An obsession with gold; a craving for it.
Midas—a man of great wealth—loved his daughter, his rose garden, and gold. Certain that more gold would bring more happiness, he was granted his wish that everything he touched would turn to gold. He made a critical miscalculation however: how would it play out at meal time? Or when he hugged his daughter?
He got his wish. And launched his nightmare.
Fast forward to today. To a world filled with people of great wealth; who love their children. And who, based on the current college admissions scandal, have twisted ideas about what’s important in life.
We’ve created a world where a diploma—issued in limited quantities by elite, Ivy League colleges—is today’s contemporary gold.
This golden diploma is obsessed over. Parents want their children to have it, convinced it will guarantee success; and success will, what, breed happiness?
At least King Midas earned his golden wish by doing a kindness for the servant of a god. He may have made a bad choice in how he spent his wish, but at least he didn’t bribe his way to it.
Not so with today’s parents of wealth who decided to buy their kids’ entrance into elite universities and give them a chance to get that coveted golden diploma. Those parents chose to cheat the system through bribery and lies. I wonder if they planned to continue the deceit and buy good grades for their kids after they got admitted.
The thing is, lies are like the golden touch. They both suggest you’ll get what you want. Midas would get his beloved gold. Parents would get their children into sought-after colleges.
But in the end, the golden touch and lies both destroy; they destroy the person employing them, and their loved ones.
Photo source: 3602209 on Pixabay
Walk the Goats 
A great metaphor.
Bribes happen on all levels of society and in various places. This comes as no surprise to me. The wealthy/ famous always have it easy. It’s the nature of the game.
I’m surprised they even need the diploma. They could run a family “business”, or just do nothing and live off the parents’ money. Prestige is what it’s about.
You’re right about it all being so destructive. I hope they wake up before it’s too late.
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Yes, prestige is definitely part of it, as much for the parents as the kids. Plus getting plugged into a network of people and resources that includes people in power. Who often assist fellow alums. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Excellent analogy. Money has turned these people’s heads so far they’re on backwards entirely. And they truly aren’t doing their children any favors. Or society. We just end up being ruled by modern-day Midases like Brett Kavanaugh.
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I’ve been thinking about the kids. And the impact that this will have on their lives. I worry they’ll be trolled, threatened, and shamed. And for those who had nothing to do with it, that’s a terrible burden to put on them.
I hope, when it comes to trials of the people involved, that the system doesn’t treat them with kid gloves.
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Hmmm. Seems the wealthy do get off pretty lightly in our justice system, too.
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Manafort’s first sentence of 47-months come to mind.
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