Rhetoric on greed

At this juncture I can’t help thinking of a film I was shown by my nephew who worked for an investment bank in Wall Street. At twenty six he was able to afford an apartment in Manhattan. Yet, he claimed, he lived a dog’s life.
Now when I think of this Oliver Stone film, titled, Wall Street, that brought Oscar glory to Michael Douglas, I feel the metaphors used in the film are apt for the present scenario. The infamous Gordon Gekko, played with finesse by Douglas, a suave, manipulative, ruthless dealer who believes greed is God, personifies a financial culture that refuses to look beyond immediate gains, earned by paying any cost. Values have no place in this market. An investment culture where everything is fair as long as it books profits for the smart few.
Against Gekko’s first world charming world, that can afford more than anyone can consume under the sun, including disposable blondes, is a young ambitious man named Bud Fox ( played by Charlie Sheen) who exemplifies the third world dreams to ape Gekko’s world of surplus capital. Gekko is Bud’s idol, he can go any lengths to get into Gekko’s shoes. Gekko fans Bud’s dreams and youthful energy to expand his financial empire, which has no place for human values and bonds. Bud goes to the length of humiliating his own father, a man who has a vision and tries to protect worker’s rights in a takeover situation that Gekko is trying to manipulate by using Bud’s vulnerability.
Though, Bud too believes in Gekko’s philosophy that “ greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of evolutionary spirit, greed is right, greed works” and climbs the social ladder by insider dealings done at reckless speed , he gets in return what greed can offer, a luxurious life and Gekko’s ex girl friend, a blonde. Yet, in a classic manner, towards the end, he repents for his eroded values. Ironically, he is able to beat Gekko in his game by his very rules. By deceit. Bud is a creation of Gekko. He remains a shadow of Gekko, even though he attempts to crawl out of it.
Wonder, how long will Dalal Street take to crawl out of Wall Street shadows ?
After all, greed is also universal.