The Rich Get Slightly Not So Rich

Not everyone has a dishwasher...I sure the hell don't...


I'd be grateful for one week away in a decent hotel....


They spoiled themselves. They really have no room to complain...They chose the expensive schools, expensive trips multiple times a year for lengthy periods, ect. They could have easily saved money every month to fall back on...they just enjoyed being able to indulge themselves whenever they wanted. They took advantage of their income.

I didn't say the child had internet access at home. I said the child's teacher wouldn't mind allowing them to use the internet to learn more. And if the child got permission from the teacher, clearly the teacher is there to supervise and can go over material with them on the internet that they find....

Because answering yes or no can take 3 hours.

Gotcha!

Friday Nights are $1PBR Nights at the club!

Everyone indulges. Propensity to consume rises with more income...when was the last time you went to Taco Bell and got a "value" meal instead of ordering off the $0.99 menu? YOU INDULGED! Could've saved that for more PBR...sigh.

*edit...idk why it quoted me...

It doesn't matter whether its a poor person or wealthy person. If you are living outside of your means, you don't have a right to *** and moan about giving luxuries up. If you make a lot of money, sure, you are going to spend more because you can afford it. Call it jealousy if you want, but it doesn't matter.
This guy might have to pull his child(ren) out of private school, which is a luxury. No one is going to starve or freeze just because he cannot keep his child in private school. I highly doubt that this guy was ever poor, because if he was ever in the position of where he had to decide whether to put food in his family's mouths, or keep a roof over their heads, he wouldn't have to think twice about pulling them out of private school.

They weren't living outside their means. They had the means to live the way they did. Now they're making less, and they don't have the means to live the way they were used to living. If you're going to make criticisms, make the criticisms in the right place.

I'm sure if people here suddenly got their hands on a salary of $500k+ then after a few years, getting it lowered to $350k, that you guys would also *** about going back to a poor lifestyle mindset.

that's a lot of conditionals

Teachers are not paid enough to worry about anything beyond their basic duties.

My family is falling apart. My job is terrible and soul crushing. My divorce is long and drawn out. My car doesn't work. I am frequently sick. My friend is depressed. My dog died.

It's all good - at least I ate breakfast!

You must drink a lot of PBR!

Sounds like you just listened to country music

I'm not saying I've never indulged...I have at times, but it's few and far between. I'm just more cautious with my money...and now that I have a better support system I'm able to actually save without having someone else stealing my money.

*shrugs* I just don't see how someone like that can complain any more than a person going from a 40k/yr job doubled b/c the spouse makes roughly the same, to just 40k/yr b/c one of them was laid off.

Adjust to your situation and deal with it. Don't cry about how you and your children are suffering without a dishwasher or not being able to take your month long vacation 4 times a year.

Idk about you guys, but I had a lot of private teacher time when I needed it. All I had to do was ask. And I went to a public school (graduated HS in 2001).

so much whoosh

well they cant indulge and then write an article asking us to feel sorry for them. im so sorry your 500k/yr and your bonuses that are 4x the average household income isnt enough to pay for your kids schools who frankly wont be ***anyways because they'll be spoiled and never know what it means to earn on their own.

This is true. But have you noticed that when the less fortunate live within their means then unwilling start to make less for whatever reason; its their fault and they should have been more educated. But when it happens to the rich, its some tragedy that should have never happend and the government needs to handle.

If you really think about the situation, the people in question should just do what everyone is expected to do....deal with it. If you have to pull your children out of private school, so be it. If you have to cut that 1 month vacation and sell a car, so be it. This kind of thing happens everyday. Only difference is they can still afford to live happily.

In short: I see no problem here.

It's just weird that their rich kids are so snobby when you go to school with them. You'd think they'd teach their children the values of hard work that got them where they are to be able to raise them with as much resource as they do.

It's probably true for the first and second generation, but afterwards it's a wealthy son handed down his riches raising a son who will be handed wealth as well.

Eat the rich.

Btw, if it wasn't so ridiculously difficult to get into and complete programs that 'qualify' you for similar positions, I'm willing to bet the career market would be a lot more open. Open to those who are willing to do that job for 150,000 a year.

Obviously I don't mean the inherent difficulty of the program or skills required, I mean the *** red tape wrapped around universities and acquiring that job in the first place.

Nope, pretty sure I wouldn't because I wouldn't be poor and I'd be happy for someone to tear me a new *** if I opened my mouth and exclaimed that I was suddenly "poor" with a 300k income.

350k/yr is poor? What planet are we living on?

Modesty is how you stay wealthy and excess leads you down the inevitable road to ruin. You can always splurge a bit as everyone does but when your life becomes splurging? You're in trouble.

There's people with jobs who STILL can't even afford a room to sleep in, and this guy's playing the victim over his stuck up children having to go to a public school?

Are you surprised given the amount of cheating in the financial sector? The banks haven't become the towering symbols of corporate power through solely working hard and helping the community. No, it's been through abusing loopholes, sticking fees on everything, fostering a culture where politicians are nothing more than chess pieces to be played and overall adopting a mentality of: "take what you can and give nothing back".

Do not get me wrong, there are plenty of people who work within this sector and do the right thing but it is nigh impossible to ignore the fact that many of the people who tote the large checks did nothing more than play the system and benefit from it.

You may know some wealthy people who got it made by busting their *** to open a business and growing something of value to a community but what have some of the banksters done? Taken huge paychecks exclaiming talent and then firing open a golden parachute when they *** up royally. Further still you've got guys who just take checks, dump the work on their subordinates and then roll in the dough all while their friends prop them up.

That's not hard work. That's not adding value to the country. That's not taking responsibility for your actions. What it has become is an environment of greed and it's sickening.

Some of the talking heads on TV want to chastise the lower classes as welfare queens but when it comes to those who play the system, socialize the losses and privatize the gains suddenly they're all hard workers who deserve everything they've earned? Give me a break.

I can guarantee I wouldn't. If you care to know why I say this, PM me.

Just had to ask. What school did you go to that the teachers allowed students on the PC for any reason?

Would be a cold day in hell for that to happen at my old high school.

I remember in elementary school when I'd eagerly anticipate being able to play Math Blaster in the lab. lol

Learning was so fun when you could blow some ***up AND learn about what dysentery is from a round of Oregon Trail.

You guys do understand that 80% of the world's wealth is held by the top 2% of the population right? And this story is supposed to surprise you?

Oregon Trail...




Squirrels, it doesn't matter shoot them all!

No, not at all. I am absolutely sure that there are wicked people, enjoying their ill gotten gains at the expensive of the average Joe.

But what are the proportions of the good guys and the bad guys? According to how I interpret the feeling lately: "It doesn't matter. They have money, I don't. Gimme." Even though we might feel or even know that they are out there, there isn't a real target for people's anger - it's just at a general group. That's wrong.

It's also extra frustrating, to me, when there are not only media figures, but public servants casting wealthy people in general in a negative light - regardless of the overall economy. Particularly when it's after all of our little bailouts. Or when they applaud things like GMs record profits (that, incidentally, don't include things like interest on the debt that they used have, paid by the government) and then attack BP's profits as immoral and unfair.

So unless and until the dialogue changes from "more taxes for the rich" to something more like "we need to remove various exploits from the system," I'll continue to argue for those (rich or poor) that can attribute their success (whatever it may be) to responsibility and hard work.

I don't understand why people are mad and jealous towards the rich. Sure some of them are *** and lose perspective, but the majority are hard working individuals who went through alot of hard work and sacrifice to get to where they are today. The simple fact is, the majority doesn't have the combination of intelligence and determination to get to that level, so they hate.