Think and Grow Rich

Chapter 20 Careful Planning: The Specific Process of Turning Desires into Actions (5)
Just imagine that you are responsible for collecting various foods without any capital help to provide a simple breakfast described above for a family in the New York City area.In order to drink a pot of tea, you have to travel thousands of miles to China or India.Unless you're a good swimmer, you'll be exhausted before you even finish a lap.Next, you run into another problem: Even if you are a strong man who can cross the ocean, how do you make good use of the money you have?

To get sugar, you have to swim to Cuba or trek to a farm in Utah that produces sugar beets.Even so, you'd probably come away empty-handed, since sugar requires organized labor and capital to produce, not to mention the inputs required to purify the sugar and get it to the breakfast table of American families .

It's easy to get eggs from nearby production to New York City, but you'd have to travel all the way to Florida to get two glasses of grape juice on your dinner table.

If you want to see four slices of bread made with multiple flours on the dinner table, you have to go to Kansas.

Cereals had to be taken off the menu because you couldn't get them without a well-trained team of people and the right machinery to process them.Both farming and processing require capital investment.

Take a break, and you're off to South America again, where you can pick some bananas, and on the way back, you can find a nearby dairy farm and buy some butter and cheese.Then, the New York City family can sit down and prepare breakfast while you collect this hearty breakfast all by yourself!
It seems ridiculous, doesn't it?Still, the only viable way to get these simple meals downtown without capital backing is to follow the process described above.

For this simple breakfast, the amount of money spent on building and maintaining railways and shipping ships is simply beyond imagination.It could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, much more if you add in the training of a highly skilled workforce to drive ships and trains.However, transportation is only part of the needs of modern civilization.Seeds are always sown to grow, or processed to make them ready for market, before they become a commodity that can be transported.This process requires millions of dollars in the purchase of equipment, machinery, packing boxes, marketing, etc., as well as the salaries of countless men and women.

Ships and railroads do not spring out of the ground by themselves, they are created in response to the call of civilization, through the hard work of a group of people with imagination, faith, passion, determination and perseverance, who exert their ingenuity in organizing .These people are the so-called "capitalists" who are motivated by the desire to manufacture, produce, provide useful services, make profits and accumulate wealth.And, because they provide the services on which civilization depends, they are on this road to riches.

To make this record simpler and more intelligible, I have added the following: These capitalists are the same kind of speakers most of us have heard, and their speeches are often as protracted as soap operas.This group has also been accused of being "marauders" or "Wall Street robbers" along with radicals, scammers, dishonest politicians and labor leaders who shift blame.I don't want to defend anyone, nor do I want to point the finger at certain groups of people or certain economic systems.When I refer to “blame-shifting labor leaders,” I do not intend to condemn the form of collective bargaining, nor do I intend to provide a health certificate to all who are called capitalists.

For twenty-five years, I have devoted myself religiously to the purpose of writing this book, which is to provide the most reliable philosophy of success to anyone who desires to know.Through this philosophy, the goal of becoming rich can be achieved by everyone.On this issue, I analyzed the "economic advantage" of capital operation, mainly for two purposes:

1. All who desire wealth must recognize and use this social institution, for it governs the use of all wealth, however small it may be.

2. Some politicians and demagogues speak of organized capital as if it were something poisonous.Those who desire to be rich must be aware of the opposite side of this.

American society is a capitalist society, and it has developed through the use of capital.Many of us claim our rights to liberty and equality, and many of us aspire to be rich in America, but we should know this no matter what: If capitalism doesn't provide us with these freedoms and opportunities, we'll never have them .

For more than 20 years, radicals, self-serving politicians, fraudsters, evil labor leaders, and sometimes even religious leaders have criticized "Wall Streeters, money changers (especially those who trade at official prices), bankers , financiers, and big business owners" has become a popular pastime.

This exercise in capitalism has become so pervasive that during the Great Depression we witnessed unbelievable instances of high-level government officials colluding with cringeworthy politicians and labor leaders to openly profess to kill The system by which American industry became the richest man in the world.This kind of collusion is both pervasive and planned, and it makes the existing economic depression in the United States worse and longer.It also eliminates millions of jobs that are part of the capitalist and industrial systems that support the national economy.

A certain kind of union leader joined the politicians in a period of unusual collusion between government officials and certain egoists who were trying to make a profit, by speaking publicly critical of the American industrial system.They offered to offer votes in exchange for legislation that would allow people to extract wealth from industries by organized forces in large numbers, rather than in the better way of corresponding labor for corresponding pay.

Men and women all over the country still enjoy this popular pastime in the hope of getting something for nothing.Some of them are allied with unions, hoping to reduce working hours and get more pay through unions!Others don't have to work as hard at all.They dream that the government can lighten the burden on workers and enjoy the benefits.Their notion of liberty manifested itself throughout New York City, where a "beneficiary stress relief" group sued the postmaster for being woken at 7 a.m. by messengers delivering government relief checks.They wished to postpone the delivery until 10 o'clock in the morning.

If you believe, like others, that wealth can be amassed effortlessly by forming groups spontaneously and dreaming of getting more for less; handouts; and if you're one of those who believe in trading your votes with politicians to get them to pass a bill that will allow you to seize public property, then you can rest easy in your belief that no one will come Disturb you.Because this is a free country where everyone can do whatever they want, where almost everyone can live effortlessly and enjoy life without doing anything.

However, you should also realize that while most people flaunt this freedom, few really understand the truth of it.For all its greatness, for all its accessibility to everyone, for all its many priorities, it does not and cannot be free.

There is only one surefire way for people to accumulate wealth and legally appropriate it, and that is by providing useful services.So far, no social system has allowed people to accumulate wealth solely by the amount of labor force, nor can they become rich without corresponding exchange of equivalent value.

There is a principle called the Law of Economics!This principle is not just a theory, but a truth that no one can overthrow.

Name this principle, and remember it, for it is stronger than all politicians and political machines of all kinds.It is so far beyond the control of all trade union organizations that no industry demagogue or self-styled leader can shake it, influence it or buy it off.In addition, it also has a pair of "all-knowing eyes" and a perfect "accounting system", and every transaction made by anyone who tries to get something for nothing is accurately recorded by it.Sooner or later, the judge will appear, whether you are a big man or a small man, everything you do must be reviewed and checked by him.

The system that gave Americans their liberty - is called "Wall Street", or "Big Business" or "Capital Raiders".Whatever you call it, it represents a group of people who understand, respect and apply this powerful economic principle!Their financial continuity policy depends entirely on respect for this law.

Most people living in the United States like this country, like this capitalist system, like everything here.I must confess that there is no country I know of where opportunities for riches are more found.Judging by its behavior and deeds, there are still some people in this country who do not like this system.Of course, this is also their right.If they don't like this country, this capitalist system, these endless opportunities, they can just leave!There are many other countries in the world that allow people to enjoy freedom and take advantage of a not special opportunity to accumulate wealth, such as Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy, etc.

Any honest person can find freedom and the opportunity to accumulate wealth in America.When one is looking for game hunting, one is sure to choose a field rich in game.When you are looking for wealth, you must follow the same principle.

If you're chasing wealth, don't overlook the rich countries where women already spend more than $5000 million a year on lipstick, rouge and cosmetics.People living under such a capitalist system spend up to $[-] million a year on greeting cards to show their gratitude for freedom!Those looking for wealth, please think twice before destroying such a capitalist system!

If you're looking for ways to get rich, consider carefully a country that spends tens of millions of dollars a year on tobacco alone, most of which comes from four major mega-corporations dedicated to giving nation-builders a cool factor.

By all means, let's take into account the country whose people are willing to spend over $1500 million a year to enjoy the movies, and the extra million dollars spent on liquor, drugs and other soft drinks, fizzy drinks, etc. expenditure.

Do not rush to leave a country where people are willing, even eager, to shell out millions of dollars a year to watch football, baseball, and professional boxing.

We will do whatever it takes to stay in a country that chews gum and uses safety razor blades, both of which cost millions of dollars a year.

At the same time, remember that this is just the beginning of building wealth.The above mentioned only a part of luxury consumer goods and non-necessities of life.But you must know that the production, transportation, and sale of these few commodities can provide stable jobs for millions of people. They can exchange their services for generous returns, and then freely purchase various luxuries and necessities of life.

It is also important to bear in mind that behind the exchange of goods and services may lie a wealth of opportunities to accumulate wealth.Here, the freedoms Americans enjoy can help.There is nothing stopping you or anyone from working hard for these causes.If a person has superhuman intelligence and rich experience, he will definitely become a millionaire!There may be some less fortunate people who only have small fortunes.Even with a little effort, anyone can survive in this society with little effort.

So, opportunity is here!Opportunities are right in front of you, waiting for you to step forward and choose freely, then create your own plan and put it into action, and stick to it!The society gives everyone the opportunity to show self-service, so that everyone can obtain corresponding wealth according to the value of the service they provide.This "system" doesn't disenfranchise anyone, but it never did, and never will, encourage getting something for nothing.The laws of economics will always govern this system, and will neither recognize nor tolerate long periods of unearned rewards!This economic law is a natural law!No high court will entertain a complaint from a person who violates this law.This law has clear rewards and punishments for human beings, and it will not and cannot be influenced by anyone!Moreover, this law cannot be abolished, it is as eternal as the stars in the sky, not only that, but it is also a part of the system that governs this galaxy.

Can anyone reject this natural economic law?Of course there will be!This is a free society where everyone has the same rights, even the right to ignore economic laws.And if so, what?Men enlist in the armed forces for the open purpose of ignoring the law, and use the armed forces to get what they want.Thus, there are dictators, and there are firing squads and advanced machine guns for them!

Our country has not yet reached that stage!But we already have an idea of ​​how the system works.Perhaps we congratulate ourselves that we haven't fully grasped this harsh reality.Undoubtedly, we would prefer to continue with freedom of speech, freedom of action, and freedom to accumulate wealth through the provision of beneficial services.

The actual behavior of government officials in exchange for votes by extending people to grab public property, sometimes leading to the defeat of entire elections, is bound to happen.When money is misused, it must be repaid double.If those who plundered wealth were not forced to pay their debts, their descendants must also wear this heavy yoke.It is simply not feasible to avoid debt.Sometimes, people flock together for the purpose of increasing pay and reducing hours.However, there is one thing they cannot do. The key is that economic laws permeate into it. The chief executive has to take care of both the boss and the employees.

In the six years from 1929 to 1935, no matter whether the American people were poor or rich, they almost never saw the "elderly economy" handing over all the businesses of industry, commerce and finance to the local administrators.This is not a good sign!Nor does it increase our respect for the thug mentality, people who put all reasons behind them and want to get something for nothing.

We have lived through these depressing six years, and as the fear slowly walks away and the faith returns, we must not forget how inexorably the laws of economics take a toll on the rich, the poor, the weak, the strong, the old, the young .Nor do we want to go through years like this again.

These conclusions are not short-term summaries. They are the results of 25 years of careful research and analysis of the most successful and least successful people in the United States.

(End of this chapter)