BY BIKRAM VOHRA
Why is it that rich people have worthy opinions? I have never seen the connection between someone making a fortune from manufacturing sticky tape and suddenly becoming an authority on all things. Make your sticky tape, miles of it and be the man the bank manager stands up for when you enter but you cannot be an authority on Finance, on the current world situation, on the political conditions in your home country and a sort of pundit to the world.
Yet, people listen. This is the oracle speaking because he has the eloquence of wealth. Suddenly, he is the chief guest, he has an opinion and his opinion counts. I guess it is a bit of sour grapes but he now begins to take himself seriously. Tells you how things should be and why they are not, articulates lessons that should be learnt and is now a standing authority on art, literature, cinema, food, aviation, shipping, property, cars the sciences and the economy.
There has to be a logic to it. You are a successful sticky tape maker, you are not Plato so how did you make this quantum leap in brilliance and genius and why do the rest of us become disciples to your newly misted fount of knowledge. But there we are, cheerfully, even willingly rendering space to him and his glee club is so much larger than yours.
You tell me the connection. He is not a philosopher. He is not a teacher nor is he a learned master leading us to new frontiers.
If you can figure it out let me know because it baffles me.