青帝小说

第2部分（第1页）

。　Since　our　schools　do　not　teach　people　what　the　rich　know；　we　take　advice　from　these　people。　But　one　day；　youre　driving　down　the　highway；　stuck　in　traffic；　struggling　to　get　to　work；　and　you　look　over　to　your　right　and　you　see　your　accountant　stuck　in　the　same　traffic　jam。　You　look　to　your　left　and　you　see　your　banker。　That　should　tell　you　something。〃

The　puter　programmer　was　also　unimpressed　by　the　game：　〃I　can　buy　software　to　teach　me　this。〃

The　banker；　however；　was　moved。　〃I　studied　this　in　school…the　accounting　part；　that　is…but　I　never　knew　how　to　apply　it　to　real　life。　Now　I　know。　I　need　to　get　myself　out　of　the　‘Rat　Race。　〃

But　it　was　my　daughters　ments　that　most　touched　me。　〃I　had　fun　learning；〃　she　said。　〃I　learned　a　lot　about　how　money　really　works　and　how　to　invest。〃

Then　she　added：　〃Now　I　know　I　can　choose　a　profession　for　the　work　I　want　to　perform　and　not　because　of　job　security；　benefits　or　howmuch　I　get　paid。　If　I　learn　what　this　game　teaches；　Im　free　to　do　and　study　what　my　heart　wants　to　study。　。　。rather　than　study　something　because　businesses　are　looking　for　certain　job　skills。　If　I　learn　this；　I　wont　have　to　worry　about　job　security　and　Social　Security　the　way　most　of　my　classmates　already　do。〃

I　was　not　able　to　stay　and　talk　with　Robert　after　we　had　played　the　game；　but　we　agreed　to　meet　later　to　further　discuss　his　project。　I　knew　he　wanted　to　use　the　game　to　help　others　bee　more　financially　savvy；　and　I　was　eager　to　hear　more　about　his　plans。

My　husband　and　I　set　up　a　dinner　meeting　with　Robert　and　his　wife　within　the　next　week。　Although　it　was　our　first　social　get…together；　we　felt　as　if　we　had　known　each　other　for　years。

We　found　out　we　had　a　lot　in　mon。　We　covered　the　gamut；　from　sports　and　plays　to　restaurants　and　socio…economic　issues。　We　talked　about　the　changing　world。　We　spent　a　lot　of　time　discussing　how　most　Americans　have　little　or　nothing　saved　for　retirement；　as　well　as　the　almost　bankrupt　state　of　Social　Security　and　Medicare。　Would　my　children　be　required　to　pay　for　the　retirement　of　75　million　baby　boomers？　We　wondered　if　people　realize　how　risky　it　is　to　depend　on　a

pension　plan。

Roberts　primary　concern　was　the　growing　gap　between　the　haves　and　have　nots；　in　America　and　around　the　world。　A　self…taught；　self…made　entrepreneur　who　traveled　the　world　putting　investments　together；　Robert　was　able　to　retire　at　the　age　of　47。　He　came　out　of　retirement　because　he　shares　the　same　concern　I　have　for　my　own　children。　He　knows　that　the　world　has　changed；　but　education　has　not　changed　with　it。　According　to　Robert；　children　spend　years　in　an　antiquated　educational　system；　studying　subjects　they　will　never　use；　preparing　for　a　world　that　no　longer　exists。

〃Today；　the　most　dangerous　advice　you　can　give　a　child　is　‘Go　to　school；　get　good　grades　and　look　for　a　safe　secure　job；　〃　he　likes　to　say。　〃That　is　old　advice；　and　its　bad　advice。　If　you　could　see　what　is　happening　in　Asia；　Europe；　South　America；　you　would　be　as　concerned　as　I　am。〃

Its　bad　advice；　he　believes；　〃because　if　you　want　your　child　to　have　a　financially　secure　future；　they　cant　play　by　the　old　set　of　rules。　Its　just　too　risky。〃

I　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　〃old　rules？〃　。

〃People　like　me　play　by　a　different　set　of　rules　from　what　you　play　by；〃　he　said。　〃What　happens　when　a　corporation　announces　a　downsizing？〃

〃People　get　laid　off；〃　I　said。　〃Families　are　hurt。　Unemployment　goes

up。〃

〃Yes；　but　what　happens　to　the　pany；　in　particular　a　public　pany　on　the　stock　exchange？〃

〃The　price　of　the　stock　usually　goes　up　when　the　downsizing　is　announced；〃　I　said。　〃The　market　likes　it　when　a　pany　reduces　its　labor　costs；　either　through　automation　or　just　consolidating　the　labor　force　in　general。〃

〃Thats　right；〃　he　said。　〃And　when　stock　prices　go　up；　people　like　me；　the　shareholders；　get　richer。　That　is　what　I　mean　by　a　different　set　of　rules。　Employees　lose；　owners　and　investors　win。〃

Robert　was　describing　not　only　the　difference　between　an　employee　and　employer；　but　also　the　difference　between　controlling　your　own　destiny　and　giving　up　that　control　to　someone　else。

〃But　its　hard　for　most　people　to　understand　why　that　happens；〃　I　said。　〃They　just　think　its　not　fair。〃

〃Thats　why　it　is　foolish　to　simply　say　to　a　child；　‘Get　a　good　education；　〃　he　said。　〃It　is　foolish　to　assume　that　the　education　the　school　system　provides　will　prepare　your　children　for　the　world　they　will　face　upon　graduation。　Each　child　needs　more　education。　Different　education。　And　they　need　to　know　the　rules。　The　different　sets　of　rules。〃

〃There　are　rules　of　money　that　the　rich　play　by；　and　there　are　the　rules　that　the　other　95　percent　of　the　population　plays　by；〃　he　said。　〃And　the　95　percent　learns　those　rules　at　home　and　in　school。　That　is　why　its　risky　today　to　simply　say　to　a　child；　‘Study　hard　and　look　for　a　job。　A　child　today　needs　a　more　sophisticated　education；　and　the　current　system　is　not　delivering　the　goods。　I　dont　care　how　many　puters　they　put　in　the　classroom　or　how　much　money　schools　spend。　How　can　the　education　system　teach　a　subject　that　it　does　not　know？〃