Why are the rich given a "bad" rap?

Question

The word "rich" is too often preceded by the pejorative adjective "filthy". Is this fair to those who have taken risks and worked hard for their wealth? Disregard the small percentage of the wealthy who acquired their fortune by nefarious means, or by (inheritance). I am aware that many in the upper class are exempt from taxes---taxes that more often than not hurt the middle class most, but, why should we tax those who have worked hard ?

Answer 1

bekuz a lot of us think were better than other ppl with our fancy cars and stuff...a lot aren't like my family and i...which is very cool and easy going folks...but then again we live in san francisco where we see and get used to everything and moslty everyone is welcomed!...lol

Answer 2

Communist and socialist propaganda in the media are antagonizing a class warfare mentality.

Answer 3

A lot of people know that those who have the money make the rules . An this makes the rich the objects for the bad rap .

Answer 4

oooh whee, here we go with the generalizations

Answer 5

I think about a third of fortune 500 come from inherited wealth, but the fact is the US is not a very mobile country - in terms of wealth.

Take Bill Gates. Comes from a upper middle class family, was able to go to school but got tired of it, ran around awhile. He borrowed a bit of money from his parents, had an incredible idea and went with it. Worked hard? Probably no harder than most. If you want hard work, try standing in the middle of some big city begging for change and with no place to sleep. Or maybe you can't afford you medicine.

Every few months, I stare at the people washing my windows and I wonder why in the world I get paid as much as they do. Or, I walk down the street and it's 90, and there's a guy on a jackhammer or a UPS man loading boxes.

Capitalism is blind. It only rewards the productive, hard work on no.

Answer 6

It's not people who have lots of money that are being villanized, it's people who display excessive wealth in a vulgar way while those around them have little or nothing.

If you parade around in a sports car wearing designer clothes and 10Ks of jewelry because you happened to marry a stock broker, or because your father is a record producer, and you don't give a thought to people who are struggling to get by except maybe to thing that they are messing up your view, then you should get a rude wake up call.

Answer 7

People always want to blame the someone for their problems, and who are easier than the targets who have achieved what they dont have. I know exactly what you mean. I was poor as h**l, and I had a lot of friends who were in the same situation. But they went and got minimum wage jobs, and I went to law school and I now to do civil contingency. So I take class actions (always for the little guy) and I am always straight up and honest with my clients. In fact I am so fair (I always write the percentage based in the advantage of the client) clients will look me up when I have a case.

And I just completed basic courses of investing. Already I have made nearly 20k, (with the recession coming up I dont know) and old friends won't associate with me anymore b/c I am rich. I always ask, "So what?" And they give this half-a$$ed answer. I feel I have earned my money, I risked a lot on my student loans for college and law school, and I am now risking in the stock market.  But all of the sudden I am treated like a different guy.

The rich who have been rich all their lives are a little naive and impersonal, so that makes it easier for the middle class and poor to say that they have no spirit or soul. But as I said before, they look for someone to blame for thier economic problems on, and who else but the person who has made what they want.

Answer 8

Firstly i think that everyone should pay taxes. Simply because if we were to exempt all hard working people from the neccessity of tax than shouldn't we exempt fireman, doctors, surgeons, nurses, teachers..... for these people, though they may not be rich, work hard. Shouldn't these people be less inclined to pay taxes considering they do not recieve high salaries and  they are the ones saving our lives and educating us?

I have seen many wealthy people who have made me angry simply because of their greed and simplicity. An example that has been flaunted lately is the lady who passed away and left 12 million dollers to her dog. I am a pet lover myself but to leave such an extreme amount of money to an animal, considering a puppy would never actually be able to spend that much money, is absolutly rediculous. If she did not want her children to inherit her money, for whatever reason, could she not have donated the money to the many people out their that really need it.

This brings me to my main point.

Is it really fair for a  man to have a billion dollers that he will never spend when there are people in need of surgeries and children in need of education.

I agree that someone who has worked hard, began with nothing and acquired a wealth... should be congratulated and respected.

but it is the people with unlimited wealth and no desire to put their power towards making a change that stain the names of the rich.

Answer 9

Interesting question. The rich do get a bad rap. We give 'em a bad rap but then want to BE one of 'em.  I think though the rich, as in super rich & influential including those who carry the responsibility for the welfare of the people, generally do not make decisions that benefit the man on the street. They make decisions that benefit themselves & their own. The few who have tried to use what they have been entrusted with for noble endeavor are few & far between. When you consider how the masses have been exploited while being told certain measures or decisions have been made for their benefit, well it's bound to cause resentment. Sadly those who have achieved wealth &/or position through hard, honest work & initiative while others sat around watching 'Big Brother are often tarred with the same brush.

Answer 10

You are basically insinuating that people who are not rich don't "work hard" which is a slap in the face to most people in the U.S who do not have the resources, opportunities and other good fortunes afforded to the "wealthy"... Who are you to say that a single parent who works 2-3 jobs to support their kids doesn't "work hard"?...Some and I emphasize SOME people from low-income beginnings are able to make it to the latter and climb up a bit but that is a very small minority of folks, lets be real.

Answer 11

I live in one of the richer parts of town. We aren't really rich at all. About 150 grand a year. Be we are cool. We ain't no snobs. But I can't say that for the rest of the hood. Bunch preps. d**n democrats. lol