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“…POWER, freedom, a cushion, the root of all evil, the sum of blessings” was how Carl Sandburg, who died in 1967, described money. Decades later, one look at the world shows us how true his words are even today. Unequal wealth distribution has long been a subject of debate amongst intellectuals, and has even given rise to movements like Karl Marx’s socialism. Yet, it is in moments when the rich abuse their wealth and resources at the expense of the common populace that the idea of money being “power” and the “root of all evil” hits home.
Of late, the reckless show of wealth has been on abundant display both internationally and locally. The rich often took a back seat in electioneering; they operated and funded political parties to toe their agendas in private, shying away from public scrutiny. Yet all of that was thrown out of the window when one man proceeded, in a naked display of his wealth, to acquire perhaps the strongest weapon of public scrutiny — Twitter. To drive home the message, Tesla’s founder entered Twitter’s head office with an actual sink to let his acquisition of the social media platform sink in. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Twitter, now X, was not the end but the shape of things to come.
Since acquiring it, Musk has continued to promote right-wing voices through the X platform, even making speeches at Donald Trump’s election campaign. At one point during the election, Musk’s campaign group America PAC announced that $1 million each day would be given to one registered voter in the seven US swing states, who would sign a petition supporting the right to bear arms and free speech. This move was widely criticised as being nothing but a ploy to swing the US presidential elections in a blatant cash grab. Yet, Musk’s backing worked and President Trump has come back to power. Musk did not stop there and has since proceeded to take an active interest in foreign elections, supporting right-wing parties and candidates.
Wealth is often accompanied with notions of superiority.
In the recently concluded German elections, for example, the AfD party, otherwise a fringe, right-wing outfit, took a historic second position, winning over 100 seats. For the naysayers, this was largely down to the public and unabashed backing given to the AfD by Musk, one of the richest men in the world, and the new US administration; the belief is that the X platform gave the AfD far greater reach than it had ever had.
Internationally, perhaps the naked display of wealth and the aforesaid election meddling came as a shock to the public. Locally, the tragic murder of a young boy, Mustafa Amir, and subsequent attempts by the alleged culprits to avoid justice were just another stark reminder of the reality in Pakistan, where money for the rich and the powerful is the “sum of all blessings”. Imagine having such great belief in the power of money that you are able to, allegedly, forcibly resist arrest and have the audacity to fire directly at the police. There are more instances of brutal murders like that of Noor Mukadam. Besides, several incidents of merciless beatings of servants and peasants by an entitled elite regularly come to light. It appears that the rich in Pakistan not only acquire wealth, they also acquire a licence to kill — with impunity — or so they imagine.
You don’t necessarily have to think long and hard to identify the power which comes with being rich in Pakistan. A simple stroll along any public road is enough for one to witness new heavy-duty vehicles with armed private guards. This frequent display of personal fiefdoms is a stark reminder of the depths of the inequality in Pakistani society.
With wealth should come the idea of benevolence. However, here, wealth is often accompanied with notions of superiority, which have been embedded in the minds of the rich through elitist educational institutions, gated communities, and a justice system skewed in favour of those with deep pockets. Take Pakistan’s grand clubs as an example, most of which have very strict policies, which, for instance, prohibit drivers and domestic help from going beyond a point, almost as if the dessert — the rich — are being protected from the common flies.
Money itself is not a problem, and neither is the pursuit of money an act of shame — as long as such pursuit does not come at the cost of the lives of others. To be rich is a blessing but it may also be a curse. The idea of a society should not be one that is tailored to cater to the needs of the rich. Rather, the idea of a society should be one of harmony, where civil liberties, respect and dignity are not dictated by your bank balance but by intellect and the contributions — whether big or small — you make to its functioning.
The writer is a lawyer.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025
