The curse of excess money

A gang beat Wu Tianhao, a high school student, to death in Changchun, Jilin province, on Oct 8. The hoodlums were allegedly hired by the wealthy parents of Hao Zhipeng, a student of another school, after he had a tiff with Wu during a basketball game. Though the case is still under investigation, netizens' anger against the rich family deserves our attention, says an article on rednet.cn. Excerpts:

Wu was the son of poor laid-off workers, and his untimely death is a tragedy not only for his family, but also society. The alleged abettor, Hao's mother, is reported to have shouted that "money can solve everything".

People may have doubts about the allegation but they cannot have any doubt over Wu's death.

That netizens have reacted angrily against Hao's rich parents shows ordinary people are becoming increasingly intolerant of the privileged class' actions and demanding social justice for one and all.

In an institutional framework which advocates all people are equal, the prevalence of the "law of the jungle" would manifest social backwardness. What's worse, rich and influential people have gained undue advantage because of the power they have inherited, making the contrast between the strong and weak starker.

A civilized society is expected to judge right and wrong impartially, and reward virtue and punish vice.

Besides, it could use the money at its disposal to promote economic development of the country and contribute to common prosperity.

But if money and power become tools in the hands of a few which they can use to their advantage, not only will social rules be turned upside down, but social development will also be hindered.

It's not enough to attribute violent, unruly and criminal behavior to bad human nature. Now that some rich and powerful people have started challenging the bottom line of social morality with alarming frequency, it is time to question the existing system of implementation.

The fast spreading belief that "the rich are not benevolent" should compel us to scrutinize the wealth distribution system and the widening gap in the incomes of the rich and the poor. The condemnable actions of the rich and powerful, which are becoming increasingly frequent, have set alarm bells ringing in a transitory Chinese society.