A Moral Economy

Much has been written about the public virtue of the early Romans and the catastrophic collapse of the empire as public virtue lapsed into pagan-like immorality (currently observed here in the Epstein revelations). The late Admiral James Stockdale wrote about the absence of a “moral economy” in the universe noting that people seem to have a need to believe that virtue is rewarded and evil punished here on earth, (but) the evidence is overwhelming that there is no such connection. Martyrs frequently die poor, and swindlers die rich.” My experience says that life is not fair from an economic and health standpoint, but happiness does not always correlate well with wealth and even good health; in fact, it more times than not seems counter-intuitive. Thus, I frequently reminded my cadets that “bad things happen to people who do bad things.” I believe that we suffer consequences for self-serving and immoral behavior even if they only manifest themselves in guilt, self-shame, and humiliation, which to me are worse than financial failure or destruction.