Getting Rich First?
Posted On 01/16/2008 18:19:46 by Cambodia
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In my first few columns, I deplored the fact that, in Cambodia, many people are driven by greed and that people have become more and more money-minded. This seems to have accelerated in the last few years as land speculation was becoming widespread.
I never asked question (1) : is this necessarily a bad thing?
I also deplored the fact that most people are Buddhists in name only. Likewise, I never asked question (2) : what is the big deal about Buddhism, anyway?
I recently read Duncan Hewitt’s book "Getting rich first: life in a changing China" and noted the similarities between what has happened in China since Deng Xiaoping’s first said that “it’s glorious to be rich” in 1978 and what has happened in Cambodia since 1993. In both countries, “ while some (Duncan Hewitt wrote ‘many’ in the case of China) have benefited under the new aspiration nation, many (my choice of words) others are struggling to keep up with what is now one of the most divided societies on earth”.
Notwithstanding the increasing inequality between the haves and the have-nots, Deng Xiaoping’s additional rationalization that the country would have to “let some of the people get rich first” could also be used to foster the hope that, in Cambodia, once rich, many Cambodians would turn to philanthropy and religion, i.e. real faith-based religion.
We observed this phenomenon in many nouveau-rich societies, e.g. in Singapore where many middle-class young professionals combine material and professional success with strong and genuine Christian beliefs. Likewise, in Cambodia, many nouveau rich people also donate generously to Buddhist temples during Kathin festivals.
Some people may argue that Buddhism is really only a philosophy of life and, unlike Christianity, is not a faith-based religion. Therefore, a change in attitude toward the world and life would only be possible if people were to see the Light and convert to Christianity. This is what happened to Kang Khek Ieu (alias Deuch), the head of S-21 or Tuol Sleng.
More and more Cambodians are converting to Christianity and, while some are doing it for partly or mostly mercenary reasons, some are doing it because they have truly embraced Christian faith and values. Unlike Buddhism which, inherently, preaches renunciation, Protestantism, in particular, makes the practice of one’s faith and wealth accumulation compatible and possibly synergistic.
Given the two columns immediately preceding this one, is it any wonder that some Cambodians have become skeptical with such pessimistic concepts as karma and converted to a more optimistic religion, e.g. Christianity?
Potentially life-changing projects like the CIST
http://www.myp1t.com/forum/posts/id_1033/
are a drop in the ocean, compared with the evangelical potential of well-heeled missionaries from many Western and Asian (e.g. South-Korean) churches.
Instead of passing implicit value judgments in my first few columns, should I have been asking questions (1) and (2) instead?
This column has taken some time to write, not only because of the festive season and my workload but also because I have been unable to come up with non-clichéd ideas on how the Cambodians’ current obsession with money could be curbed or possibly reversed.
This is the reason why I am posing two soul-searching and controversial questions (1) and (2). I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you.
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