Why the disdain for “rich” people ?

Bald1

Bald1

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I’m not a big social media guy. I’m only on two forums. But I’ve noticed a lot of derogatory language aimed at rich people. Why is this. Is it assumed that wealthy people amassed their fortune by screwing over others? Is it jealousy? Heck I don’t even know what people consider “rich”. I know for a fact there will be many net worth millionaires reading this right here on this forum. I don’t however think they are guilty of underhanded behavior. I guess rather than look in the mirror and asses what they’ve done wrong. Or question their decisions and work ethic it’s just easier to condemn others. I once had an ungrateful nephew spew a bunch of this crap in my direction. What say you?
 
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I agree. It seems the narrative lately in the digital age. Dont do your homework just point the finger spew what someone told you. If i dont like you pick a pre determined reason and not like you instead of talking to you. I hope i have raised my kids to not have that mind set of the "sponges"
 
The ones who irk me are the people who were born on third base but act like they hit a triple. You know, inherited Daddy's money and have a string of failed businesses behind them, don't pay their bills and act like they're business geniuses anyway.

I'm not wealthy, but as I like to remind my daughter, to half the world we're the rich ones.
 
Read "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell. Everyone ought to read it, really. But most especially anyone who likes to blame "rich" people for their problems ought to read it. Of course, those are the very people who would rather remain ignorant in their prejudices than to educate themselves and find that they have been believing fallacies.
 
Envy is a very basic human emotion. With some, it gets out of hand.

In general, people are always finding a reason of one sort or another not to like entire classes of people. Race. Religion. Nationality. All the diversity stuff we avoid discussing here. Occupation. (E.g., cops, IRS agents, lawyers.)

We're a very tribal species, we humans. The tendency is we like our tribe and don't like the other tribes.

And yes, a rich guy is just someone who has more money than you do.
 
Two things. Envy, there are people who are willing to burn down their neighbors house if they are slightly better off(see soviet union and Scandinavia for destructive and non destructive implementation of this).

And we move on to monopolies and oligopolies. We have some individuals and corporations that have so much power control and influence that they make life for average American a living hell.
Or you have influence peddlers.

Mostly it is lazy worthless people putting down their twinkies and their doobie long enough to point a finger at someone else for them being a failure.
It is the "acceptable" version of of some trailer trash white supremacist blaming the jews for him being a low life scum bag alcoholic who beats his wife and kids.



No Timmy the capitalist society didn't do this to you, your lazy fat ass did.
When I was younger I was friends with someone who I played dungeons and dragons with. They had a nice Saturn Sedan (yes it was a long time ago), I kept telling him that he needs an oil change and that his oil is past due way past due and its low(his low oil sensor came on when he turned the car).
He straight up told me that "i dont have the money for that". Now keep in mind he just brought 2 oil changes worth of Chinese takeout to the table and bought a brand new DnD book. He didn't have the money to keep his car from blowing up but he had money for takeout and a stupid book for a game. That is when something clicked in my head and I started to "lose" a lot of "friends".
Two weeks later his engine blows up and he has no transportation and he cant get a decent loan deal because his credit is shot to pieces. Who does he get mad at? The dealer and the banks!
 
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I think that in general, money=power. As we all know, power can corrupt. When both power (money) and corruption are linked we get social unrest among the masses with little to no power (money).
 
I do not have a problem with rich people. This is America, the land of opportunity. If you worked the American Dream like say Bill Gates, then that is what it is all about. he revolutionized the world, and gives billions away.

Just pay fair wages and provide opportunity for others.

Beyond that , PAY YOUR TAXES.

The tax problem in this country does not lie with the rich, it is a product or failure of the Congress to write fair and equitable tax laws without loopholes and special interest advantages.
 
I teach college (I know, I know, insert how awful and the 'L' word professors are here) - the complaints currently arising, at least from the young people I encounter bringing this up, are in regard to wealth inequality, not simply 'rich' vs poor. Wealth inequality has grown quite a lot in our country and most developed Western countries.

Rich people, eh let'em be rich. But also let'em pay taxes at the same rate w/o dubious financial shelters and a thousand safeguards for private business that guard the business before the worker. (And yes, I have sucessfully owned and run private businesses; I disdained it so I go into teaching.)

That's all I'll say on the matter here, but it's the disparity between the common worker and the CEO that angers people - and probably rightfully, as it has never in modern history been such a deep gap.

*Wanted to add - while I personally am, as Ray Charles once put it, 'comfortable', it is my earnest belief that if I invented the bloody wheel, put into place all the business organization and construction for its build and continual use, and started WheelCo, Inc - as founder and CEO I would still NEVER deserve 300x (or more) what my lowest paid worker makes.
 
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Deke Thornton said:
The ones who irk me are the people who were born on third base but act like they hit a triple. You know, inherited Daddy's money and have a string of failed businesses behind them, don't pay their bills and act like they're business geniuses anyway.

I'm not wealthy, but as I like to remind my daughter, to half the world we're the rich ones.
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There may be some of those but I don't think I know any of them. Have known a few who inherited a few million and were soon as broke as the rest of us. That line in a song is memorable when asked where the millions went replies "I spent most of it on whiskey and women. . . . . and wasted the rest."
 
biku324 said:
I recall my great-grandpatents having no good feelings for the rich. They were working an Iowa farm with horses during the final days of the 'robber barons.'

My point is that disdain for the rich isn't new.
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And having spent a few of my very early days helping an old timer, the last of those farming with horses in the little town where I grew up, I can understand your great-grandparents disdain for anyone who could afford to do something other than work a small farm. A very tough life in those days.
 
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