Money, Power, Consequences

Lord Acton, a 19th century British historian, said memorably: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This may not be completely true, but there’s a great deal of truth to it. Money is power, and, like a potentially dangerous drug, when it is taken in excessive amounts (like the hundred-billion-dollar-plus dose ingested by Elon Musk) can produce bizarre pathologies, which, in Mr. Musk’s case, include exhibitionist megalomania. What a spectacle. What fame. What an impressive display of importance. What is the effect of it all? In a Washington Post column yesterday, Jennifer Rubin observed, “So long as we value wealth and power over virtue, we’re in for a world of hurt.”