LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
Exactly...

Plus almost every show has girls on stage fighting over some trashy pimp or something in that nature.

if theres no super poor people, then nobody could feel rich. if we were all having full meals and didnt have to go without things and happy, there wouldnt be a point to judge against. you have to have some people in poverty to make it exist. now if you have a lot of poor people its even better, because now the rich can feel like a minority that really made it in the world. better than all these other scum schmucks. top dogs. great work rich people. if you are born rich, its also good you can act like royalty instead of a sweaty trader. politics waits with open arms, because you are successes. but it is all thanks to poor people, without poor people you wouldnt be rich.

batou wrote:
I disagree because most rich people are so busy going on vacations and living opulent that they don't even know poor people exist. Most rich people are to busy living a wealthy lifestyle to ever realize that poor people suffer.

The only fellow member I properly fell out with on DIF, was a woman who'd had a hard, impoverished upbringing, then made herself a mint by becoming a prostitute, and married a millionaire.

Nothing wrong with any of those things, imo, but I posted my belief about 4 yrs ago (prior to becoming a mod) that the benefits system was winding down, and there was a lot going on in the press to promote hatred towards dole claimants, in preparation.

She piped up saying how she absolutely couldn't wait for the benefits system to crash, and for so many people to then experience true poverty.

What a horrible, sick attitude! Got my back up then, and pisses me off now, thinking that anyone would be rejoicing at the prospect of others being unable to afford to feed their families. I'd have thought anyone who'd been through tough times themselves would have a bit of compassion for people in financial difficulty.

*Edit* Though, unlike some, I've no problem at all with people enjoying their wealth if it's been accumulated by honest endeavour.

Haha, I know exactly who you mean Gilly. Do you think she was telling the truth or just enjoying her fantasy internet persona? It could have been a bloke for all we know.

But yep, it's a very mean spirited attitude that I don't understand.

Who knows - I think her 'other' screen persona was The Naughty Mrs Smith.

I'd have got points for my response to her though, if it had been anyone other than Shodders modding at the time. Where's he gone? Not seen him for ages!

Gilly wrote:
What does a mint mean in the UK?

Here in the US it is a small piece of candy...

RealAmerican wrote:
You won't like the answer RA, because money is produced at the Royal Mint.

So if someone is 'minted', it's just an expression that means they're rich.

Gilly wrote:
Oh , Ok

That lady's story sounds like the movie Pretty Woman with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

Never watched it -could conceivably have been a bit of plagiarism going on then.

Gilly wrote:
I have never actually met people that do.

Gilly wrote:
I haven't seen him about for ages either.

mikey mikey wrote:
Come with me, I'll introduce you to someone who did get their wealth through honest means...

Edit: "honest" depends on your view though...sometimes you gotta do the 'wrong' thing for 'right' reasons and I still think that's an honest way.

I've several family members who are workaholics - none of them 'rich' as such, but all on decent incomes. I hate the rat race, as it gets in the way of all life's simple pleasures, but if people put their hearts & souls into their careers and do OK out of it financially, all credit to them, imo. I don't feel they deserve any resentment for doing well.

Nothing wrong with it at all Gilly. People often have to sacrifice a lot for a successful career and a good, sizeable income. If that's what they want to do then good for them.

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
Yea, there is nothing wrong with people who work hard or athletes who sacrificed their health to have luxurious things.

The only problem i have is with all these people that have like 50 billion dollars and could feed millions of people.

www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/

There is a big difference between the average millionaire and all the multi-billionaires.

People with 40 billion dollars could feed a whole city.

I'm in agreement with you on that, RA.

Having said that though, I believe there are a lot of rich folk who do donate to charities. (I hope I'm not being naive).

mikey mikey wrote: I think it's material desires + false consciousness of human beings, (seeing most as objects, atomized, insignificant bit part players in "your world").

Basically i don't think there is a fundamentally negative drive as you describe, ie the desire to see others suffer that contributes to inequality, I think it's more a positive drive but extremely individualistic or elitist to accumulate wealth, material possessions, it's not a taking away to see others suffer, but more a taking for self to feather one's own nest, that's why I don't think a big change is needed really, if we were motivated along a more communitarian basis the material wealth held individually would go some way to alleviating extreme poverty.

Guevarista wrote:
Yep makes sense.Though if you grew up with one, and over the years watched them take and leave devastation in their wake, they flock towards others which are like minded and they stick together like glue, I have seen them leave people with nothing and die with nothing.
Saying that not evil, would be crazy

Guevarista wrote:
I agree with this 100%