And the professor came among them as they convened to determine the welfare of the people.
And the professor said unto them, “Do not foolishly assume that following an unchanging law benefits the great mass of people who have chosen you to make wise decisions on their behalf. Nor should you find it adequate to proclaim that enriching a few by adhering strictly to the law is good.”
And he said, “Suppose you, as caretakers of the common good, approve a generous spending plan of $32 billion for the benefit of those who have chosen you. And suppose you determine that $32 billion is adequate for the future and ignore the undeserving who believe your good stewardship of financial resources has become inadequate.
“But inevitably the system generates $33 billion in the next year, and $35 billion in the second. By following the law, friends and supporters of those who established the “adequate” amount can divide the excess totaling $4.5-billion.
“But in the fullness of time,” said the professor, “those who are limited might rise up and say to those they assume to be their caretakers, ‘This is unfair for inflation has reduced the buying power of $32 billion to only $26 billion and those who rely on actually having $32 billion are becoming impoverished and the people who elect the caretakers are suffering.’”
“’You have established by the growth in wealth of your friends and supporters, year after year, the true value of the $32 billion. Yet you have refused to adjust the law to be fair to the greater number of those you serve while bowing to the wishes of supporters who offer benefits to you for being with them.’”
“’But we are only following the law. We are meeting all of our obligations,’” you respond. “We are blameless.”
And the professor cast disdainful eyes upon them and said, “Your professions are hollow and self-serving! Those you proclaim are well-served are instead growing thin, yea, their ribs are beginning to show. In the interests of fairness and justice, it is time—yea, it is PAST time—to adjust the law so that they shall be fulfilled.”
“But,” the caretakers said to the professor, “we do not understand why we should be forced to give our excess back to those who fall under the law.”
The professor rose and he said with passion, “Wisdom without honor has become greed. You have impoverished those you claimed to help and it is time for those remaining with honor to show the courage to recognize what you have done and to correct it to the benefit of the greater public welfare.”
But the friends and supporters did not care about those who were being impoverished as they grew wealthier. “You cannot change the law,” they said. “Giving the impoverished dollars that are worth dollars would be punishment for our success. Have pity on us for we are your friends.”
And the professor stood nearby hoping the caretakers of the public good would see the hollowness, self-serving, and greed of the supporters who demanded protection from those who trusted the caretakers to be just.