Wandering About Finances
I wandered through a finance blog this morning. Right now it’s evening, and I don’t remember where or what it was. The gist was this—if Obama wins, then won’t the poor people get the rich people’s money? And what’s wrong with being rich? Oh, I shake with such idiotic ideas. So I did a little shake, leaving some gentle comments behind.
I hope you know what I mean.
25% of the nation’s wealth is owned by 1% of the population. I believe that’s up, since the Bush years, by 3 or 5%. I don’t really care about the numbers (if you know them leave accurate numbers in comments please). I care about the ideas.
The idea is that no one could ever earn $1,000 or $10,000 or $100,000 dollars an hour. No one can work that hard. Can you? No. Nobody. Somehow wealth and ideas of ownership got out of hand in this culture.
If you count Corporate Welfare: that’s stealing. It’s simple, if you don’t pay to clean up your messes, you are stealing…stealing the commonwealth of everyone. If you tear up all our tree, make toilet paper for big profits (or small profits) and leave a legacy of destruction—you did not earn riches, you earn a whipping!
Politics: Managing Wealth and Prosperity
i wish Obama would or could go about redistributing wealth, but he’s not really up to that. Just a little fairness in a wrecked economy, pilfered by Bushco Thieves. I’m not the only one eager for change….
Do More Than Rock The Vote
October 31st, 2008 at 9:24 am
The hardest workers usually make less than their bosses, so if the rich want to play that game, they should demand a pay cut for themselves and increase the pay of their worker’s beyond what the bosses get (I almost wrote “earn” about of habit– it’s not earned.)
I’m not sure why redistribution of wealth should sound so extreme to so many people. Indoctrination?
October 31st, 2008 at 11:55 am
I also suspect indoctrination. The blog I was on sounded so…well…hopeful. Hopeful that moderate earners, by supporting the rich, will get to be rich too.
It’s like middle managers at several companies I’ve worked for: their job is to keep pay low for their subordinates so that they can earn a pat on the back (or bonuses) for making the owners of companies richer (while the owners work less).
Though satisfying for some wealth stealer in the short term, it’s a ridiculous, long-term, cultural concept, because it treats (even if subtlely) others like slaves to be owned and manipulated like property.
Maybe redistribution sounds so extreme because believing in the heirarchy requires a large-scale mental paradigm, and shifting the wealth makes the paradigm collapse or change.
I
votefight for change. It sounds like you do too!I like your awareness about the use of earn.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Why shouldn’t we want to increase wealth & health for all?
There’s so much presumptuousness about ownership — we’ve made it all very abstract. Dollars are very abstract. They are an abstraction about natural resources: trees, water, energy, human labor, love & land. If you tried to make those natural resources into literal dollars, you would see how ridiculous the whole concept is. For example, I would have to go to the grocery store and give a chunk of dirt from the land I live on in exchange for a loaf of bread.
And yet, in order to be happy and vital — in order to be able to fight for change — we all need to have a sense of ownership in our country, a sense that our health & well-being is cared for and will be cared for — but also that the health & well-being of our neighbors is as well. It may be hard to go that extra step; to worry about the neighbors — but from a survival standpoint, it usually works for self interest as well as for the ‘greater good’.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 am
I know a few wealthy people who don’t indulge themselves, but instead their wealth for the benefit of others, without indulging those whom they benefit. Not all rich people are horrible people. Sometimes, it’s quite the contrary. Those who make 1,000 dollars per year can earn it by the way in which they distribute it. Though few in number, such people do exist!
November 5th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Person#3, Sense of ownership is a different, abstract notion than ownership of things. In the sense version, it seems more steward oriented, protector-like. In the wealthy, this is mine that’s yours, it’s much more domineering.
Jeff, You know these people do you?! Hmmm. Well good. I like wealth and sharing and stuff and ideas. I just ache with the thoughts of the vile deeds done by the Bushco thieves. I also would push for criminal punishments for those pilferers.
Man, I feel better saying so, post elections. Perhaps a fantasy on my part, but I feel less paranoid that the Big Meanies might punish me for offending Bushites.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I made some overstatements. I don’t know anyone making over 1,000 bucks an hour, but only a couple who make a bunch are yet distribute their wealth wisely and refuse to buy a McMansion or tons of stuff with the mine/your’s mentality.
Bushco criminals are a scary bunch.
November 27th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Hi Steven,
Thanks for your comment and exchange link with me in my blog!
I like this post article, and it holds the truth, nothing but the truth. To add more to it, 5% of the world population is make money out from the 95% population money. And the worse part is the 95% population work so hard for the 5% of the population, who enjoy their wealth all the time.
But some of them who are kind enough to contribute back to the world through charity and foundation channel.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:48 am
Jeff, I thanks for saying so. Bushco is scary…and out soon…shwew.
Keith, Is that the statistic! If it is…is worse than I thought. Some Foundations are money hogs in disguise. The Gates’ for example funnel money into pretending to save people from starving, but a major factor in it is: experimenting on patenting food! Imagine Windows rice…how expensive it would be and how often it would crash.
Great reminder on Biggest Mistake to Avoid.