Why are people jealous of the rich, intelligent, and powerful "Elite"?

reply to post by ldyserenity


I was talking about all the people on ATS and elsewhere in the world that are always bitching and whining about the "Elite" and how the "Elite" are the cause of all their problems.

As far as taxes go, why should the rich have to pay one more dollar than the poor. It should all be equal since we all have equal rights.

When a rich person goes shopping at Wal-Mart do they get charged more than the poor because they happen to be rich?

Maybe if we all had to pay an equal sum of money for taxes, people would quit voting for people that spent money like its water. But no, people keep begging for more government services, because they think it is free as long as they are taking money from the rich.

Truth is we need each other. The rich need workers and the workers need jobs, which the rich create.

I am not running around saying I am rich, because for all you know I am not rich. I am just asking why is it that a large group of the populace jealous of rich people. I thought we were all suppose to strive to be our best.

[edit on 2-7-2009 by grapesofraft]

Originally posted by smurfy
This thread is presumptive,if the OP had left out the "Why" in his thread title,then I would have felt "free" to say something.
As it is I can contribute nothing, it's a waste of time.

I agree with you. It IS highly presumptive and based on opinion as viewed from the OP's own perspective on life and how others act, but is presented as if it is some kind of fact.

You're right the title should be more like, "Are people jealous of the rich, intelligent and powerful "Elite"?" and then the OP should answer his own question that is based on his OPINION. Otherwise, people are automatically put into a position of having to defend themselves. But maybe that is what the OP wants.

reply to post by grapesofraft


Everyone keeps "answering" your question (more like defending themselves against it) but you don't seem to be confronting it. Is it because your not getting the answers you hoped for?

First of all, your not going to get the answer you want because your "question" is incredibly biased from the start.

How can you ask a question of "Why" assuming that jealousy IS the motivating factor and expect that people are going to say, "Well, I'm jealous of the rich because..."?

Instead people are trying to defend themselves against your answer and you aren't even acknowledging the responses. You just keep going back to your preconceived notion that people are jealous of them. We keep telling you were not, but you don't seem to care.

It's one thing to ask people to defend their actions. But it's another to make people try to defend something that is an emotional reaction to the actions of others. You are assuming you know what is going on inside people's heads and you most clearly don't.

reply to post by nunya13


Wow you guys are a little oversensitive about wording IN MY OPINION. I just posed a question, sorry the wording doesnt suit your wishes.

"Why are people jealous of the rich, intelligent, and powerful elite"?

Because they are ignorant.

If they did have knowledge, they wouldn't...

Originally posted by ldyserenity

Originally posted by Haydn_17
The real question is, why do the rich, intelligent elite think they are better than everyone else?

Exactly, I can bet the OP is probably some stuck up, snooty, trust fund kid who thinks he/she is more intelligent than us Just because they have wads of cash and probably no real power whatsoever!

It is that same mentality that makes you so much better.

Being the "original" rich person of a certain family line does give you the benefits of passing it down.

Can you blame the people who are born rich? What are they going to say - Nooo, get all that money and the fancy cars away from me!!

To be jealous is one thing, but to despise is another.

reply to post by FritosBBQTwist


A star for you. I agree Fritos. I guess if all of these people who seem to have a problem with the "Elites" were offered a huge inheritance they would turn it down. Not likely!

reply to post by Estess


A star for you. I believe it is partially ignorance and the other part is certain peoples need to blame something external for their own self made problems.

reply to post by nunya13


Well to be honest, some of us have to work, because they government does not hand all of us whatever we need. Somebody has to pay the bills in this country. I cannot sit around all day, every day reading and answering replies to my thread. I spent the first few hours it was up doing that and then I had to become productive.

Now if ATS would like to share some of that ad revenue I generate from creating threads around here then maybe I could sit on my butt all day doing this for a living, but I dont expect them to do that since they need to make a profit to stay in business.

reply to post by grapesofraft


Seriously? Your defense on not address the answers YOU yourself asked for is that you don't have the time? But you have the time to explain your actions and STILL not address people that have replied to your question.

And to imply that everyone else must just be sitting on their butts all day hanging out on ATS instead of working for their money, is once again, very presumptive of you.

I work full time, make great money, and am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity I was given. And as I've explained before that is enough for me and I'm not jealous of anyone who makes more than I do because I DON'T NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY. I work with rich people all day long. People who have started their own businesses and some have several. The vast majority of them are all great people whom I admire for their aspirations in starting their own businesses and making great livings for themselves and their families and have never tried to make me feel like some lowly, unintelligent worker bee who is only here to make their life easier. But the second one of them tries to take advantage of me or anyone else solely for the interest of making more money, then I will take issue with them.

Does any of this even make sense to you? Have you even comprehended what we are saying to you?

reply to post by nunya13


Well I do understand. Also, I am glad you are grateful for those that created jobs like yours. It is obvious that there are no "elite" people, just some people with more money, or more power than others. There is no need to be jealous or fearful of them.

Originally posted by grapesofraft
reply to post by nunya13

 

Wow you guys are a little oversensitive about wording IN MY OPINION. I just posed a question, sorry the wording doesnt suit your wishes.

Once again you completely ignored the issue that was taken with your wording. It wasn't a matter of semantics. It was matter of putting people in a position where they had to defend themselves which leads to a heated discussion from the get go. It's a bit offensive.

edit: can't flippin type today


[edit on 2-7-2009 by nunya13]

[edit on 2-7-2009 by nunya13]

reply to post by nunya13


Well I would say that if that offends someone then they are a bit oversenitive. Now if my thread title sad something like why are fat, lazy, stupid, ugly slobs jealous of the elite, then that may be offensive. Maybe!

If you really feel that a certain title makes you feel like you need to defend yourself then I feel sorry for you.

reply to post by grapesofraft


I'm not jealous of them. Yes, I am fearful of SOME of them. And I've explained why a few times so I won't waste your time doing it again.

But you say it's a good thing that I'm grateful to those who created this job for me. What about them being grateful to me for being such a hard worker that in turn reflects well on them and generates more high end business? Shouldn't that matter just as much.

My boss is the best in the world and I often wonder if anyone has a better one (other than those who are there own boss). She constantly praises me and let's me know when I am doing a good job. She has time and again reminded me that I DO have a purpose here and that she appreciates the time and effort I put in that goes above and beyond what she envisioned for this particular position.

The people I take issue with are the ones who think the little worker bees are simply there to do nothing more than make them money or pump out that product. And don't respect or properly compensate them for doing so.

It's a cycle. The rich wouldn't be rich without us and we wouldn't have jobs without them.

reply to post by grapesofraft


Please, do NOT feel sorry for me. Geeze, what is it like to live in your world?

You accused people of being jealous of the rich. Then you say that you feel sorry for those who tried to explain that you are wrong in your assumptions; thereby defending themselves?

Is it that you don't think there's any need to defend themselves because whatever they say doesn't matter anyway? You've already made up your mind. No body can change that. If that's the case, why did you even ask the question? Oh, wait, that's right. You didn't want to know IF we were jealous. You wanted to know WHY we are jealous. Okay, okay. Your motives have become very clear to me now.

Has what anyone has said to the contrary even gotten through to you at all? Or do you still believe that we are just jealous, lazy, government smooching, crybabies?





[edit on 2-7-2009 by nunya13]

reply to post by nunya13


Well as I said before I agree that the rich need workers and the workers need jobs, so at least we agree on that.

Ok, this is the beauty of a free market. If a person doesnt feel like they are treated well or paid enough then they can go find another job.

It isnt necessarily wrong to expect people to produce while at work without needing to be praised for doing what they are being paid to do. After all, it is a transaction. The owner says he will pay x for this kind of work and the worker accepts it and gets paid for doing what they agreed to. Why is it necessary to do anything but pay them for what they agreed to do?

Originally posted by grapesofraft
reply to post by nunya13

 

Ok, this is the beauty of a free market. If a person doesnt feel like they are treated well or paid enough then they can go find another job.

The problem is that in the last few years, jobs are fewer and far between and it is extremely hard to find a job to be well compensated for based on your experience. Some people are taking what they can get or it's on the streets they go. The free market is dying. It's almost been snuffed out of existence.

reply to post by nunya13


Well lets just be realistic. Companies are fighting to stay in business, and almost no company owner or manager enjoys laying people off.

We are competing in a global market. If you are competing against say China where people make $200 a month and where most of the people are capable of being productive without someone filling them full of encouragement every 5 minutes, then it is easy to see why if you want to produce things in the Western World then you have to keep the cost of labor in check and you cant afford to hire a cheerleading team to boost the egos of the workers.

That's why we're pretty much all screwed. The workers can't afford to live off of the wages their bosses can't afford to pay them. Even the owners are having a hard time. My boss has had two people call her literally crying on her shoulder because everything is just going down the tubes.

But these are mostly small business owners who don't have friends in high places (like politicians) and aren't in bed with wall street bankers. They also don't get even a small lick of our (their own) tax dollars that bailed out those who were already wealthy by millions. Those people get to see another brighter tomorrow while the others get to go home and sit in the dark and wonder what the hell tomorrow is going to bring.

reply to post by nunya13


Look the fact is economies grow and economies shrink. I dont agree with the bailouts, not because it is going to a bunch of "elites" but because it is wrong to help something that has failed to survive. They should just let them go bankrupt and let us deal with the consequences no matter how painful and let somebody who knows how to run a business buy up the good pieces that are left. That is how it was meant to be.