Is it bad to be "rich"?

[blackangst1]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmcowen674
Bullshit, what a bunch of bullshit. Incredible the crap you actually believe.

The bolded words suggests right there that you are in fact rich yourself despite the fact you deny it. That river is long.




Takes money to travel the world. I have never been off this rock.

Right there is your answer.

I am real, you are real, your real hate for America is clear.

That's what is "so what".

So in your perfect America everyone would be as you? You think wealth defines an American?

Ah, of course you do. You always have. One thing is true about you though...youre a true American in that youre jealous as fuck of anyone who has more than you, and you express that jealousy as childish tantrums. :golf clap:

What a poor miserable excuse for a man you are.

 

[CycloWizard]

Didn't you go to a public university? Then you are scam artist and owe us a bunch of money.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dental, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world. The UCSF Medical Center is consistently ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

No, I didn't go to a public university. Both undergrad and graduate work were at private universities, with my dissertation work being done at Washington University's medical school, which is consistently ranked equal to or higher than UCSF's.

 

[ModerateRepZero]

I don't think money makes people "bad" or "good". It simply, as one person put it, amplifies traits that the person already has (ie. if someone was frugal, a huge financial windfall won't necessarily make the person go out and try to buy a remote island). It also brings with it new challenges and headaches, such as deciding how to deal with people who will find out sooner or later that you have money....

I will say that I care less about a person's wealth or lack thereof and what they do with the resources that they have and their character/personality. For obvious reasons I respect a rich and humble philanthropist more than an arrogant, swaggering lord-of-the-mansion.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Takes money to travel the world. I have never been off this rock.

Right there is your answer.

I am real, you are real, your real hate for America is clear.

That's what is "so what".

Yeah, but you are a loser of gargantuan proportions. I'm surprised you can manage to tie your shoes without asking the government for help.

Any middle class person who has two brain cells to rub together (which excludes you) can EASILY save enough money to travel to other parts of the world, like Europe. I know several people who made it overseas and did so as poor students. Your excuse is what?

Seriously, I have seen jealous people in my life, but you take the cake. What a sad excuse of a person.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

So in your perfect America everyone would be as you? You think wealth defines an American?

Ah, of course you do. You always have. One thing is true about you though...youre a true American in that youre jealous as fuck of anyone who has more than you, and you express that jealousy as childish tantrums. :golf clap:

What a poor miserable excuse for a man you are.

QFT. I think Dave might be the most pathetic individual I have ever seen. He is a complete failure in life and is jealous of anyone with more than him. The fact that he thinks you have to be "rich" to travel overseas is like a neon sign advertising his detachment from reality.

 

[dmcowen674]

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackangst1
So in your perfect America everyone would be as you? You think wealth defines an American?

Ah, of course you do. You always have. One thing is true about you though...youre a true American in that youre jealous as fuck of anyone who has more than you, and you express that jealousy as childish tantrums. :golf clap:

What a poor miserable excuse for a man you are.

QFT. I think Dave might be the most pathetic individual I have ever seen. He is a complete failure in life and is jealous of anyone with more than him. The fact that he thinks you have to be "rich" to travel overseas is like a neon sign advertising his detachment from reality.

Yet you two are the most jealous of all

 

[MotF Bane]

QFT. I think Dave might be the most pathetic individual I have ever seen. He is a complete failure in life and is jealous of anyone with more than him. The fact that he thinks you have to be "rich" to travel overseas is like a neon sign advertising his detachment from reality.

McOwned! :awe:

 

[blackangst1]

Yet you two are the most jealous of all

Jealous of what exactly? Please answer. For the lulz.

 

[totalnoob]

I liken it to an analogy.

Imagine a small old west town, with its economy of similar people - one owns a hotel, another a general store, another a stable, another a blacksmith, and others are workers at these places. Each earns money and spends it with others. When it's in balance it works pretty well, and some earn more than others but not an extreme.

Now, let's say I suddenly own the whole town. My inn, store, blacksmith, and the former owners now are my workers there, doing the same thing but I get the profits, a cut.

I'm doing great. I don't do much, I just get the cut and sav it or blow or whatever. It simply takes from the rest, because I had the money to own it all. It's destrcutive.

Except your analogy is pretty much bull. Putting aside the fact that it's an epic strawman and that businessmen are not in the business of buying cities today, even assuming that was the case, so what? If an investor comes in and decides to take over all the little "mini-empires" entrepreneurs have built up in the area, he is still providing a valuable service. He has a major role to play in ensuring the smooth operation of the town/city he bought. He is still responsible to ensure an efficient flow of products and that the new people he hires to take over the companies do just as well as the previous owners. If he succeeds in keeping customers happy, he will certainly earn whatever "cut" he gets off the top from this setup.

Another question though...What happened to the original business owners in your example? Did they vanish? Nope.. Another huge service the rich guy has provided is giving the best and brightest in the town a huge chunk of capital..relieving them from the day to day burden of operating their old businesses. By buying their property, he has freed them up for other pursuits..leaving them free to invest that money, develop new ideas and explore different business opportunities that can create new wealth. This benefit didn't show up in your simplistic equation because like most lefties you view economic decisions with an eye on the short term effects, completely ignoring the long term and the unseen consequences.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Yet you two are the most jealous of all

Really? Instead of running away like a scared child, answer the question -- what am I jealous of? I have a great job working for an awesome company, I've been all over the world (Europe, Asia, South America), make enough money to buy some cool toys, and get to do all sorts of cool things.

You? You whine on the internet all day and run away like a scared school girl when you get asked a substantive question and get owned like no other. Answer the question -- why on earth would I be jealous of you?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Jealous of what exactly? Please answer. For the lulz.

Don't count on a response. He has been accusing me for months of being "rich" and then in the last couple of weeks, has suddenly started calling me jealous. When I asked him how I could possibly be jealous of him, he ran off like a scared child. Basically, he has been McOWNED yet again.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

LOL, welcome to the club. Everybody thinks they are overworked, overtaxed and are jealous of all those people getting a "free lunch", whoever/whereever they are? I know I don't know any of them. Will somebody please point in the right direction so I can get a free lunch?? Please??

You don't get out much do you? Tell me and please be honest...did you grow up in a middle class or wealthy family? And how old are you? This isn't about jealousy....but it's funny that you should see it that way though.

 

[Bowfinger]

You are forcing them to pay for the infrastructure, then claiming that because they have to use the infrastructure they paid for, they must continue to pay for it. The "resources" that gave them that foundation were their own, or those of a previous generation. "Society" does not generate any resources. At best, it can simply pool them together for the common good.

Forcing them? As opposed to what, heading off into the forest and using stone tools to make their own Center for Innovation by hand? You need to get past this fantasy that you or anyone else is self-made. Everything you are and have was built upon those who came before you, using America's extraordinary physical, financial, and educational infrastructure (substituting other countries as appropriate for other people).

We don't see meaningful innovation coming from aboriginal tribes using hand-made stone tools. It comes from people people who leverage the benefits of a developed society to push forward. It comes from people who can take for granted things like electricity, clean water, plentiful safe food, roads, housing, education, banks, merchants, public safety, etc., so they can focus on creating the next big thing instead of scrounging for grubs for dinner.

Even more, turning that idea from a pipe dream into a profitable product demands extensive infrastructure support. One needs facilities, utilities, an adequately-educated workforce, suppliers, service providers, public safety and health, transportation, distributors, investors, a legal system with property & IP rights, ... and customers, all of whom are products of and dependent upon the same incredible physical, financial, and educational infrastructure provided by society. Take it away and no matter how brilliant and ambitious you may be, you're just a smart chimpanzee in a loin cloth.

And which side am I beholden to? I have no representation in our government at this point, and I've never been a member of any political party. I don't have a dog in the fight. I simply object to those who claim that their need gives them a right to what I have earned. To be fair, you have made just about the best argument I've seen for why "society" might have some claim to what I've earned, but it still falls apart because society as a whole cannot contribute anything - only its members can.

As an educated person, you surely must understand that "partisan" is not limited to political parties. It can also, for example, refer to ideologies and generally taking sides. In this case, I was referring to your partisan devotion to the myth of the self-made man.

 

[blackangst1]

Don't count on a response. He has been accusing me for months of being "rich" and then in the last couple of weeks, has suddenly started calling me jealous. When I asked him how I could possibly be jealous of him, he ran off like a scared child. Basically, he has been McOWNED yet again.

Well, yah I know. He's called me rich too for awhile because I have a job that allows me to have health insurance and also travel the world. Little does he know a week long venture into S America costs less than 4 days at Disneyland. He's an idiot, to be sure. But he sure is fun to watch

 

[IcePickFreak]

Didn't really read the thread other than the OP, so that's all I'm responding to. I think it depends on how people acquired their money. I think the big disparity between corporate and "working class" is what usually brings on the hate for "rich people".

Your company have a record month selling and manufacturing a product? Sales guys and CEOs get big bonuses and production (manufacturing and engineering) gets free pizza on thursday.

I'll take the last place I worked at for instance. 2009 sales were down obviously because of the economy. So much so that our company picnic was canceled. They employed approx. 60 people in the shop at the beginning of the year. Two weeks later they fly in all the regional sales managers into town along with some distributors, take them out to dinner at a rather expensive place, and then go on a boat tour in Lake Michigan by Chicago. What they spent on that would of been enough to cover the "company picnic" for the next several years easily. We still weren't getting sales, so they started laying off production people, while people in sales who weren't actually selling anything were getting promotions and raises. Sure, they had to 'settle' for a paltry $125k for the year instead of $200k +, but I don't think anyway was feeling too sorry for them. Unfortunately this is SOP for the business world, but I think it just carries over and the 'have nots' usually relate anyone who's rich or well off as 'that guy'.

 

[IGBT]

no. The rich make jobs for all you loosers out there. Have you ever been hired by a poor slouch??

 

[IcePickFreak]

no. The rich make jobs for all you loosers out there. Have you ever been hired by a poor slouch??

Quite often it's doing the rich guys job for him too.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Yet you two are the most jealous of all

Really? Instead of running away like a scared child, answer the question -- what am I jealous of? I have a great job working for an awesome company, I've been all over the world (Europe, Asia, South America), make enough money to buy some cool toys, and get to do all sorts of cool things.

You? You whine on the internet all day and run away like a scared school girl when you get asked a substantive question and get owned like no other. Answer the question -- why on earth would I be jealous of you?

...crickets.....

 

[IGBT]

Quite often it's doing the rich guys job for him too.

maybe. but a poor slouch isn't going to hire you or create an employment environment for society.

 

[blackangst1]

Originally Posted by dmcowen674



Yet you two are the most jealous of all

Jealous of what exactly? Please answer. For the lulz.

...crickets....

 

[Kappo]

Hell no, I'd take it extra tax burden and all and not complain. Of course to me being Rich means not ever having to worry about money.

If you never worry about money, you won't ever be rich If you find yourself winning the lottery, you would just be poor eventually again, should you never worry about it.

There are some very common factors among people who have and keep money. I assure you, none of them are unconcerned about where their money goes, how it is spent, and how much the government takes to redistribute to other people. We current have a "success penalty" tax system.

 

[nobodyknows]

You don't get out much do you? Tell me and please be honest...did you grow up in a middle class or wealthy family? And how old are you? This isn't about jealousy....but it's funny that you should see it that way though.

You are a hoot. Don't you want my shoe size also?

All I want to know is where are all these people you claim are getting a free lunch? Be specific please.

 

[JSt0rm]

Id like to just answer the title question

----

It's very bad to be rich. Give me your stuff.

 

[Red Dawn]

If you never worry about money, you won't ever be rich If you find yourself winning the lottery, you would just be poor eventually again, should you never worry about it.

There are some very common factors among people who have and keep money. I assure you, none of them are unconcerned about where their money goes, how it is spent, and how much the government takes to redistribute to other people. We current have a "success penalty" tax system.

I'm talking about Kennedy rich not some lucky sucker who won a couple of million in the lottery. Of course I wouldn't mind having those worries, compared to the laid off factory worker those worries seem rather trivial.

Any way I see nothing bad with being Rich, in fact it would be great.

 

[Ldir]

...crickets.....

Who cares? It's Dave.