How about we revisit the story in the Bible of the Prodigal Son but adapt it for the modern world. The son’s father was highly successful over a long life and built an empire to pass along to his descendants. However, his son had no idea of the long years of sacrifice and work his father had put in to accumulate the wealth. The father had fought in wars, survived economic depressions when all appeared lost and been caring in his support of his neighbors by being generous with them when misfortune befell them. He also preached his philosophy of hard work, living within your means, investing in the future and having empathy for others less fortunate.
However, one day the father turned the management of the empire over to the prodigal son and he commenced to implement his own style of management. Year after year he spent more funds than the empire took in revenue. With the wealth of the empire as collateral he went down to the local bank and borrowed the difference. The bank loved earning the interest on the loans and there was no risk as the empire had the highest credit rating known in the world. His father kept warning that this program would not last forever, but the son ridiculed him as being an old fuddy duddy pointing out he was well loved by showering his largess on his high society friends. But the son did notice that the local banker did not seem as friendly as before when he requested a loan to fund his annual spending difference plus the interest on his prior loans. The foolish banker even tried to lecture him and begin raising the interest rate on his loans to compensate for the added risk.
At this point no one knows the outcome of the son’s program, but the fatted calf does not appear to be worried about being called in for a celebration by the father.
