THE AMAZING POWER OF MONEY 

A FARMER IN A NEARBY VILLAGE IN THAILAND AND HIS FAMILY LIVED A TYPICAL VILLAGE LIFESTYLE OF GETTING BY ON THE POVERTY SIDE OF NEITHER RICH NOR POOR. THEIR ONLY INCOME WAS THAT THE FATHER OWNED SOME LAND WHICH HE LEASED OUT TO FARMERS AND THEORETICALLY, IT WAS THAT LEASE INCOME THAT SUSTAINED THE FAMILY AND GOT THEM THEIR RICE AND QUALITY OF LIFE SO TO SPEAK. HOWEVER, WHEN THE FATHER DIED A NEW AND MORBID PICTURE EMERGED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FATHER DID NOT USE ALL OF THE INCOME FROM HIS LAND LEASE TO RAISE HIS FAMILY. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE RELATIVE POVERTY IN WHICH THE FAMILY WAS RAISED DERIVES FROM THE FATHER'S OBSESSION WITH BUYING LAND AS A WAY OF INCREASING THE WEALTH OF THE FAMILY - CONSUMPTION BE DAMNED. APPARENTLY WEALTH IS MEASURED NOT BY YOUR LIFESTYLE AND QUALITY OF LIFE BUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE IN THE BANK. SO MOST OF THE INCOME FROM HIS LAND LEASES WENT NOT TO FEEDING AND CLOTHING AND EDUCATING HIS CHILDREN AND NOT TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE BUT TO BUYING MORE LAND AND INCREASING THE FUTURE WEALTH OF THE FAMILY - QUALITY OF LIFE BE DAMNED. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE FATHER DIED THAT THEY DISCOVERED THIS INCREDIBLE LAND WEALTH OF WHAT HAD APPEARED TO BE A POOR VILLAGE FARMING FAMILY. SO NOW THE FATHER IS DEAD AND THE NEXT GENERATION IS THEREFORE EXTREMELY WEALTHY ON PAPER BUT THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE THE LIFESTYLE OF THEIR OLD POVERTY CONDITION THAT WAS CREATED BY ALL THIS INVESTMENT IN LAND AT THE EXPENSE OF CONSUMPTION AND LIFESTYLE. SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH ALL THIS LAND? EACH OF THE FOUR CHILDREN THE FATHER LEFT BEHIND NOW OWNS LARGE SUBSTANTIAL PIECES OF RICH AGRICULTURAL LAND AND TAKEN TOGETHER THEY COULD BE THE LARGEST LAND OWNERS IN THE VILLAGE. BUT NO INVESTMENT HAS BEEN MADE AND NONE IS CONTEMPLATED FOR USING THE LAND TO GENERATE INCOME. INSTEAD, THE TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF THE LAND ON PAPER SERVES AS THE MEASURE AND SATISFACTION OF THEIR WEALTH AND THAT SATISFACTION OVERRIDES THE IDEA THAT CONSUMPTION CREATES THE QUALITY OF LIFE. HERE IN RURAL THAILAND IT IS APPPARENTLY  BETTER TO LIVE IN UTTER POVERTY BUT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK. THE SATISFACTION OF MONEY IS NOT WHAT YOU CAN BUY BUT HOW MUCH OF IT YOU HAVE. AND IN THAT EQUATION, CONSUMPTION IS BAD BECAUSE BUYING THINGS REDUCES YOUR TOTAL BANK BALANCE.