are rich people evil just because they're rich?

[joe hx]

i've heard people say this before. hell I had a sociology teacher a couple of quarters ago in college say it was true. so is it?

i though about it again after reading the comments in this article:
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/0...702-4-million/

basically this guy is the highest-paid CEO of 2008. he founded his company, and his company has been profitable despite the recession. his company has taken no gov't bailout money.

thoughts?

[Nyoibo]

Rich people are usually evil because non-rich people demonize them for having more than they do.

[Mr Slugger]

Rich people are evil because sometimes they say stupid shit to the poor people. Like the other owner in the liquor store. He's said to me last week. I haven't made much money off the store's yet. (As we were talking about getting me more money) But yet he just bought a house that garage is probably worth more than my house, but that's not saying all rich people are evil. Hell his car right now is worth more than my house.

I personally think rich people who are born rich tend to be the most evil. Rich people that come from no where tend to be the best. Because they remember being broke.

[DrFaroohk]

I only tend to hate rich people who act poor. Friend of mine from high school is pretty well off now and all he does is complain about taxes. Oh me oh my! I lost a million dollars in taxes! I only have 100 billion dollars left now! What will I ever do with myself!?!?!?

I don't think there's anything wrong with people who are born rich, though. If I was a billionaire I'd of course give it to my kids when I died. They shouldn't be punished because I'm successful. Which I'm not.

[Boozy]

I don't particularly like rich people who don't make any effort to understand those who don't have as much as they do, but I know a lot of comparatively poor people who do the same thing. Some people are just dicks to those who are in weaker positions than themselves. There are probably homeless guys out there who have $20 bucks more than the other homeless guy, and they could well be lording that fact over their buddy.

I haven't found that self-centredness has much to do with the size of one's bank account. Money can bring out the worst in people, but sometimes it can also bring out the best. My city has benefited a great deal from the charity of our local ludicrously rich guy. He genuinely cares about our community and is actively giving back.

[Mr Slugger]

I only tend to hate rich people who act poor.

Well I think that's what I have a problem with too. Like I said the person who co-owns the liquor store is constantly complaining that he's not making enough, or nothing at all, yet he's got 3 million dollar homes, $100k cars, etc. And then pisses all over my tiny house, my crappy cars, etc.

I think the born into money thing is this. Now I had two friends born into money. One luckily wasn't able to get his until he turned 21, the other had it from the start. The one that had to wait was cool. I mean after he got his money he drove pretty normal cars. The best he had was a Mustang. If you hung out with him he could hang pretty much anywhere. He'd hang at the average joe's bar, etc. The other oen owned a Ferrari hung out only in the high end of town, and only went to the "good" clubs. Like you could go hey want to shoot some pool or go bowling? Because that just wasn't going to happen.

Now I'm not saying that all people born with money are bad, just like not all people that work for their money are good. I just think that those that worked for their money have been outside the gates of the estate a little more.

[BroomJockey]

I don't think "evil" is the correct term at all. FFS not a single person described in this thread even comes close to the loosest definition of evil I'm prepared to allow. The words that DO describe them are "annoying," "haughty," "self-centred," and such. But you get people like that everywhere, in every type.

Now, people who got rich of companies employing child labour, violating safety standards, or other illegal activities are evil. Rich people who abuse the power their wealth gives them to get away with illegal or immoral activities are also evil. Note that this is also different from normal people granting celebrities special privileges in those areas. That's the normal people's fault. I'm talking bribery, favour-trading, etc. Not a regular joe going "Oh, he's so cool, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, so I'm going to find him not guilty."

[IDrinkaRum]

I'm with Broom. None of the examples show why I should hate rich people.

And besides, in a free capitalistic society, isn't it the dream of becoming rich yourself that makes people go to work, dream up inventions, play the lotto, etc., etc.

I don't hate rich people and I sure as heck don't understand why they are demonized by the people and the media and everyone else.

I want to be rich someday, does that mean, when I hit the big numbers with the future, as-of-yet-unnamed-unwritten-novel-that-will-be-bigger-than-Twilight-and-Harr Potter-combined novel that everyone here will hate me too?

[Nyoibo]

Only if you don't give us personally autographed, leather bound, gilt edged copies that are immediate collectors items.

[AdminAssistant]

Oh, I get annoyed when rich people complain about raising taxes and such. And nothing...NOTHING...drives me crazier than people around here saying, "We should give the basketball coaches a raise! We should give the football coaches a raise!" Um, no, we shouldn't. Yes, they've done a good job the past few years. But the university right now is extremely cash-strapped, to the point of firing faculty, cutting programs, etc. TA's, like myself, make just enough to not qualify for any kind of government aid. So, you'll forgive me if I don't cry myself to sleep worried about Bill Self's finances.

[lordlundar]

Evil? No.

Arrogant, self centered, more prone to corruption, greedy? Now we're getting close, and I wouldn't pin that on everyone in the class.

The rich rarely start out as poor people, so they fail to understand what the poor have to go through, and the poor people can't wrap their head around the concept of being rich, so they don't understand how the rich can pull it off.

That information gap is where the problem lies, and neither side wants to fill it.

[tropicsgoddess]

Now, people who got rich of companies employing child labour, violating safety standards, or other illegal activities are evil. Rich people who abuse the power their wealth gives them to get away with illegal or immoral activities are also evil. Note that this is also different from normal people granting celebrities special privileges in those areas. That's the normal people's fault. I'm talking bribery, favour-trading, etc. Not a regular joe going "Oh, he's so cool, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, so I'm going to find him not guilty."

I agree with that and the fact that quite a bit of the rich people are spoiled, arrogant, entitlement-minded and egotistical.Then again you do have your exceptions. This guy my parents have known since the 1980's is rich and he's as nice as the day is long. He had a Phillipino woman that helped him take care of his first wife who long ago passed on from cancer and he helped her pay for all the paperwork to become a U.S. Citizen.

[AFPheonix]

Being rich doesn't make one any more evil than being poor makes one virtuous, and vice-versa.

Honestly, I see rich people demonized less in media than poor people. Poor people are more likely to be characterized as stupid, irresponsible, drug users, blah blah blah. It's kind of a vicious circle, really.

What I would like for rich people to understand is the different effects expenses and taxes have on smaller budgets and larger ones like theirs. For instance, let's say that health care costs are 10% of someone's budget. That's going to make a much larger impact on someone who makes only $20,000 per year compared to someone who makes $100,000/ year. After all, the poorer guy is left with $18,000 to try and pay living expenses with while the richer guy still has $900,000 to play with.
I think that's a concept that's lost on some, including one of my overnight pharmacists, who bitches about various costs and taxes he has to pay for, yet he lives in a pretty swanky neighborhood, drives a luxury car, has nice toys, etc. Granted, I'm doing ok for myself, but I can't afford a house at all, I rent an apartment. My car, while very nice and reliable and paid off, is older. It's just kind of insulting to me when he whines and doesn't really pay attention to what he really has.

[DesignFox]

People with money are...weird.

I've known people on both ends of the spectrum. I know some really fabulous people that you'd never know were as well-off as they are.

I've known some pretty average people, that just happen to have some cash floating around.

I've also known some pretty spoiled brats.

My last and best example of how money changes people would be a former friend of mine. Never had much as a kid growing up- as his mother put it, for a good chunk of time they had to rob Peter to pay Paul.

He seems to have forgotten what that was like and snubs his nose at those who can't or don't necessarily WANT to "better" themselves by bringing home a larger paycheck.

Some of the other people within that social circle have similar attitudes. They want it. They flaunt it. And forget it if you're doing a fundraiser and you need a couple bucks. My co-worker who couldn't pay to have his car repaired gave me a donation for charity when my group of friends with 3 cars, a humongous house, and super outrageously expensive toys (which they had just finished showing off to me the week prior) wouldn't give me a measly five bucks. (I may forgive, but I don't forget very easily )

All people are different and having money or not having money will affect each of them differently.

I have run with many different classes of people in my life. I tend to like the people who can keep their shit balanced. Maybe they are living paycheck to paycheck, but they aren't bitter, trashy, or irresponsible. Or maybe they have money, but they also possess an extreme amount of class (not lording it over others, etc.)

Money has nothing to do with it. What you do with your money and how you interact with the people around you has EVERYTHING to do with how others will perceive you.

[Boozy]

My co-worker who couldn't pay to have his car repaired gave me a donation for charity when my group of friends with 3 cars, a humongous house, and super outrageously expensive toys (which they had just finished showing off to me the week prior) wouldn't give me a measly five bucks.

I'm going to defend your "rich" friends, perhaps at the expense of my popularity (if I have any ).

I rarely donate money to charities when I'm asked at work, at a store I'm shopping at, or by friends who want me to "sponsor" them in some sort of run or walk. My husband and I manage our charitable donations so that they will have the greatest impact on our favourites organizations, and that often means not spreading it around in bits and pieces throughout the year. We donate a lump sum once a year.

This also makes things much easier to track our contributions for tax deductions. It also makes things easier for our charity, since they know they can depend on us for a certain sum at the end of the year. They are able to add it to their budget.

There could be many good reasons that your friends didn't give you anything, and not all of them make them selfish.

A more likely possibility, in my opinion: Despite appearances, your wealthy friends are in hawk up to their eyebrows and don't have a penny to their name. Everything they have they bought on credit, and the bills are coming due. Your friend with the old beater car could be the wealthiest friend you have.