Wealthy people are tone deaf to whats going on in this economy

[LC EFA]

La Lioness Priyanka  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-28-09 03:38 PM
Original message
I have come to believe that wealthy people are tone deaf to whats going on in this economy
   
Edited on Sat Feb-28-09 03:40 PM by La Lioness Priyanka
Yesterday, i met a casual acquaintance of mine who is a banker. She proceeded to tell me how the average person doesn't understand that if she worked by the hour, on her base salary she doesn't make that much more than a minimum income salary. That her bonus, which she won't get due to political pressure is the bulk of her salary etc. It's performance dependent wages etc.

I tried to tell her that is hard for people to understand why she would get a performance dependent wage when her industry seems to not have performed at all. That a hundred hours a week spend badly doesn't really count as performance.

Then another conversation with a banker about how the poor started this mess by believing that owning a home is a right not a privilege. Ten minutes later she was telling me about how stuck she feels with the fancy apartment she owns, that she can't sell now as she will lose money. If she gets laid off it will be scary.

Another friends father is insistence he will be POOR due to Obama's taxes. He is a lawyer. He wouldn't know poor if it came up to him and spat in his face.

I think the rich are just as tone deaf as the french elite before the french revolution. They just don't understand why we are mad at their cake when we cant get bread. They believe the cake is their right, our bread is our privilege.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8235897

After opening with one of the most idiotic statements, she demonstrates that she and her "banker" acquaintance have no idea what a performance bonus is awarded for.

Anyone care to bet that either of both of this pair would be complaining about performance bonuses when paid to executive levels of the company.

Silly primitive goes on to make a comparison to the french revolution, when the more appropriate analogy would be to the first two parts of Atlas Shrugged, where the looters are still greedily sucking at what they perceive as a public pool of money that can be redistributed according to whim and pull rather than ability and production.

She then goes on to make the false assumption that we just can't hear them, rather than understanding that they're being ignored as they're constantly demanding my damned cake without being willing to clean up after the party so to speak.

DevonRex  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-28-09 03:41 PM
Response to Original message
1. I agree. Warming an office chair isn't performance. They seem to
   
think they "deserve" to be rich by virtue of breathing.

Flipping burgers at McD's isn't performance either, so I fail to see your point.

You lefties think you deserve to be rich simply by your ability to extort money from people that produce.

kestrel91316  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 03:46 PM
Response to Original message
2. Pretty much sums thinigs up. The wealthiest people in the US wouldn't
   
recognize an honest day's WORK if it came up and bit them in the ass.

Can you say "irony" ?

patrice  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 03:46 PM
Response to Original message
3. There's a very reliable standard in Social Psychology called Attribution Error. It goes like this:
   
(And I believe it would also reach across social-economic classes)

My flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins (whatever you want to call them) are caused by temporary situational factors beyond my control.

The flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins of others are caused by intrinsic elements of their fundamental make-up.

I wonder if the primitive actually understands the quote they used. 

HelenWheels  Donating Member  (494 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
27. I sure don't feel sorry for them
   
It's a lot harder building a house than sitting in an office arranging the mortgage for that house. They don't know what hard work is. They should try for just one day collecting garbage, delivering furniture, working in a hospital or nursing home, guarding inmates, waiting table, etc. Their blind indifference makes me very angry.

House doesn't get built if the mortgage isn't signed (ergo someone pays for it) so who is really more important here ?

baldguy  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)    Sat Feb-28-09 04:03 PM
Response to Original message
9. Driving that $80K 7-series Beemer is a privilege, not a right.
   
If she can't afford it now without the bonus she shouldn't have bought it in the first place.

I don't think it's the real wealthy that's tone deaf. The top 1% are behind it all, of course, but the people that need to ignore the plight of the fellow citizens in order to maintain their self-respect are the petit-bourgeois that the top 1% has raised up over the rest of us. They're a class of overseers to keep the wage-slave masses in line - distracted & ignorant.

I wonder how many times your banker friend approved credit for people who she now thinks are living beyond their means?

If having X is a privilege not a right, are you gonna pay for your own damn life instead if demanding that it is your "right" to be subsidized by me ?

NRaleighLiberal  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-28-09 04:12 PM
Response to Original message
12. They are NOT tone deaf. They just don't give a shit.

Correct. At least in my case.

madaboutharry  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. I agree.
   
Edited on Sat Feb-28-09 04:31 PM by madaboutharry
They really do not give a shit.

I met some of these people during the campaign when I was working as an Obama team member. We would be able to predict the reception we would get by the size of the houses and the types of cars in the driveways of any given neighborhood. Of course there were exceptions, but they were few and far between. And the things people said were sometimes very predictable.

on edit: Here is an example: "IT IS MY MONEY!"

It really is that simple. It is MY money. Go earn your own money and keep your thieving fingers off mine.

La Lioness Priyanka  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 06:25 PM
Response to Reply #14
24. no, i am sure she was just speaking in hyperbole.

Could be you're just full of shit too.

Hellataz  (575 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:26 PM
Response to Original message
28. I've tried to explain this before, people making over $100,000 don't get it...
   
The majority of americans are living paycheck to paycheck bringing in minimum wage and even in a 2 parent household that only comes to slightly above $30,00 a year. These people are making it work, paying their bills, paying for education for their kids and keeping a roof over their head. But they struggle at it and make due without so much that people making even over $50,000 a year don't seem to get it.

The wealthy or even well off people are just accustom to the way they live and can't imagine life without the ability to buy what they want, or take vacations when they feel. This isn't even about the uber wealthy, it's about small business owners and upper middle class that are making more then enough money to make ends meet and still pay for small luxuries like trips, clothes and toys. They can't identify with the single mom working two jobs and still has to buy generic brand food at the store and has to take the bus because she can't afford car payments. They will never understand the family struggling to send their kid to college on a minimum wage salary and hefty school loans.

They don't get it. And they never will.

That i why it upsets me so much to see anyone bitch about their taxes. I've been in that position, taking home less then a grand a month after over $250 were taken out of my checks for taxes each month. I paid my bills and never once bitched because i knew that my taxes went to helping those who were even less fortunate that I and isn't that the point of being a good american?

It's not some evil socialism plot to take the hard earned millions from the rich and give to the lazy poor, it's about making the greedy wealthy pay their fair share to help struggling poor people just get by with some basic human needs. It's so unfortunate that we live in a country where that isn't seen by all.

You're happy to pay your $3000 a year. Well how big of you. Come back and talk when you pay 30 times that.

[Vagabond]

Hellataz  (575 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:26 PM
Response to Original message
28. I've tried to explain this before, people making over $100,000 don't get it...
   
The majority of americans are living paycheck to paycheck bringing in minimum wage and even in a 2 parent household that only comes to slightly above $30,00 a year. These people are making it work, paying their bills, paying for education for their kids and keeping a roof over their head. But they struggle at it and make due without so much that people making even over $50,000 a year don't seem to get it.

The wealthy or even well off people are just accustom to the way they live and can't imagine life without the ability to buy what they want, or take vacations when they feel. This isn't even about the uber wealthy, it's about small business owners and upper middle class that are making more then enough money to make ends meet and still pay for small luxuries like trips, clothes and toys. They can't identify with the single mom working two jobs and still has to buy generic brand food at the store and has to take the bus because she can't afford car payments. They will never understand the family struggling to send their kid to college on a minimum wage salary and hefty school loans.

They don't get it. And they never will.

That i why it upsets me so much to see anyone bitch about their taxes. I've been in that position, taking home less then a grand a month after over $250 were taken out of my checks for taxes each month. I paid my bills and never once bitched because i knew that my taxes went to helping those who were even less fortunate that I and isn't that the point of being a good american?

It's not some evil socialism plot to take the hard earned millions from the rich and give to the lazy poor, it's about making the greedy wealthy pay their fair share to help struggling poor people just get by with some basic human needs. It's so unfortunate that we live in a country where that isn't seen by all.

Okay, he makes a claim that most American are "scraping by in minimum wage".  According to the Buearue of Labor and Statistics, that's a lie.  In fact less than three percent of head of households bring in minimum wage.  Minimum wage is for Burger flippers at McDonald's.

He claims people are struggling to send their kids to college on minimum wage.  There exists a full spectrum of federal grants that children from families with incomes that low nearly automatically qualify for.

He claims that he was taking home less than $1000 after paying various income, FICA, FISA, and social security taxes.  Twenty persent seems high for someone making no more than $1250 a month.

Damn, can't the primitives at least try to tell a good lie every now and again?

[thundley4]

patrice  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 03:46 PM
Response to Original message
3. There's a very reliable standard in Social Psychology called Attribution Error. It goes like this:
   
(And I believe it would also reach across social-economic classes)

My flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins (whatever you want to call them) are caused by temporary situational factors beyond my control.

The flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins of others are caused by intrinsic elements of their fundamental make-up.

This actually is the DUmmies mantra and excuse for everything.  Patrice, you owe the Projectors Union some money.

[BlueStateSaint]

This is only anecdotal, but I was talking to my brother yesterday.  He's the comptroller for a fairly large car dealership chain that has dealerships in upstate NY, Connecticut, and Florida.  He told me that they have wealthy customers who ordered such cars as Maseratis, Ferraris, and Aston Martins, two and three years ago (yes, they apparently require that much lead time), who are calling up and cancelling their orders--and want their deposits back.  The reasons they cite?  The economy.  Their companies are having rough times--and they want the $10,000 to $20,000 deposits they put down (yeah, I was shocked too, that they only needed that amount of money down!) back, so they don't have to lay off employees and the like.

They know all too well what the economy is doing--and, more importantly, what it is going to do under the Obamessiah.

[franksolich]

Oh now, there is so much really funny about this bonfire.

Number one, the leonine primitivess comes from money herself; she's described her original home in India before, and anyone remotely familiar with the history and culture of India, on the basis of her description, would immediately recognize it as an upper-middle-class or higher residence, typical of inherited money from ancestors who were useful to the British, when the British owned India.

The leonine primitivess didn't come ashore here penniless to "accept" American citizenship.

Number two, this:

DevonRex  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-28-09 03:41 PM
Response to Original message

1. I agree. Warming an office chair isn't performance. They seem to think they "deserve" to be rich by virtue of breathing.

And primitives, such as the subway cat or the bobbling primitive, don't seem to think they "deserve" to loot the public treasury for all their government checks by virtue of merely breathing?

Number three, this:

kestrel91316  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 03:46 PM
Response to Original message

2. Pretty much sums thinigs up. The wealthiest people in the US wouldn't recognize an honest day's WORK if it came up and bit them in the ass.

And primitives would recognize an honest day's work if it came up and bit them in the ass and chewed them on the face?

Number four, this:

patrice  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 03:46 PM
Response to Original message

3. There's a very reliable standard in Social Psychology called Attribution Error. It goes like this:
   
My flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins (whatever you want to call them) are caused by temporary situational factors beyond my control.

The flaws/shortcomings/errors/sins of others are caused by intrinsic elements of their fundamental make-up.

Uh-huh.  That's the biography of most, if not nearly all, primitives.

Geezuz, that sounds like the life-story of Chief S itting Bull, the bird-smacking stoned red-faced primitive.

Number five, this:

HelenWheels  Donating Member  (494 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7

27. It's a lot harder building a house than sitting in an office arranging the mortgage for that house. They don't know what hard work is. They should try for just one day collecting garbage, delivering furniture, working in a hospital or nursing home, guarding inmates, waiting table, etc. Their blind indifference makes me very angry.

Primitives know what hard work is?

Damn.

Number six, this:

madaboutharry  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Sat Feb-28-09 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #12

13. They really do not give a shit.

The madatharry primitive has got to be kidding.

Surely.

If anybody doesn't give a shit about anybody or anything but their own damned selves, it's the primitives; the voluminous archives of Skins's island going clear back to January 20, 2001 show nothing else.

[Carl]

HelenWheels  Donating Member  (494 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7

27. It's a lot harder building a house than sitting in an office arranging the mortgage for that house. They don't know what hard work is. They should try for just one day collecting garbage, delivering furniture, working in a hospital or nursing home, guarding inmates, waiting table, etc. Their blind indifference makes me very angry.

It is a lot harder doing many things then what I do and what I do is a lot harder then some other things.....so what?

I thought the great socialist theory was that everyone was an intricate and valuable part of society but like all things liberal that is only window dressing for their deep seated hatreds and envy.
It is you DUmmy that seeks to assign a value to things,conveniently always in line with what choices you have made hold you to (surprise) while wishing ill on anyone that you perceive have it "better".

There isn`t a G`damn one of you worth a days wage as far as I can tell because none of you seem to have a desire to earn it or improve on it.

[Airwolf]

After opening with one of the most idiotic statements, she demonstrates that she and her "banker" acquaintance have no idea what a performance bonus is awarded for.

Anyone care to bet that either of both of this pair would be complaining about performance bonuses when paid to executive levels of the company.

Silly primitive goes on to make a comparison to the french revolution, when the more appropriate analogy would be to the first two parts of Atlas Shrugged, where the looters are still greedily sucking at what they perceive as a public pool of money that can be redistributed according to whim and pull rather than ability and production.

She then goes on to make the false assumption that we just can't hear them, rather than understanding that they're being ignored as they're constantly demanding my damned cake without being willing to clean up after the party so to speak.

Flipping burgers at McD's isn't performance either, so I fail to see your point.

You lefties think you deserve to be rich simply by your ability to extort money from people that produce.

Can you say "irony" ?

I wonder if the primitive actually understands the quote they used. 

House doesn't get built if the mortgage isn't signed (ergo someone pays for it) so who is really more important here ?

If having X is a privilege not a right, are you gonna pay for your own damn life instead if demanding that it is your "right" to be subsidized by me ?

Correct. At least in my case.

It really is that simple. It is MY money. Go earn your own money and keep your thieving fingers off mine.

Could be you're just full of shit too.

You're happy to pay your $3000 a year. Well how big of you. Come back and talk when you pay 30 times that.

Todays Omaha World Hearald has a front page story with Warren Buffett that proves this idiot wrong and he has more money then just about anyone in the US alone. Today the article says that he was apologizing for maikng DUMB decisions on things this year after his Berkshire Hathaway corparation had the worse year since he took over. With some other things he has said in the past two years I hardly think that a moonbat like Warren is tone deaf to your whinning .

[JohnnyReb]

If anybody doesn't give a shit about anybody or anything but their own damned selves, it's the primitives; the voluminous archives of Skins's island going clear back to January 20, 2001 show nothing else.

They claim compassion for "Others". They always want the government to take money from someone else and take care of "Others". They always want to do the greater good for "Others"......but when you look at a crowd of "Others", there they stand, smack dab in the middle of the crowd of "Others".

[Servonaut]

Hey DUmmies, this last week besides my usual 40 hours working, I also had 31 hours of overtime.

I know what hard work is.



I did take Saturday off though. I needed some sleep.

   

[jukin]

I judge a person on their compassion by how much time and money they give to charities not by how much time and money they put into political parties that want to take money from others and give it to the same recipients of charitable organizations.

99.9% of democrat politicians give next to nothing to charities.

[delilahmused]

HelenWheels  Donating Member  (494 posts) Sat Feb-28-09 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
27. I sure don't feel sorry for them
   
It's a lot harder building a house than sitting in an office arranging the mortgage for that house. They don't know what hard work is. They should try for just one day collecting garbage, delivering furniture, working in a hospital or nursing home, guarding inmates, waiting table, etc. Their blind indifference makes me very angry.

Well, if this is their definition of the "noble" worker, I slog around in chicken shit everyday. They damn well better get on their knees and worship me because by their criteria I'm a fricken goddess.

Cindie

[USA4ME]

La Lioness Priyanka 

I have come to believe that wealthy people are tone deaf to whats going on in this economy

The evidence just isn't there to support this statement.  If one looks at the NYSE, or any number of other indicators, they'll see right off the bat that the wealthy are keeeping a close eye on the economy, and not participating because the Dems/libs are not doing the things that create confidence in the system.

The primitives, and libs in general, seem to have this notion that if the wealthy and mid-to-upper middle class don't participate in the economy, it doesn't really matter, that the poor and lower-middle can make it go all by themselves (i.e. from the Hellataz primitive - "This isn't even about the uber wealthy, it's about small business owners and upper middle class that are making more then enough money to make ends meet and still pay for small luxuries like trips, clothes and toys. They can't identify...").  As they continue to see the business class and working class not fully willing to take risks they once did because they don't trust Hussein, the type of risks that created wealth and jobs, their anger will grow.

Hellataz

I paid my bills and never once bitched because i knew that my taxes went to helping those who were even less fortunate that I and isn't that the point of being a good american?

Ah, the fatal flaw of liberalism.  The belief that it's the obligation of the gov't to take case of those in need instead of it being the responsibility of individuals in the community doing so of their own accord.  These libs don't want to get their hands dirty, pure and simple.  They want to be able to drive by the homeless sleeping on the side of the road, to walk past the elderly and fatherless who are begging for money, and feel good about not giving them the time of day by telling themselves "I paid my taxes in order that some gov't agency could take care of them so I don't have to waste my precious time acknowledging they even exist."  This is all about libs "feeling" good about not taking the time to personally care about anyone other than themselves.

.

[NHSparky]

Hey DUmmies, this last week besides my usual 40 hours working, I also had 31 hours of overtime.

I know what hard work is.



I did take Saturday off though. I needed some sleep.

   

Slacker.  43 hours OT last week here.  But at least I got Sunday off.

[Servonaut]

Slacker.  43 hours OT last week here.  But at least I got Sunday off.

Hey, It was a slow week. 

[NHSparky]

Hey, It was a slow week. 

Dammit--you're just taking a full-time job away from a malcontented, untrainable, layabout liberal, damn you!  Where's your COMPASSION, man!