Rich people asking for money at gas stations?

The economy is hiting every one. Rich people haven't had to live in the real world of paycheck to paycheck life. Hopefully this is a wake up call for the rich.

I think it is just a 'coincidence and they needed help'.

In our purely economic and bottom line view of the world often lost is a work ethic that suggests a person should pull their fair share of the load. It often comes with a certain pride in doing so. In this is a certain power and self identification; of knowing who you are and what you stand for...

But the world is also full of those who only have their sights set upon how much they can acquire. It includes trickery and there are many who don't share a wider vision of the world. Perhaps a measure of a society is that the common ideal shifts from a work ethic to an economic dependency model: dependency upon the state for those having less financial resources; of dependency upon the largess of companies or institutions or upon "slaves" and dupes for the wealthy.

From various cultural backgrounds we have a sense that giving to the needy is a good thing to do. It can solve an immediate crisis, but there is also another idea that we should be wise and not promote someones sense of uselessness, indolence and hopelessness by giving where it is not going to lead to a healing.

When you don't see these signs you are looking at a panhandler or someone you can't help for some other reason and your "help" may actually be doing harm.

That's why there rich.