Rich People

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I obviously support capitalism, but I respect manufacturers and producers a billion times more than a man who plays with stocks on a computer.

[TJ in Oregon]

As said by practically everyone, false dichotomy and partly both answers. The real answer is acknowledging first that rich people, are first and foremost people who for whatever reason are entrusted to more than their fair share of resources, and secondly acknowledging that almost everyone posting on this forum is rich by global and historical standards. Whatever economic ideology we subscribe to, whether it be unfettered capitalism, Marxism, or something else, we ought to start off by keeping in mind that both the rich and the poor are indeed people, and then move on to consider the various advantages and disadvantages of each system in terms of the allocation and efficiency in producing such resources, as well as whether or not the people getting most of the resources are achieving them through true merit, but should never forgot the first point, that the rich and the poor are all still people.

[Hatman 🍁]

Businesses creates jobs, not individual people. Rich people are inherently hoarding world's wealth, so "bloodsucking parasite", aside from being a colourful exaggeration, isn't too far from the truth.

[LastVoter]

Rich people, like all privileged people, need to acknowledge their privilege and do their share to build an egalitarian society. When they fail to do that, they are HP.

Life doesn't work that way buddy.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I obviously support capitalism, but I respect manufacturers and producers a billion times more than a man who plays with stocks on a computer.

Naturally.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Rich people keep those in specialty industries employed, so option 2, though may or may not be especially hard-working.

[Indy Texas]

Rich people keep those in specialty industries employed, so option 2, though may or may not be especially hard-working.

By specialty industries, do you mean those involved in the sale and manufacture of car elevators and car elevator accessories?

[opebo]

Stereotyping any class is equivalent to stereotyping a race.

Are you sure?  A class is a functional thing - one acts as a class or as a member of a class... one isn't stereotyping to describe these functions and acts: such as blood sucking.

[TNF]

Stereotyping any class is equivalent to stereotyping a race.

[⛄]

Saying that all rich people are blood-sucking parasites is like saying that all poor people are idle deadbeats.
Thus option 3.

[opebo]

Saying that all rich people are blood-sucking parasites is like saying that all poor people are idle deadbeats.
Thus option 3.

No, because the capitalist system means that the rich are by definition are blood sucking parasites, while the poor are forced to work incessantly or die by this same system.

[PJ]

Stereotyping any class is equivalent to stereotyping a race.

Are you sure?  A class is a functional thing - one acts as a class or as a member of a class... one isn't stereotyping to describe these functions and acts: such as blood sucking.

Capitalism is a system where you are born into a certain class and it's difficult to move out of that class. Any "blood-sucking" that occurs, as vague as that term may be, is a fault of the system.

[ZuWo]

As said by practically everyone, false dichotomy and partly both answers. The real answer is acknowledging first that rich people, are first and foremost people who for whatever reason are entrusted to more than their fair share of resources, and secondly acknowledging that almost everyone posting on this forum is rich by global and historical standards. Whatever economic ideology we subscribe to, whether it be unfettered capitalism, Marxism, or something else, we ought to start off by keeping in mind that both the rich and the poor are indeed people, and then move on to consider the various advantages and disadvantages of each system in terms of the allocation and efficiency in producing such resources, as well as whether or not the people getting most of the resources are achieving them through true merit, but should never forgot the first point, that the rich and the poor are all still people.

This is an excellent post. All of us are part of the privileged, rich class compared to the vast majority of people on this planet so I would suggest we all think twice before calling rich people "bloodsucking parasites".

[Comrade Funk]

Where did most of the people on this forum come up with their conception of rich people as all gathering in secret rooms at regular intervals to explicitly plot ways to make the lives of everyone else as miserable as possible?

One of my friends in high school's father was the CEO of a major oil and gas pipeline company. I looked his compensation up on their website once and it was in the eight figures when you included bonuses and stock options.

I never heard this guy say a word about anything politically related; looked his name up on Open Secrets and he has never made any campaign contributions. He was in his office at 7 every morning and usually didn't get home until around 7 at night. He didn't spend all day lounging around a country club sipping scotch and wondering what ways he could abuse the employees.

He was just someone who grew up in an ordinary family, went to college, got an engineering degree, and over the years, through a combination of diligence, luck and timing, became a CEO. That doesn't mean he deserves to pay a lower effective tax rate than his secretary. But your caricature of him and people like him as a "blood sucking parasite" has about as much merit and justification as Krazen's characterization of all public employees as "moochers."

Some moral police socialists hate successful people. Not all, but there are quite a few obviously. Same with conservatives who hate poor people. Same book, different chapters. Embarrassments to their ideologies.

[opebo]

Are you sure?  A class is a functional thing - one acts as a class or as a member of a class... one isn't stereotyping to describe these functions and acts: such as blood sucking.

Capitalism is a system where you are born into a certain class and it's difficult to move out of that class. Any "blood-sucking" that occurs, as vague as that term may be, is a fault of the system.

Nevertheless it is a system made up of people.  Anyway you merely restated my point which is that it is their role to drink blood.  The system even does the arduous sucking.

[Kung Fu Kenny]

Option 1 fo sho

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Blatantly ignoring the stickied thread eh?

How does a discussion on the rich people violate the ToS, exactly, Mr. Kemp?