Do liberals deserve what they get?

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

I don't know a single person who inherited big wealth. I do know a lot of people who earned it, however.

I don't know how Bush won...I don't know anyone who voted for him!

[Shira]

I don't even I can come up with a list of 20 millionaires I know personally. 

If you don't personally know, try to look into public figures ( Bush, Kerry, Kennedy, Rockefeller, Cheney etc.)

BTW: Bill Clinton does belong to the very small but famous group of "self made people". The people are famous because they are the rare exception but the group is tiny.

[Shira]

I don't know a single person who inherited big wealth. I do know a lot of people who earned it, however.

I don't know how Bush won...I don't know anyone who voted for him!

I would recommend to you to  read the messages in this thread. The mindsets of these people are very interesting.

[bushforever]

I don't even I can come up with a list of 20 millionaires I know personally. 

If you don't personally know, try to look into public figures ( Bush, Kerry, Kennedy, Rockefeller, Cheney etc.)

BTW: Bill Clinton does belong to the very small but famous group of "self made people". The people are famous because they are the rare exception but the group is tiny.

You can't really go into famous people.  Most famous people are rich one way or another, no doubt.  But it really says something if you actually personally know a millionaire and if those millionaires are self-made or heirs.  In addition, even those who are heirs and are famous (Kerry, Bush, etc.) have worked hard in their life doing something.  Sure, it's not drilling concrete, but I don't think the average joe could go out on a political campaign while at the same time making hard decisions regarding war and moral issues in America.  Prior to politics, Kerry worked hard in Vietnam and Bush was an avid businessman.  Life wasn't completely handed to them on silver platters.

[Shira]

 Life wasn't completely handed to them on silver platters.

Wrong.

Life was completely handed to them on silver platters.

[bushforever]

 Life wasn't completely handed to them on silver platters.

Wrong.

Life was completely handed to them on silver platters.

Not really.  Very few people have life handed to them on silver platters.  Sure, they may have been some extraordinary circumstances.  Being the son of a president.  Being married to the ketchup lady.  But they could have given up.  They could have not tried.  They could have failed miserably on the campaign trail.  Explain your reasoning.  Or at least your definition of life handed to someone on a silver platter. 

[Shira]

 Life wasn't completely handed to them on silver platters.

Wrong.

Life was completely handed to them on silver platters.

Not really.  Very few people have life handed to them on silver platters.  Sure, they may have been some extraordinary circumstances.  Being the son of a president.  Being married to the ketchup lady.  But they could have given up.  They could have not tried.  They could have failed miserably on the campaign trail.  Explain your reasoning.  Or at least your definition of life handed to someone on a silver platter. 

The Bush family was very rich long long before H.W Bush became president. Barbara's family also was very rich for generations.

[opebo]

Not many Americans, whether in the ghetto or on main street are in true deep deep poverty meaning they have 0$. Even the poorest Americans own at least one television or vehicle.

A TV has no bearing on poverty - you can get a used one free out of the garbage, and a new one for like $100.  And no, many do not own a vehicle.  But one can still be desperately poor and own a 10 year old beater.  Poverty is more about one's place in the social structure than whether one has this or that.   

It makes more sense to look at income - if your income is less than say $20,000 per family member you're awfully poor.  Double that in the economically viable states.  And don't even get me started on the issue of ability to advance in society!

[opebo]

 Life wasn't completely handed to them on silver platters.

Wrong.

Life was completely handed to them on silver platters.

Shira is exactly right - live was handed to all the Bushes, and all the people like them, on a silver platter.  It is amazing to me that anyone can deny America has an aristocracy (admittedly a shabby, honorless one).

On the other hand, I do know a lot of very elderly people with a couple million dollars who got it at least partially through their own efforts.  A million or three is not  much nowadays, and a workaholic miser can sometimes accumulate it through a life of misery.  Or for that matter just owning a good house in the right area can put you part of the way into that sort of 'minimally rich' class.  My own family more or less in this class, and believe me, its not all that impressive.

But when we speak of the class which controlls this country and recieves the life on a silver platter, they most definitely did not get where they are through their own efforts.

[J. J.]

I'm going to point out that neith Bush or Kerry were born into a "superrich" family.  Well off, yes, but not on the levels of the Mellons, Duponts, Annenburgs (now), Gates (now), Waltons (now), Rockefellers, or Kennedys.  Where they lower upper class or upper middle class, in terms of wealth?  Yes, but they were not people were even in the top levels of wealth.

[A18]

I don't know a single person who inherited big wealth. I do know a lot of people who earned it, however.

I don't know how Bush won...I don't know anyone who voted for him!

I was responding to Shira, who asked about the rich people I know. Taken in context, this post of yours makes no sense whatsoever.

[Shira]

America loves the Henri Ford story of a poor who became rich.
The matter of the fact is that millions of people did exactly what H.Ford  had done, but they never became H.Ford  and no one know their names. These people are the vast majority, while the Fords are the tiny-but-famous minority.

[J. J.]

America loves the Henri Ford story of a poor who became rich.
The matter of the fact is that millions of people did exactly what H.Ford  had done, but they never became H.Ford  and no one know their names. These people are the vast majority, while the Fords are the tiny-but-famous minority.

What makes you thing that to be successful, you must be a millionaire.  Millions of people, at some point in their lives have very little, but prosper.

[??????????]

America loves the Henri Ford story of a poor who became rich.
The matter of the fact is that millions of people did exactly what H.Ford  had done, but they never became H.Ford  and no one know their names. These people are the vast majority, while the Fords are the tiny-but-famous minority.

Shira,

My family came over here dirt poor. Although we aren't millionaires we have improved our lifes tenfold as compared to what life was like in the various countries my family came from. (Austria, Palestine, Lebanon, Ireland)

[A18]

My parents (and their parents) were poor, and now they're semi-rich.

[Brutus]

I'm going to point out that neith Bush or Kerry were born into a "superrich" family.  Well off, yes, but not on the levels of the Mellons, Duponts, Annenburgs (now), Gates (now), Waltons (now), Rockefellers, or Kennedys.  Where they lower upper class or upper middle class, in terms of wealth?  Yes, but they were not people were even in the top levels of wealth.

Not superrich but certainly "old money" and well-connected.  W's granddaddy Prescott was a US Senator.

[??????????]

I'm going to point out that neith Bush or Kerry were born into a "superrich" family.  Well off, yes, but not on the levels of the Mellons, Duponts, Annenburgs (now), Gates (now), Waltons (now), Rockefellers, or Kennedys.  Where they lower upper class or upper middle class, in terms of wealth?  Yes, but they were not people were even in the top levels of wealth.

Not superrich but certainly "old money" and well-connected.  W's granddaddy Prescott was a US Senator.

Very few of our presidents haven't come from old money.

[bushforever]

Even if Bush and his dad were born into a semi-rich family doesn't mean that they had life handed to them on a silver platter.  I'm sure Bush and Kerry both worked hard in everything they did and were raised that way.  There are rich people who get anything they want and are very spoiled.  I don't think they were like that.  You don't become president by being a spoiled cry baby.  No one does.  Bush and Kerry both had to work hard to court voters and convince people in their policies.  Sure, they probably had a few advice from their parents in their lives and a little guidance, but not full-fledged silver platter.

By the way, I'm not rich.  But my parents worked hard.  They didn't get a college degree, but they work hard at their jobs and encourage their kids to work hard.  Me and my siblings have/will get a college degree and a job we enjoy, our parents giving us nothing but love and encouragement.  Isn't that the American dream...raising hardworking kids who achieve more than you did??  And hasn't W. Bush and Kerry accomplished more than their parent's did.  I'd say so.

[J. J.]

I'm going to point out that neith Bush or Kerry were born into a "superrich" family.  Well off, yes, but not on the levels of the Mellons, Duponts, Annenburgs (now), Gates (now), Waltons (now), Rockefellers, or Kennedys.  Where they lower upper class or upper middle class, in terms of wealth?  Yes, but they were not people were even in the top levels of wealth.

Not superrich but certainly "old money" and well-connected.  W's granddaddy Prescott was a US Senator.

They were well connected because someone a few years back became politically active.  Truman, Nixon, and Ford, and didn't come from well connected families.  I think that it was Clinton's mother who became politically well connected; they never had a lot of money.

It isn't that hard to become "well connected," just start volunteering for the party of your choice.  I became, at one point, very well connected and have no money to show for it.

Don't confuse wealth with power.