Why Rich? Why Poor?

Sam and Marissa returned an old CoEvolution Quarterly I had loaned them. We were talking about space exploration a few months ago, and there is a story in the magazine, Manuel's Tears, that made the point that a space colony would live at the expense of people on the planet.

There's also a quote from John Ruskin on the back cover.

In the community regulated only by laws of supply and demand, but protected from open violence, the persons who become RICH are, generally speaking, industrious, proud, resolute, covetous, prompt, methodical, sensible, unimaginative, insensitive, and ignorant. The persons who remain POOR are the entirely foolish, the entirely wise, the idle, the reckless, the thoughtful, the dull, the imaginative, the sensitive, the well-informed, the improvident, the irregularly and impulsively wicked, the clumsy knave, the open thief, and the entirely merciful, just, and godly person.