Glenn K. Beaton is a writer and columnist living near Aspen. He has been a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, RealClearPolitics, Powerline, Instapundit, American Thinker and numerous other print, radio and television outlets.
According to a friend at a Christmas party, “obscene” wealth is the kind that’s unneeded. His example was a 100-foot yacht. “Nobody needs a 100-foot yacht,” he intoned.
I agreed that nobody needs a 100-foot yacht. But nobody needs a glass of expensive chardonnay either. I kindly offered to relieve him of the one he was holding.
The only things that are truly needed by humans are food, shelter, simple clothing and occasional medical treatment. Everything beyond that is unneeded and, therefore, under my friend’s definition, obscene.
So “obscene” wealth must mean something other than the unneeded kind. But what?
This song was for an movie that became a leftist icon. How ironic that the lyrics now speak to the right.
Because the left’s politics of hate, envy and greed — all done dishonestly in the name of heaven — will end badly. On judgment day, our nation of liberty will be gone. Just one tin soldier will ride away. Listen HERE.
Listen children to a story That was written long ago Bout a kingdom on a mountain And the valley folk below. On the mountain was a treasure Buried deep beneath the stone. And the valley people swore They’d have it for their very own.
So go ahead and hate your neighbor, Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven, You can justify it in the end. There won’t be any trumpets blowing Come the judgment day. But on the bloody morning after One tin soldier rides away.
So the people from the valley Sent a message up the hill, Asking for the buried treasure Tons of gold for which they’d kill. Came an answer from the kingdom “With our brothers we will share All the secrets of the mountain All the riches buried there.”
Now the valley cried with anger “Mount your horses, draw your swords.” And they killed the mountain people So they won their just rewards. Now they stood beside the treasure On the mountain, dark and red. Turned the stone and looked beneath it “Peace on earth” was all it said.
So go ahead and hate your neighbor Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven You can justify it in the end. There won’t be any trumpets blowing Come the judgment day. But on the bloody morning after One tin soldier rides away.
the Aspen beat 