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Add to FavoritesIn my opinion money does equal power, although obviously that is a generalization, but a correct generalization. Without money in a world ruled by trade and capitalism, you have various other options if you wish to become powerful. There is social, political, military and economic power, and thus you are not necessarily powerless if you are poor. For instance you could sustain yourself by some other means such as plundering or warfare, and rule militarily rather than economically.
But of course in most situations money is where power lies. Aside from related areas such as the influence of celebrities or teachers or other influential people, money is the main force behind power. And most ways of getting power these days require money as well as other resources. Social power does not require money in itself but often is related with being wealthy or having a resource at ones disposal.
Political power is on the fence, as one does not need to be rich in order to gain political influence, but certainly it helps to have a good education and often politicians are from well to do backgrounds. Military power of course is entirely dependent on the type of government that exists. If you are a general in an ancient civilization then perhaps you have a lot of sway, but in a modern civilized country such as the United States of America ones power is limited to ones own area of expertise, rather than a more broad influence.
Money is thus the most common way people gain power these days. A businessperson has a higher living standard, usually has friends and contacts in high places, and has a respectable job, and thus has social influence to some degree, but most of his or her power is financial. The effects of finance upon the world, such as the 1929 Wall Street crash, are clear signs that our world runs on trade and a good economy.
This of course also means that if you abuse your financial power, e.g by creating a monopoly or using your money to fund a terrorist organization, you will more likely than not be stopped in your efforts, and thus certainly this power has its limitations. Then again all power has its limitations, and compared to a local influence had by say a town Mayor or by a locally popular hero or celebrity, financial power is large in its effect. But then again somebody like Elvis or a music group such as The Beatles probably have made far more an impact upon society than has the likes of Rockefeller or Carnegie.
Or have they? Well certainly those people have had an influence upon society, but this influence is largely cosmetic and does not affect the machine of society, its internal workings are largely left the same. But a wealthy person can make differences that actually affect society in more than cosmetic fashions. Of course you have examples of poor people doing the same, but most of the time its those with the fatter wallets who get the job done whereas large schemes are concerned.
After all, what are politicians, if not individuals trusted with carefully spending large amounts of tax money?
Learn more about this author, Mark Waybill.
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False
Power comes in many forms and from many sources. To say that all power comes from money would not be entirely accurate. When people equate money and power we are generally referring to either the business world or the political world. But power plays a part in ever facet of our lives, some of which have nothing to do with money at all.
Every day we deal with people on a personal level. Whether this interaction is with our family, friends, co-workers or strangers on the street there is always a position of power that one person or the other is operating from, even if this is a perceived power and nothing substantial. For instance a husband may exert a cert power in his marriage over his wife because of traditional family values and the rather antiquated notion that the man is the head of the household. Parents exert power over their children in order to raise them properly and ensure they behave properly. In neither of these examples is money a factor in how the power is distributed.
In a professional setting most businesses exercise a hierarchal system of works to supervisors, supervisors to managers and managers to directors or executives. While the different branches of this hierarchy may operate at different salary levels, it is not the money that one makes over another that grants the power that is exerted down the chain. This power is in place a result of the management process and has nothing to do with money. Indeed it is entirely possible that a worker who happens to be a skilled engineer or doctor may actually make more money than a less technically skilled manager who is responsible for the oversight of a department.
When conducting business with a professional or other service oriented individual both people in the transaction are often vying for the position of power. In this case, while money may be directly involved as far as purchasing power for the transaction the perceived power has less do with money and more to do with negotiating tactics. It is important for the buyer to win the upper hand in the power struggle so that they are in a more favorable position to dictate terms of a deal. Conversely the provider who is negotiating with a client wants to ensure that the services being offered are generating a significant enough profit the make the deal worthwhile. Even though the negotiation is about a monetary exchange, the power is one of perception from a negotiating standpoint.
As seen in the examples above the way we handle power in our everyday lives is not necessarily dictated by money. The argument can be made that the power of corporate American and of higher political office is directly tied to money. Sadly this seems to be an inescapable fact in today's society. Gone are the days when the government was run by average citizens interested in doing the civic duty for the betterment of the community. Instead we are left with a legacy of career politicians whose sole purpose is to advance their own careers and their own agenda for their own profit and the profit of the constituency that will best serve their political needs.
Corporate America has also demonstrated that power is tied to money. The recent recession we've been enduring is a clear example of just how much power is tied up in money. When that money evaporates as it has in some many cases with the global recession we see the power base of many of America's largest corporations and executives disappear as well. This is also why despite public outrage companies are still offering outlandish retention bonuses and other extravagant perks to executives. It is the perception of power that is attached to the wealth of such benefits that is the incentive for executives to stay with a particular company or move to another.
While money is not the route to all power, money can be the route to certain power. When this rule applies is based entirely on the situation and the perception of the need for power. In our everyday lives the power struggles that we face are rarely driven solely by money. Additionally the power that each of us possess over our daily lives can hardly be attributed to money, there simply aren't enough wealthy people in this world to justify such a position. The power that we as average citizens wield on a daily basis is specific to our needs and environment and not dependent on money.
Learn more about this author, Joseph Whalen.
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