"The twentieth century is an age of greed" Do you agree with this opinion ?

To be greedy is to own more than what one can legitimately claim. This is very well illustrated by the parable of the greedy dog which wanted to have the bone seen in the reflection. It lost the bone thereby. That is greed. All people are greedy; it is not only the poor who are greedy but also those who are very rich. When Alexander and most conquerors went on expeditions, it was their greed to extend and expand their empire. Muhamad Gazini invaded India allured by its wealth. European nations went to the New World in search of gold and silver. Even in the United Stated people went west in search of gold. There are many instances in fact the pages of history books are replete with wars fought for this reason. Even now the super powers are not exempt from greedy expansion motives. To avoid being greedy, the child must be educated. The parents at home have got a great responsibility in this respect. Children must not be allowed to have more than what they need, whether it be in food, toys or clothes. Greed and jealousy go together. Hence to avoid being jealous one should overcome greed. Let us see if the twentieth century is an age of greed. The First World War was the result of Kaiser's ambitions to build a German Empire. He was itching for it and the murder of the prince at Sarajevo was only a pretext to start a war. Then came Hitler. From the beginning he wanted to continue from where Kaiser failed. Slowly and steadily he built up an army and thus the rape of Czechoslovakia followed. At the same time Mussolini invaded Abyssinia. All these culminated in the Second World War. Japan followed the Axis partners and it started on an expansion spree. After the Second World War many small things happened which, viewed in their proper perspective, was nothing but greed. Only the offending parties gave them different names just as once they looked upon African countries as the white man's burden. Greed in modern politics appears in different guises. Look at the latest Afghan debacle in which Russia has deliberately invaded that country and has created a political unsettlement there. Russia had adopted subtle ways to expand its hegemony. Looking at modern day individuals, we can say they are in no way worse than those who had lived in previous centuries. One thing we can say that in this century which is becoming more and more materialistic, moral forces are on the wane. The influence of home and church does not seem to turn out good citizens. When man's needs were few chances for his being greedy were also minimal. Now that there is more for material possession and man growing ever greedy than before. Temptation and greed are the two sides of a coin. To overcome them moral education and a very disciplined way of life is essential. So it can be concluded that this century alone is not an age of greed.

'The twentieth century is an age of greed'. Do you agree with this opinion ?
It is an undeniable fact that the growth of materialism has surpassed all known limits and the present century is the age of greed. Just as there were previous periods which were known for different characteristics, like the stone age, the bronze age and also the age of faith, the age of

reason and enlightenment, our century is the age of greed. The source for this, perhaps, is the growing industrialization and urbanization. Rural society is in many ways conducive to close personal relations while urban society is not. People in over-crowded cities are more than ever-conscious of keeping up with the Joneses whether they do it on bank loans or hirepurchase systems. Every one seems to be caught in the rat-race. In today's world, heart attacks, psychological problems and the increased number of people who are victims of high tension are a standing testimony to our greed. Often one wonders why this has happened. There is a strong nostalgia for the peace and leisure of the bygone ages; but man feels helpless in the present set up. It is difficult to he a loner when so much importance is attached to the rank and status which money brings. How did it all come about'? I suspect that the growth of individualism which has on the one hand led to freedom and personal development, on the other, has led to an increased concern with the self and personal glory. Another reason which has contributed to this sense of greed is the increased mechanization of the age. With better and still better gadgets available, men long to possess them and are led to work for these. One major factor has also been the political history of the present century. The two World Wars demonstrated the fragility of human existence. In fact the Second World War, with the use of the atom bomb, brought a finality to it. Ever since then, men have been constantly living under the shadow of a nuclear war. The glaring lack of spirituality and the large- scale displacement of religious faith have also led to this growth of greed. We are a generation condemned to our fat with nothing to look forward to. This greed is by no means a by-product of the affluence of the developed nations and it has made its presence felt in the developing countries. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that corruption seems to have infiltrated all sides of life in the developing countries. Patriotism, national interest - all seem to have been pushed into the background. Armaments, airplanes and other similar products are also ordered because of the money which is exchanged and not because of their mechanical soundness. Expediency has become a byword in political life. A code of conduct is entirely absent from public life. The motto seems to he "Each one for himself and no one for others". The twentieth century has been labeled in various ways - the age of affluence, the age of illusion, the age of atrocity. The age of greed is perhaps as good a label as any other.