Measuring Everything in terms of Dollars

Something has been bothering me about the Romney/Ryan campaign message that I have not been able to quite put my finger on.   Somebody finally said something that I read that made this come into focus in my mind.    Everything the Republicans talk about involves money.  Dollars.    Paul Ryan's Ayn Randian division of Americans into Makers and Takers illustrates this point.   Romney's 47% remark illustrates this point.   The entire evaluation of our society is viewed solely from the perspective of economic productivity or the lack thereof.    A young, healthy, productive person who earns a good living and pays taxes is a Maker.   A disabled, blind, or retired person is a Taker.    In Paul Ryan's view of the world, only the Makers contribute to productivity or, more simply, make money and pay taxes.    Makers are worthy.   People who cannot contribute to productivity by reason of disability or old age (I guess even Ryan will give children a break on this one, the ultimate Takers), are clearly not regarded as worthy.  

Gosh, this is a one-dimensional view of the world.   Not to mention harsh.    It is also over simplistic, as I tried to illustrate the other day on Facebook with my analysis of my own status as a Maker/Taker, still working, still employing people in my business, still paying plenty in taxes, but now on Medicare and nearly to the age to claim my, as far as I'm concerned, well-earned Social Security benefits that I have been paying for in every paycheck since 1963, long before the esteemed Rep. Ryan was even born.   I would say I'm more of a "Take some-Backer" on Social Security and Medicare.  

I was thinking the other day.   In all the books I have read about our Founding Fathers, I don't remember such an emphasis on money.   A chance to prosper was certainly a part of the appeal of America but it seems to me that there was so much more in the minds of the Founders.   I think Mitt Romney in particular has spent his entire life measuring himself and everything else in terms of one thing only:  dollars.   Mitt just can't understand why everybody in the country doesn't slap him on the back and congratulate him for accumulating so much money, the semi-predatory manner in which he apparently earned all that money notwithstanding.   There's more to people than just how much money they have or how much they have in their 401K.   There are other ways to evaluate the quality of American life than by just looking at balance sheets and bank accounts.   There are worthwhile values other than just dollars.   As for me, I would rather pay more in taxes and have the comfort and satisfaction of knowing that our society makes reasonable provisions to take care of those who aren't able to take care of themselves.   That satisfaction and pride in the civil nature of our social compact carries a substantial value in my eyes.