Comments on: Why Does Everyone Think Rich People are Bad?

By: robert ridlington

robert ridlington — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:24:10 +0000

Real Wealth is Zero Sum (Finite Planetary Resources) - the rest of the “wealth” is fake - profits on it go to the rich, and if and when the losses are “discovered” - the poor are made to pay up. Smart sound bytes, poor logic, Mr. Andrew Stevens.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:05:43 +0000

db- As I understand it Oprah made a promise to Nelson Mandela to open a school for girls.

By: db

db — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:11:36 +0000

I think the Gates Foundation rocks! And another way Bill Gates has helped minorities — he grew Microsoft into one heck of a company that spurred on tons of economic and job opportunities for anybody willing to give a go at becoming a tech-nerd — I’ve met plenty of minorities who are Microsoft-certified and making a healthy living. All pretty much independently of direct intervention by Bill Gates, yet at the same time Bill Gates was a pivotal player in making that possible for them. Pretty empowering stuff.

And the last I checked, anybody — including minorities — is able to buy Berkshire Hathaway stock. If you use something like Sharebuilder you can even buy it in $10 increments (well, at least $100 increments would be better). Then you — even if you’re a minority — can sit back and let the Oracle of Omaha make you rich.

I think Oprah’s done a lot of good things, but I also thought that school in S.A. was pretty self-aggrandizing and it always bugged mw. Why didn’t she pour that money into a scholarship program encouraging young girls to study the sciences instead, or pour it into literacy education?

By: BD

BD — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:38:17 +0000

The Gates Foundation also runs programs in inner-city American schools and offers scholarships to high-achieving poor minority college students. Check out their scholarships programs here: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/Scholarships/

By: Andrew Stevens

Andrew Stevens — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:49:24 +0000

The reason people believe rich people are bad is twofold: 1) zero-sum thinking (the belief that people can only get rich by making other people poor) and 2) simple envy. Just an expansion on Chris’s “jealousy and ignorance” which is it in a nutshell.

By: Single Ma

Single Ma — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:03:36 +0000

EDIT TO ABOVE COMMENT:

Next time someone makes an idiotic statement like that, ask him/her what have THEY done for minorities. Hell, what have they done in their OWN back yard (i.e. their family/neighborhood) to eradicate poverty, HIV, or any other ailment in the African American community? Lawd knows, there are many to choose from!

For the record, I don’t think any wealthy person is “bad” based on how they SPEND their money. It’s their money, they earned it, and they should be able to spend it however they choose - regardless of naysayers’ opinions. If Oprah wanted to build a school with luxurious mall slap dead in the middle, it may have looked foolish, but that’s her business. If she wanted to educate 5 children or 5,000, that’s 5 children who would benefit from her wealth. If Bill Gates wants to focus on finding a cure for AIDs or a cure for dry skin, someone, somewhere will benefit. My point is, if I didn’t help you earn, I have no right to tell you how to spend it. Whatever they do will help someone and who are we to pass judgment.

IMO, what makes a wealthy person “bad” is not what they give back, it’s HOW they became wealthy (i.e. illegal/dishonest means, taking advantage of others, causing harm to those who are less fortunate, etc.) in the first place. Otherwise it’s their money and ALL philanthropic efforts should be appreciated, not criticized.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:46:45 +0000

Quite simply, it comes down to jealousy and ignorance. It’s more fashionable to gripe about something than actually take 5 minutes to learn about it.

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:15:53 +0000

Tell her that the Gates foundation has financed some multi-million dollar programs to bring clean water and whatnot to African countries. Granted, black people in Africa aren’t exactly “minorities.” Or they support and organization which rescues little girls from forced prostitution in Cambodia and other places….not good enough for her?

If she goes off about it again, just e-mail her a link to the GatesFoundation (.com) and see what they’ve sponsored around the world.

I had to do research on them for something in college.

Is Bill Gates a good person? I don’t know, but I sure like what his foundation is doing.

By: franky

franky — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:15:47 +0000

A tad bit tangential to the overall post, but one criticism of Oprah’s school was that it was too over the top. If she had toned down the ostentatious display of wealth, she could have helped 1,000 girls instead of just 500 or possibly even more. I feel that’s a very valid criticism because if this was actually about helping people out of poverty then she would have listened to others and done just that. Instead, she opted for opulence and the inclusion of a beauty parlor and a yoga studio. Are those things really necessary?

Back on topic now
That woman’s assertion that those old white men don’t do anything for minorities just displays an ignorance that is so utterly maddening from black people. I can’t stand it when black people act like that.