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Donald
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 493
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 Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:07 pm Post subject: Healty, Wealthy and Wise |
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| Moderator wrote: | | Content in violation of forums guidelines blocked (mass slander). |
The Atlanta Business Chronicle has reported that wealth in Atlanta is booming. The number of families with at least $1,000,000 in investable assets is going to grow by over 66%:
http://- abuse alert -.com/atlanta/stories/2005/02/28/story4.html?GP=OTC-MJ1752087487
This is really good news for losers. Now, at least in Atlanta, failures will have 66% more people to be jealous of, and 66% more people to hate.
Do you think I'm exaggerating this situation? Sorry, I don't agree. I think a case could be made that the number one emotion driving the political thoughts of the majority of the American people is pure, raw, unadulterated envy. Envy of the rich is really a defense mechanism. If you actually admire the wealthy and if you acknowledge that they got there through hard work, good decision making and perseverance, then you find yourself in a position where you have to take personal responsibility for your own economic status. You'll have to question your own choices and your willingness to make sacrifices and work as hard as it takes for you to actually become wealthy. Too many people, perhaps a majority, find it much easier to deride the rich. Cast them as evil and crooked. Convince yourself that they got where they are by exploiting others and with the help of their crooked lawyers. This gives you a god excuse for your lack of financial success. At least you're not crooked, right? At least you didn't climb over other people to get to the top. There .. now you feel so much better.
In studying the history of the income tax you'll discover that to some extent we have the American penchant for wealth envy to thank for our current tax system. The promoters of the income tax in Washington promised Americans that the tax would only be applied to the rich. The 16th Amendment was eventually ratified because Southern and Western states were convinced that their citizens wouldn't have to pay ... the entire burden would be on the wealthy Northeast states.
Oh well .. hating those who succeed is so much easier than doing what it takes to succeed on your own, isn't it? |
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1712
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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Just one little fly in that ointment, Donald: the magical ability of money to "grow by itself" (lke cancer?) through the far-from-universally-accepted mechanism of "interest." Frank Lloyd Wright was only one of many who decried this "magic," as giving money a sort of power not found in other sorts of physical property or matter.
When a person either earns or inherits a large enough sum of money, that money magically creates enough more money to support its owner without his expending further effort. So, whether by hook, crook, work or just wealthy ancestors, many in the world have forgotten what work really is.
Are you one such? Why do you feel the need to defend those who (literally) do not need it?
SDR |
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1712
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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It is not, after all, the presence of money itself which is suspect; the vast power wielded by the vastly wealthy -- whether men, or nations -- is the point of contention. Those whose actions wreak havoc on others, must first have the power to do so. The criminals found at all levels of society are all a threat to that society; the powerless, even in great numbers, are still powerless, while the few, with the means, can act with impunity.
See? It's pretty simple. "The truth hurts," as you are fond of telling us.
SDR |
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Donald
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 493
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| But "stretching the truth" is truely laughable. |
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1712
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Specifically? |
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Donald
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 493
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | that money magically creates enough more money |
You must be smoking too much of that puff the magic dragon substance.
One of the reasons tax cuts have such a favorable effect on our economy is because so many of the so-called "wealthy" who receive those cuts on that money that creates money, are the very small business owners ... over 20 million of them ... who fuel our economy by expanding their businesses and hiring more people. That evil (and now criminal?) rich person out there that the Democrats want to nail with higher taxes, probably employs about 10 people in his small grocery store, farm, gas station or consulting business. When his taxes go up the money he has to pay employees goes down. That means job losses.
Democrats know all of this, of course. They also know that class warfare works. So many of the people who don't earn the big bucks harbor a jealousy of those who do that borders on insanity. Studies have shown that these people who are so jealous of the rich would actually pay to see the wealthy denied more of what they earn. Are you hearing this? These people would give a dollar out of their own pockets to see five dollars taken from a wealthy person. None of the money goes to them. They just have the pleasure of seeing someone they hate so deeply get hurt. These people, as you already know, vote for Democrats.
| Quote: | many in the world have forgotten what work really is.
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Let's take a look at one other element the left promotes:
Median family income.
Why not use family net wealth? The true measure of how a family is doing economically is how wealthy they are, not how much they earn. You can have $3 million in your checking account and a $3 million dollar paid-for home, and not work. Your family income would be low .. but are you miserable? I don't think so. |
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Richard Haut
millennium club
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 1135
Location: Nice, France
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| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:19 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | You can have $3 million in your checking account and a $3 million dollar paid-for home |
Indeed, Donald, but the tragedy of the median family that you describe is that the happiness of spending can be so fleeting.
An Assistant District Attorney at Mr. Jacksons trial says that he has
| Quote: | | a billionaire spending habit for only a millionaires spending budget |
and that now he is almost bankrupt.
| Quote: | | A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money. |
- Senator Everett Dirksen (1896 - 1969)
_________________
Richard Haut has worked with the architectural profession for over 25 years and produces the weekly Richard Haut's Competitions, which has given architects details of many thousands of projects for which they can apply across Britain and Europe. |
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