The rich really are different from everyone else

We could bring up Schröders SPD (or Fischers Green party) and "Agenda2010" as well. The whole house of representatives is guilty in this.

They continued what that Thatcher monster threw on the table, Manchester capitalism, but disguised it a bit better.
To save "the poor man of europe", at that time, Germany.

Now we have around 90% of more or less "poor men" in Germany, only Merkels "market conform democracy" makes profits. Means the rich 10%, the managers, banksters, tax dodgers, fraudsters like the complete automobile industry or companies like Bayer(Monsanto?) etc.

Look at VW, in the "U"S their managers go to jail, the betrayed people get money back and VW is sentecned to pay a lot of money. In Germany? VW managers are invited to meals in the Bundestag, the get millions over millions for going on with their criminal behaviour. The bertayed german VW diesel buyers, what do they get?
Nothing else than problems, because they maybe are not allowed to drive their diesels everywhere in Germany anymore. And nobody wants to buy diesels because of that anymore. So if you want to sell you diesel you maybe bought short before the VW Diesel scandal came to the light, for lets say 20.000 Euros, you can´t sell it anymore to get your money back, Maybe, maybe you would get around 5000 for an almost new car, because it´s a Diesel.

And the "representatives of the people"? Serve the car manufacturers industry, celebrate their managers and all that criminal rich scum.

I tell you, guillotines and ropes, guillotines and ropes....!

a reply to: PublicOpinion

It's really not that easy to put people in boxes. Not rich nor poor nor anything in between. From personal knowledge, I know rich people that you'd never know had big money. I've known other rich people who can't flaunt their wealth enough. I've known rich people that just work and play and live like most folks.

The problem is power. For those who want power, money helps. A lot. Those who want power cannot get enough power. And those who cannot get enough power cannot get enough money. Because money is a tool to wield in their game of power, power and more power.

Having said this, it's also why I don't question that rich and powerful people are engaged in sex crimes. Sex crimes are all about power. But not all rich people are all about power.

a reply to: PublicOpinion

I had a job about 15 years ago in the RV industry.
We sold bus conversions that were $750k and up.
I would say for the most part that the owners were very down to earth people that started at the bottom just like everyone else.
There was the exception of course. Usually they had dads or grandpa's money to spend.

Their is a huge difference between wealth and power, however acquiring vast wealth is often a precursor to acquiring great power. There is also a noticeable difference in behavior among those blessed with new money vs those bestowed with old money. See old money that has sustained over time has a tendency to breed future generations of prententious, entitled narcissistic socio/psychopaths. Folks who acquire wealth either through luck, random fortuitous events or putting in the time and grinding and saving tend to be from more humble backgrounds and understand empathy and compassion for their fellow man just trying to survive. Also generational elite have both the connections and the juice to put their brood in the most prestigious educational institutions leading to further networking and shiny resumes for those coveted positions of true power and influence. It’s always been this way and not changing any time soon unfortunately. Someone once told me that the best way to make sure that their are always some a**holes around was to teach someone else how to be an a**hole.

What pinko piffle. The romanticisation of the poor and denigration of the wealthy is the go-to tactic of the jealous.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Case in point above, see there goes that pretentiousness lol.

originally posted by: RainbowPhoenix
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Case in point above, see there goes that pretentiousness lol.

I don’t come from wealth. Your “case in point” falls apart just like that.

a reply to: burgerbuddy

Yes, I am in the UK.

I mentioned criminal organisations from all over the world in my prior response in this thread, to illustrate that the fact is that it does not matter which nations criminal organisations are involved, the effect of power upon its wielder is the same, which you would have known if you had paid the proper attention to detail in reading the post, rather than formulating a response to it before you had finished reading it.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope I have no way of knowing if that’s true or not. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt though for the sake of conversation. I maintain my point though in regard to your palpable pretentious nature. Also in observation of the way you converse I would guess that you are well educated (which ain’t cheap) or at least very well read. So I might be wrong in my presumptions of your wealth or lack thereof. Oh well wouldn’t be the first time but I still find you to be a prententious individual who often espouses elitist kind of ideaology.

originally posted by: RainbowPhoenix
a reply to: LesMisanthrope I have no way of knowing if that’s true or not. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt though for the sake of conversation. I maintain my point though in regard to your palpable pretentious nature. Also in observation of the way you converse I would guess that you are well educated (which ain’t cheap) or at least very well read. So I might be wrong in my presumptions of your wealth or lack thereof. Oh well wouldn’t be the first time but I still find you to be a prententious individual who often espouses elitist kind of ideaology.

When you start assuming people’s nature without ever meeting them, you’re making a grave error. But this is a necessary requirement in generating hatred.

On the other hand, you could just ask.

My problem with these types of discussions are that:

Defining Rich & Poor.

In America (and probably most 1st world countries), our poor are actually part of the global 1% income wise. The brokest hood rat living in the worst housing projects lives exponentially better than someone in a favela in south america or say India. So are they really poor? On the flip side, what is rich? Is a household where both parents work making $400k rich in a major urban city or are you talking about someone making $20 or $50 million a year rich? There is a huge difference.

Benevolent Poor & Evil Rich.

This meme that rich people are evil and poor people are benevolent is tiresome. Shady mofo's come in all walks of life.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Don’t care enough to ask bruh, it’s really not a big deal to me. Your offended I get it, I’d be offended to if someone said something about me that painted me in a negative context. So is the way of humanity and our infinitely sensitive and delicate feelings, oh wellz 🤷🏻‍♀️.

originally posted by: RainbowPhoenix
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Don’t care enough to ask bruh, it’s really not a big deal to me. Your offended I get it, I’d be offended to if someone said something about me that painted me in a negative context. So is the way of humanity and our infinitely sensitive and delicate feelings, oh wellz 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I’m not offended. I expect nothing less.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

And there’s that snarky condescendion that we’ve all come to expect lol. Good to see we’re not disappointing one another at least. I am also not offended as you nor your opinion mean two squats to me.

originally posted by: RainbowPhoenix
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

And there’s that snarky condescendion that we’ve all come to expect lol. Good to see we’re not disappointing one another at least. I am also not offended as you nor your opinion mean two squats to me.

Friend, you’re zero for three. I don’t care what you think because what you think doesn’t seem to reflect reality.

I love the very wealthy. They're the very type of clientele we try to attract into our Gallery.

Who else has plenty of disposable income? Not the middle or lower classes. But everyone gets treated like you are rich when you walk thru the doors. That's just good business.

originally posted by: skunkape23
I know a few folks who are very well to do financially.
You would never guess it by their demeanor.
They are generally very chilled out and wear whatever clothes they find comfortable with no attempt to project an image.
I rode with a dude in his helicopter who was wearing boxers and sandals.
Multimillionaire.
He drives an old Ford pickup his grandfather gave him.
It's the one's who wish they were rich who are pretentious.

Sure many are like that. At the same time, when it comes to the truly powerful and well connected, including politically, they definitely can be a bit elitist and exclusive. The way that shows up though isn't always explicit impoliteness.

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14

originally posted by: skunkape23
I know a few folks who are very well to do financially.
You would never guess it by their demeanor.
They are generally very chilled out and wear whatever clothes they find comfortable with no attempt to project an image.
I rode with a dude in his helicopter who was wearing boxers and sandals.
Multimillionaire.
He drives an old Ford pickup his grandfather gave him.
It's the one's who wish they were rich who are pretentious.

Sure many are like that. At the same time, when it comes to the truly powerful and well connected, including politically, they definitely can be a bit elitist and exclusive. The way that shows up though isn't always explicit impoliteness.

The bottom line is that not all rich people are the same. The attitudes can vary widely. There is a huge difference between say East Coast rich (hitting up Nantucket, Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard) vs say Country Club southern rich (Augusta National Member) vs even say Texas Ranch rich... vs Silicon Valley Rich... vs Oil Sheik rich, etc. Family money rich.

Some folks can be elitist and not be all that rich... based on where you went to school, job, education level, etc.

originally posted by: skunkape23
I know a few folks who are very well to do financially.
You would never guess it by their demeanor.
They are generally very chilled out and wear whatever clothes they find comfortable with no attempt to project an image.
I rode with a dude in his helicopter who was wearing boxers and sandals.
Multimillionaire.
He drives an old Ford pickup his grandfather gave him.
It's the one's who wish they were rich who are pretentious.

No it's actually people from all walk's of life, there are those that hate the rich and those that hate the poor for no other reason than jealousy, disdain and fear.
Then there are decent folk in all spectrum's of life.
There is something to that whole power and money corrupt thing but it can also be argued that they only corrupt the already corrupt.
Also there are people whom have no money, live lives of poverty but in the human sense are rich, they have friend's and family and are loved then there are the rich and the elite whom become so lonely and isolated that they literally go and hang themselves somewhere.
It is not about money but about spirit.
Money does help though to reduce worries, pay the bill's and buy nice thing's BUT it can never buy "genuine" friend's and no amount of money can give you true love.
There are those that want power and those that don't give a damn about power that is the other point.
Those that want the power end up as dead as the guy whom had none so there power is nothing but an illusion and end's up only being the power to dominate other people and have there way - you know though there was this elderly gentleman whom was worth a vast fortune monetarily speaking but he dressed in rag's like a tramp, lived in squalor and gambled his money at the local casino just to pass the time - makes you wonder what changed him from Ozymandias into the broken statue does it not.

No, the exceptions we can all name, because we all know some who are similar, do not disprove the study. Only further study, using duplicate methods, getting contrary results disproves the study. It is called science.

How many conclusions one can and should draw from such a study depends. Should it impact how you treat people you already know to be good people? No, of course not. Should it lead you to maybe question someone's motives - someone you haven't met, but assume to be "fine" because they are "well to do" - maybe.

How great was the disparity? These are all things we ought to factor into looking at it. But, it does comport with a lot of what we see in the world, where executive salaries have skyrocketed for 35 years, but the average workers' pay has been largely flatlined.

Because everything is political, throughout history, whenever claims have been made against the rich/powerful , something not "flattering" - the automatic response is "they're just jealous."

Always.