In the United States, there is a severe disconnect with people and understanding money, where it comes from and how it has value.

So when I see people playing the lotto who simultaneously hate the rich, I can’t help but wonder where they think money comes from, exactly. They vilify men who at least create something in exchange for the money you give to them. The lottery? You’re taking money from hundreds of thousands of men and women better off putting that money away into savings. Or if not savings, something they actually get something good out of. Even ice cream. I mean, c’mon. Ice cream. Ice cream is better than the lotto.

You don’t have to like how some rich people spend their money. But to imply all rich people are evil and then hope you become one of them is hypocritical. Or a severe example of stupidity.

Money doesn’t merely exist because we think it has value, it is valued through production. It was designed as a go-between in the barter system, which meant it represented value of a product you couldn’t easily carry around with you. For example, you might  have a thousand cattle. Well, you can’t spend cattle around town, so you trade it for silver. Well, silver is heavy, so you put silver in a building and a guy gives you paper representing that silver, you then have money.

You can’t have money simply because the government says it has value. It does that every day by printing more money, which only dilutes the actual value of our current money.

So next time you play the lottery, please just be honest with yourself. You want to have money. Don’t hate others merely because they have it, hate them like you’d hate anyone else — because they hurt other people.

That’s all I’m saying.