. It's nice to encounter them. :-)

Kharma?

Here's a companion event. We were leaving a theatre one evening and saw a post-it note on the wall next to the elevator controls. It said "Thank you for finding my scarf. You made my day!" with a signature.
It made my day, too!

reminds me of the time when I found five $20s on the sidewalk in the federal manufacturing plant from which I retired -- near the cafeteria ATM machine. turned 'em in to the guards at the nearby gate. they found the owner, and we high-fived it for days. pass it on!

It only takes one bad apple, tis the truth. Usually most people are decent, both as civilians and as politicians. Problem is that it only takes one weak link to break the chain. And that´s society´s Achiles heal.

Yes, I dare to say 85% or more are true, hard working and honest people. And prejudice makes us believe that usually poverty is associated to crime, and richness to honor. But you see, this is not true. Welfare programs aren´t what the poor want or need, this is an acute vision of reality. Most poor people want to improve, and not by hand offs but by their own merit. Work is what they need, opportunity.

On the other hand, there are more than a few rich persons that are moochers, looters and the most dangerous menace to society. How? Because even though money isn´t everything, it does permit us to acquire connections, influence and material tools. And with this advantage, a twisted, amoral person has many more tricks to play with. Yes, there are rich people who are honest, trustworthy and full of honor and dignity. But as it happened to Hank Rearden and many others too, the worst curse for man isn´t money, gold or oil. No no, it´s blood. Any fool can inherit an empire, but few are fit to rule and expand peace and justice. And thus is the problem with enterprise today.

So, CircuitGuy, we now know for sure that you are not a congressman and do not belong to a congressional gym.

Thanks for the positive uplift.

That's a nice story. Nice that somebody with some class found it. In my gym some teenage kid would have found it and bought steroids with it, or some orange sneakers...

There are still honest people in the world. Not too many in Detroit though. ;-)

Good story... encouraging. A tip I heard just the other day: Display your cell phone number prominently inside the wallet, or anything else that might be lost (car keys?).