CAPITAL SIN 3 : GREED "ALLEGORY OF THE OBOB MICE"
#Greed@FA

The sin of greed (“Latin : avaritia”) is the excessive desire to acquire and possess material wealth, status, or power beyond what is needed for basic necessities or reasonable comfort. It involves the prioritization of accumulating wealth and possessions over other values such as relationships, integrity, and social responsibility. Greed is not just a desire for material possessions, but also a desire for control and domination over others.

In the picture we see a greenback dollar bill, as money is probably the most typical symbol of greed.
The dollar bill is mainly green in colour due to historical and practical reasons. In the early 20th century, the US Treasury was looking for ways to improve the durability of paper money, and green ink was found to be the most resistant to chemical and physical wear and tear. The green ink was used to prevent counterfeiting, as the technology to produce green ink was not widely available at the time. The term "greenback" has since become a colloquial term for US paper currency in general, even though not all US bills are green.

And green is often seen as the colour representing greed…

In the picture the attentive viewer may have noticed that the classical image of George Washington is replaced by a mouse.
A mouse ?
Indeed, an obese mouse (i.e. heavy overweight).
Regarding the obese mice, it is a genetically modified mutant called “ob/ob”. The ob/ob genetic variant causes them to become overweight and develop symptoms similar to human obesity and diabetes. Researchers use these mice to study the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and develop new treatments.

And with this mice, the pharmaceutical industry has been able to develop many successful new medicines for obesity and diabetes (such animal studies are mandatory by all governments, before studying the new medicines on humans).

The population on earth is around 8 billion. As about 11% of the population has (type 2) diabetes, there are approximately 800 million people with type 2 diabetes (and even more with obesity).
So many of these people have benefitted from the ob/ob mice (without knowing). Probably more people have benefitted from the existence of the ob/ob mice then from George Washington. (When George Washington became the first President of the United States in 1789, it is estimated that there were approximately 2.5 million people living within the current territory of the United States.)
So do they not deserve their place also on the greenback ?

And who is the most greedy ?
• The ob/ob mouse who cannot stop eating ?
• The researchers who developed this genetic mutant and use this living creature as a research tool ?
• Or the pharmaceutical industry who is making big profits with the new diabetes or obesity medicines from the research done ?
And some other food for thought (but not too much) ?
• Can we forgive the ob/ob mice for being greedy because she is genetically predisposed (by the humans playing god?)
• And should we forgive also human glutony or other sins when it is genetically predisposed ?

With the words of Breughel
Latin : "Quis metus, aut pudor est unquam properantis avari"
English translation : "What fear or shame is ever felt by a greedy person in a hurry." Old Dutch : "Eere, beleeftheyt, scaemte, noch godlijck vermaen en siet die scrapende ghierichkheyt niet aen"
This proverb highlights the idea that greed often drives people to act hastily and without regard for the consequences of their actions.
For more information : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BZbodklWa7Q_k1cwv1Efjs9c-aRD_88r/view?usp=drive_link