The Complacency of the Rich

The Complacency of the Rich

Recently I’ve heard a few politicians in the States suggesting the real division in that country is not between the left and right, but rather than between the rich and the poor. More specifically the void is between the extremely rich and everyone else.

Presently the richest one per cent of Americans own thirty-five percent of the country’s wealth. The poorest half of the country holds only 2.5%. Most people don’t understand how concentrated wealth has become in the United States. The gap between rich and poor has never been as wide, and it continues to grow.

The right wing of American politics seems to have become the tool of the ultra-rich. Legislation from the current government has cut taxes to the wealthiest and decreased programs to help the poor.

A reasonable question to ask is why the very richest people in society would want even more money. To many of us, it is hard to understand why anyone would need a billion dollars. Despite all the yachts, fancy cars and mansions a person can buy, no one can spend a billion dollars.

A simple answer to these questions is that some people are just greedy. But how does a thinking person believe it’s a good idea for the wealthiest people in a country to get even richer?

I think that one reason that billionaires want more is the idea that we all buy into the culture and beliefs of our own situation.

We all find ways to define ourselves. If asked what we are, most of us will reply with our occupation. It is easy to say that we are a teacher, truck driver, writer or a veterinarian. When we define ourselves like this, we often agree with the assumptions that come with being this sort of person.

Someone who is hired by a city to hand out parking tickets will usually believe that enforcement of parking regulations is an important part of maintaining order in a community. Teachers think teaching children is one of the best things anyone could do, and veterinarians believe it is important for pets to be vaccinated. We come to believe the priorities of our situation are good for everyone.

I’m sure that many of the ICE agents rampaging through the cities of America believe that rounding up illegal immigrants is important enough to justify their actions.

The same way, I’m sure that billionaires believe that it’s a good thing to be a billionaire. They buy into an assumption that they deserve their obscene amount of wealth because they are superior people. They also believe that their country should be run by those who have shown their superior intelligence by how much wealth they have accumulated.

Many of us would argue that wealth has nothing to do with the intelligence or value of a person. The very best people I know have little money and no desire to get more.

Is it possible for any of us to look objectively at our situations and ask if we are doing the right thing? There are stories of billionaires who gave away all their money. These people have stepped outside of the norms of their situation. But these examples are rare enough to suggest it is difficult for anyone to step away from the expectations of their place in society.

The world would be a better place if more of us could objectively look at the value of what we are doing. It is easy for us to look at others and conclude they are not contributing to society. It’s a much more difficult task to look at ourselves and decide whether what we have chosen to do with our lives is worthwhile. If a few more billionaires could examine their lives carefully, the world would be a better place.