A blessing or a curse?

I had touched on this topic several times in the past but its fascination for me has never waned. Several events lately, local and international have triggered my interest again to tackle it.
The primary in nominating a president for the Republican Party in the United States was a long-drawn one which started with seven strong candidates. Three of them withdrew early leaving four that seemed ready to fight it out to the end. The issues they raised were almost similar although their stands for them were varied. All of them showed passion and commitment to the position they were fighting to win. There is one difference: one of them had an enormous bank account so vast that he could spend ten times or more than any of the three other candidates. In the end, he remained at the top and almost sure of being nominated formally by the party,. One older elector remarked at the end of one of the primaries, “He was able to buy this primary. Would he be able to buy the election in November? (A blessing or a curse?)
Do you remember this fellow who was the head of the International Monetary Fund? He was a prospective candidate as prime minister of France. He was charged of raping a maid in a hotel in the United States where he was staying after attending a conference. There were forensic evidences to prove the charge. The police apprehended him before he was able to leave the country. His millionaire wife rushed to his side and bailed him out. He was not allowed to leave the country until the case was resolved. He stayed in a hotel wherein the rent was enough to support a few families. He got the best lawyers to defend. Him.
After a few weeks, it was discovered that the victim had lied in the past to be able to enter the United States. The prosecutors decided to drop the case because the victim did not have the credibility to support her claims. Out went this man back to his home country. There, he is facing other charges related to his promiscuity. There is still a pending civil charge in the United States by the maid he allegedly raped. But he is out of jail, out of the clutches of the law! (A blessing or a curse?)
The news of the death of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston shocked the world. These were two superstars in the entertainment world who had earned millions of dollars and could afford any material thing they fancied. But a great part of that wealth went to paying for alcohol and drugs that brought their early demise from this world. (A blessing or a curse?)
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN was interviewed by Piers Morgan several days ago. A billionaire, Ted Turner owns a vast land about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. In spite of all his wealth, he had lost things in his life that his money could not buy. He lost the love of his life, Jane Fonda. He lost CNN. During the height of this recession, he was losing ten million dollars a day in his investments. But, according t o him, he had to go on. He has involved himself in civic and charitable projects most especially in maintaining the eco-sensitive environment. He admitted that money is important to keep us comfortable and live well in this world. But we should not forget that there are other people who can be helped by the same wealth. (A blessing or a curse?)
Bill Gates gave up the top post of administration in his company to concentrate on his work at the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation. This organization has donated billions of dollars for the prevention and cure of AIDS and other communicable diseases in developing countries. They are one of the richest couples in the world but there is no ostentatious display of diamonds and glittering gowns. Together with another billionaire, Warren Buffett, their interests are dedicated to assisting the weak and vulnerable people of this world. (A blessing or a curse?)
Here in Canada, millions of dollars had been donated lately to hospitals and universities by people whose faces do not often appear in the society pages of magazines and newspapers. They quietly dropped two million here and five million there, for a particular goal that will make this world a better place to live in. There is no politics involved. They do not attempt to wield power. The satisfaction comes from the hope that the money would help some people who are afflicted with some dreadful diseases or that said amount would help to further researches in an important aspect of health care (A blessing or a curse?)
It is generally accepted that money is tight these days. Some countries like Greece, Spain, Portugal and even Italy, are on the brinks of bankruptcy. Even the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America, has debts in trillions. But there are individuals who are wallowing in wealth. Someone just paid almost one hundred twenty million dollars for a painting. Whoever got that piece of art will probably hang it in a very secure place wherein a nobody like me cannot gain entrance to view it. That is the power of money. It is the greatest discriminator in all in this world. It separates people in strata. It makes people commit crimes and alienates members of families. But it is also the means that makes this world move forward. Industries need it. Governments need it to operate and maintain law and order.
It is needed to provide health care. Almost every aspect of life needs money to keep things going. And yet, that money is also the means to corrupt people and organizations. It is in the hands of individuals to make money a blessing or a curse.