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Here's How Weird Our Obsession With Rich People (Original Post) Playinghardball May 2012 OP
sorry, that's ridiculous. cali May 2012 #1
You need to explain to me. ret5hd May 2012 #20
OK. Amassing cats or newspapers doesn't mean amassing power cali May 2012 #21
Cats aren't great. n/t A HERETIC I AM May 2012 #28
Mark Zuckerberg built a company from nothing, Nye Bevan May 2012 #2
He had help it wasn't nothing. jp11 May 2012 #4
What about Mitt Romney? CJCRANE May 2012 #5
The difference between Zuckerberg and Romney. Nye Bevan May 2012 #7
No, Suckerberg doesn't "prey" -- just that his entire business plan = selling the personal info HiPointDem May 2012 #27
Actually, he didn't "create it from nothing". liberalhistorian May 2012 #15
Watch "The Social Network". Initech May 2012 #32
If you think wanting to be rich is crazy I think you are crazy. dkf May 2012 #3
Sorry, not everyone wants to be rich. Ikonoklast May 2012 #6
Indeed, I am fairly certain that Freud (and\or Jung?) had coalition_unwilling May 2012 #9
That's me. I have no desire to be rich n/t deutsey May 2012 #14
Right on! People also want to not have to work for someone who isn't an a-hole, in a job they hate. Crowman1979 May 2012 #19
Thank you. nt woo me with science May 2012 #25
There's nothing at all crazy or wrong with liberalhistorian May 2012 #16
Money is a construct DoBotherMe May 2012 #22
Almost the right quote Ty Templeton May 2012 #23
No, it was enhanced in the King James version DoBotherMe May 2012 #30
"The lack of money is the root of starvation" - the ME version n/t Spoonman May 2012 #33
This message was self-deleted by its author progressoid May 2012 #26
Why don't you tell the good folks at DU how you got/made your money dkf? HangOnKids May 2012 #29
This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl May 2012 #35
Perfect!!!!!! fascisthunter May 2012 #8
Most people have no idea what they'd do with a pile of newspapers hughee99 May 2012 #10
You've hit on the difference... CJCRANE May 2012 #18
I dont care what somebody else has Noose4 May 2012 #11
"The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor." Voltaire Tierra_y_Libertad May 2012 #12
yeee-up! fascisthunter May 2012 #13
Exactly. (And exactly the reason that the GOP is destroying the economy) FiveGoodMen May 2012 #24
The difference is that people want some of that money The2ndWheel May 2012 #17
Old newspapers have no utility 4th law of robotics May 2012 #31
Utility is in the hand of the utilizer.. Fumesucker May 2012 #34
Comfortable is different for everyone 4th law of robotics May 2012 #36
It doesn't mean we have to enable destructive status seeking behavior.. Fumesucker May 2012 #37
 

cali

(114,904 posts)
21. OK. Amassing cats or newspapers doesn't mean amassing power
Thu May 24, 2012, 02:24 PM
May 2012

amassing money, does. It also means security and comfort. Life is easier with money. And humans are attracted to power and security.

Not that cats aren't great.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
2. Mark Zuckerberg built a company from nothing,
Thu May 24, 2012, 12:12 PM
May 2012

created thousands of jobs, and made millionaires of many of his employees.

What have newspaper guy and cat lady contributed to society?

jp11

(2,104 posts)
4. He had help it wasn't nothing.
Thu May 24, 2012, 12:38 PM
May 2012

His business created what 2000 jobs?

Lots of millionaires, made on the idea of getting people to feel good about being unpaid lab rats handing over their personal information. That fosters a crappy social network method of interacting with people, you don't need to know your 'friends' FB keeps their bio on hand for you, it is on 'the cloud' just connect and it will tell you who your friends are.

That newspaper guy is a hero from Afghanistan who saved three fellow soldiers after and IED took out their truck,

The cay lady is a surgeon who specializes in reattaching severed limbs giving people a second chance after a horrible injury or accident.

CJCRANE

(18,184 posts)
5. What about Mitt Romney?
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:13 PM
May 2012

He has a quarter of a billion stashed away in various countries.

He gets about $20M a year in interest. I'm sure he doesn't even spend a quarter of that, so it just piles up...

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
7. The difference between Zuckerberg and Romney.
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:18 PM
May 2012

Zuckerberg built his own company as opposed to preying like a vulture on companies that others built.

 

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)
27. No, Suckerberg doesn't "prey" -- just that his entire business plan = selling the personal info
Thu May 24, 2012, 11:08 PM
May 2012

that people are stupid enough to give him, and laughing at them in the bargain.

Nah, no vulture there.

liberalhistorian

(20,818 posts)
15. Actually, he didn't "create it from nothing".
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:46 PM
May 2012

He stole the whole thing from the college kids who hired him to help them with the technical aspect of implementing it and bringing it to fruition, then shut them out, claimed it was all HIS idea and doing, and had to be forced by a court to acknowledge their contributions and give them a share of profits. And he's made many of his millions by surrepticiously selling the private data of his customers, without their knowledge or permission, and refusing to bend to protests from his own customers; his own enrichment is far more important. And what, exactly, has he done for others and society with his now billions? Has he done anything else except enrich himself and his employees?

Maybe the newspaper guy and the cat lady are soldiers and/or professionals who help or have helped others? You DO realize that because someone isn't rich or hasn't built a company that doesn't translate automatically to their not contributing anything to society? Or at least I'd hope you would. My parents were both teachers for decades, now retired, and aren't rich by any means. In fact, my father is now in a nursing home with dementia at an early age and most of their not-so-great pensions and assets goes to pay for it, with my mother struggling each month on what little is left her. I'd say they each contributed far more to society than Zuckerberg ever has or ever will, yet he will never be lacking for any comfort whatsoever.

Initech

(100,068 posts)
32. Watch "The Social Network".
Fri May 25, 2012, 02:19 PM
May 2012

Zuckerberg made several billion but he stabbed a shitload of people in the back to get that money - he's a definite 1%er.

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)
6. Sorry, not everyone wants to be rich.
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:16 PM
May 2012

Most people want to be free of debt, of want, and to be comfortable.

That is far from rich, that is what many Americans use to be able to do.

People that obsess over the accumulation of wealth and 'stuff' are not healthy individuals.

In the end, they end up just as dead as poor people.

 

coalition_unwilling

(14,180 posts)
9. Indeed, I am fairly certain that Freud (and\or Jung?) had
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:21 PM
May 2012

much to say on the compulsion to hoard, whether the object of hoarding be newspapers, cats or cash.

I cannot put my hands on it right at the moment, but I think Freud discusses something similar in Eros and Thanatos. Any Freud experts out there care to weigh in?

Crowman1979

(3,844 posts)
19. Right on! People also want to not have to work for someone who isn't an a-hole, in a job they hate.
Thu May 24, 2012, 02:08 PM
May 2012

If I had excess cash, I would give it away to those who need it.

liberalhistorian

(20,818 posts)
16. There's nothing at all crazy or wrong with
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:49 PM
May 2012

wanting to be rich. Money is, after all, simply freedom. Where the craziness and wrongness of it comes in is if you use and screw over others to get rich, and/or use the assets of others with far less means than you in order to get rich. Like, say, the psychopaths on Wall Street who play with the retirement and savings assets of others like it was their own money, then make their millions doing it while impovershing those whose money they played with and who can never get it back.

The crazy wrongness comes from thinking the rich are better simply because they're rich and that, if they're rich, that automatically means they're contributing more somehow to society. Bullshit.

DoBotherMe

(2,339 posts)
22. Money is a construct
Thu May 24, 2012, 02:28 PM
May 2012

that is used to define freedom. Jesus the moralist said "money is the root of all evil." Dana ; )

Ty Templeton

(26 posts)
23. Almost the right quote
Thu May 24, 2012, 02:36 PM
May 2012

The quotation is "Love of money is the root of all evil." The money itself is passive and inert, and isn't evil on its own.

DoBotherMe

(2,339 posts)
30. No, it was enhanced in the King James version
Fri May 25, 2012, 02:06 PM
May 2012

From the Greek, it translates as "money is the root of all evil." Dana ; )

Response to dkf (Reply #3)

 

HangOnKids

(4,291 posts)
29. Why don't you tell the good folks at DU how you got/made your money dkf?
Fri May 25, 2012, 01:04 AM
May 2012

You always defend the capitalist model, please share your secret to great wealth. Thanks!

Response to HangOnKids (Reply #29)

hughee99

(16,113 posts)
10. Most people have no idea what they'd do with a pile of newspapers
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:22 PM
May 2012

or a heard of cats, but everyone has ideas on what they would do with a hoard of cash. MoveOn.org is constantly raising money, but I don't recall them ever asking people to donate newspapers or cats.

CJCRANE

(18,184 posts)
18. You've hit on the difference...
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:58 PM
May 2012

"everyone has ideas on what they would do with a hoard of cash" (italics are mine).

That's the point - most of us want money for the things we could *do* - things we could build, things we could buy, services we could buy, people we could help, places we could travel to, courses we could study etc.

And granted there are plenty of billionaires who actually do things with their money. But there are many others who just sit on the cash and watch it pile up.

Noose4

(13 posts)
11. I dont care what somebody else has
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:24 PM
May 2012

unless they are getting filthy rich at the expense of the American workforce, a business does well all boats should rise but in today's world the top seems to want to keep it all.

The2ndWheel

(7,947 posts)
17. The difference is that people want some of that money
Thu May 24, 2012, 01:50 PM
May 2012

When we live in Waterworld, the guy with the newspapers won't be so crazy.

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
34. Utility is in the hand of the utilizer..
Fri May 25, 2012, 02:33 PM
May 2012

And when you have more than you can possibly spend already what is the marginal utility of another dollar, or another million dollars?

Beyond the point where you have enough to comfortably support your life money really is far more about status than anything to to with actually purchasing anything, it's the way we keep score in our society.



 

4th law of robotics

(6,801 posts)
36. Comfortable is different for everyone
Fri May 25, 2012, 03:58 PM
May 2012

I feel uncomfortable telling other people that they aren't living appropriately because they have chosen a different course than I have.

Some people work out excessively because they like the status. Or for other reasons.

Some people spend hours putting on make-up for the attention. Or for other reasons.

Some people spend months rebuilding an old car. And so on.

People are status seeking creatures. It's hardwired in to us. Eliminating that behavior will be as successful as convincing people to give up sex or gossiping or eating bacon or . . . .

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
37. It doesn't mean we have to enable destructive status seeking behavior..
Fri May 25, 2012, 05:56 PM
May 2012

And accumulating wealth beyond a certain point does become destructive of society, if for no other reason than reducing the velocity of money through the economy.

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