Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/21

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Subject: Re: Moral Issues
From: pgs@thillana.lcs.mit.edu (Patrick Sobalvarro)
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 20:59:27 -0500

   From: Michael Reichmann <michael.reichmann@alphanet.net>
   Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 14:46:05 -0500

   Certainly I own Leicas as well as other posessions which are far in
   excess of the lifetime assets of millions around the world.  But,
   what of it?  I do many things in my business and personal life to
   try and make the world a better place, including donations to
   social causes which I support.  To not take my Leica to India and
   use it in taking photographs would be as hypocritical as giving the
   Leica to that farmer.  In fact, it would be moraly repugnant to me
   to even get rid of the Leica because there are people for whom the
   value of that Leica is essentially incomprehensible.

Michael, can you explain why it is hypocritical to give a valuable
object to an impoverished person, or why the value of a Leica is
"essentially incomprehensible" to many people?  I don't believe I have
ever met any healthy adults, in the third world or in the developed
world, who couldn't comprehend the idea "object worth about $2000."
Consider for example that one sees automobiles in the third world, and
many of these are worth more than a Leica.

I'm puzzled by some of the things people have said in this discussion
about third-world poverty and Leicas.  Leicas are not jet aircraft or
supercomputers.  They do not require man-years to construct or
maintain.  A typical Leica is worth only a fraction as much as a
typical automobile.

- -Patrick