The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.

Greed is right.

Greed works.

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.

And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.  --Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), "Wall Street"

"Greed" has gotten a lot of bad press lately, as some of the influence peddlers in our society try to push us towards a homogenous, socialist society, ignoring the ironic fact that it is their own greed that's doing the pushing. But I digress.

For all of the negativity surrounding the word "greed", the concept does, in fact work. Our manufacturing industry is driven by greed; by creating better and more efficient products, the company gets a leg up on the competition and greater return on its investment. The stockholders profit, the end users profit, and the government profits from a higher gross domestic profit.

Drug manufacturers are driven by greed; by helping people to live healthier, happier lives they not only create a profit for their corporations, but often benefit from the improved lives made possible by the drugs they helped develop.

Our houses are brighter, cleaner, and safer than they were 100 years ago, all thanks to technology that was driven by greed. We ourselves are driven by greed, and our homes are veritable amusement parks that would not have been possible in years past. Our lives and quality of living have been greatly enhanced by greed.

Greed also has many intangible benefits. Hospitals, schools, libraries, and other charitable institutions have been built and sustained by wealthy philanthropists who wanted a legacy that would long outlive them. The good of greed can be seen every time someone drops a dollar in the Salvation Army Kettles this time of year in exchange for a smile and the good feeling that helping someone less fortunate brings.  This form of greed has brought water to the desert, given food to the hungry, housed the homeless, set the captives free. It is celebrated in churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship regularly.

But greed, like anything, can be addictive. When it becomes addictive, it turns to covetousness. For all the virtues that greed possesses, covetousness possesses none. Covetousness kills, destroys, and lowers our standards of living.

The difference between greed and covetousness is simple: are you willing to pay the price for what you want? If you are, it's greed, if you aren't, it's covetousness.

So the next time someone complains about the greed of our society, smile and thank them. And tell them about all of the good things greed has brought into their lives.