You realize this is pretty contrary to the prevailing attitude, though? Among both the poor and the wealthy, having what you want is generally significantly less important than having more than the other guy. Because most people don't want "stuff", they don't want "gold chandeliers", they want other people to be impressed by their gold chandeliers.
That's true for the middle class. I've never known anyone I'd consider rich to care what the Jones' are doing. The guy showing off his rolex isn't rich. I realize that's arguable since I've just spent the past several pages explaining that there's no defining line for "rich" and that it's all relative to the observer. So, yes. My view is relative. But yeah...the guy showing off his rolex is generally upper middle class or new rich. He wasn't born into money.
They want to show off, they want respect, and admiration. They want, ultimately, nothing more than to feel powerful.
That only makes sense for people who've felt a lack of those things they need to make up for. People who grew up with money lack that empty hole to fill.
Yeah... I gota admit to skimming here, but I thought that Lord Bucket was arguing against things like,
100% taxation over certain amounts and hating rich people and such. Not for... That.
Well, I would argue against those things. I think an awful lot of the "rich people are evil" sentiment is simply envy. And as for taxation, personally I'd favor eliminating the income tax completely for everybody. The US managed quite nicely for over 100 years with no income tax. It wasn't until we started having wars that needed to funding that it changed. "Essential services" like roads and courthouses and things are only a very tiny part of where the money is spent.
I am attacking a position that he seems to be saying he holds
If you can show me where he gives an actual position and not 2 pages of "Are you sure you're not
a lazy bum who enjoys being poor?" then I will address that instead.
Pretty sure I've never said that. You seem to be reading between the lines to come to conclusions of your own, and missing out on the things I'm actually intending to communicate.
(through his insistence that he should have everything he earns, and his
earlier posts about how rich people should not be legally obliged to give up their money).
Taking what people have through threat of force is not ok with me. Just because somebody has a lot to take doesn't suddenly make it ok.
You see others who have more than you do and want to take it from them. And yet you perceive me as the bad guy?
Money is not the limiting factor to post-scarcity economies,
it's the scarcity of basic resources (it's after scarcity)
This probably deserves its own topic. But short version: this concept of resource scarcity is completely stupid. It's a manufactured problem. The universe doesn't work that way.
Oh sure let's just get rid of all compelling reasons to put effort into society.
This might be a valid concern...but it simply becomes a trade off. What's more important? Freedom or building society? Personally I choose freedom. Imagine two hypothetical societies:
A) Everybody has a magic genie a box that gives them infinite wishes and complete and total material abundance. Consequently, 98% of everybody sits around wishing up 9 course wine dinners and pretty girls, and spends their entire lives living in pointless hedonism. Only 2% people read and think and learn and explore and grow.
B) Everybody lives in a world with scarcity, in a perpetual struggle to survive. Consequently, at least half of everyone at all times is trying to think of new ways to do things to build a better society where life is easier and more managable.
I choose A.
I perceive little value in work. This is something I've discussed in other threads. The middle class seems to place a great deal of value on work. They enjoy their servitude. They take pride in it. They become upset when you try to take their jobs away. When greeting each other "what do you do?" is the first question they ask, as if to establish dominance in some animal pecking order.
If you place value on working, if you attach your sense of pride and manliness to the nature of your slavery do you see how you might be more inclined to find yourself in a situation where working is necessary? And when you have an entire society full of middle class individuals who want to impress each other with their particular form of servitude, is it any surprise if others who don't share that desire are willing to "give them work" and collect the benefits of it?
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Topic: How do you view the wealthy? (Read 14598 times)