4 ms·

The "kid" part is what gets me. I mean if you bust your ass and make a fortune then do what you want. Edge out those who weren't as successful. Strongest surviv

The "kid" part is what gets me. I mean if you bust your ass and make a fortune then do what you want. Edge out those who weren't as successful. Strongest survive, etc. But fuck the little assholes who just inherit that success by virtue of luck. If you didn't earn it you don't deserve it.

charlesdm 8y ago
Ridiculous. As if all people who inherit money are useless shmucks with no abilities. And where does one draw the line? Inheriting $100k? 500k? A million? Five million? If you make "a fortune", wouldn't you want to pass it on to your kids eventually? Because I do.
- Decathect 8y ago
  Inherited wealth gives you an unearned advantage. Therefore, on average for any given slice of society, the least talented members will be the children of privilege. The more money you’ve been given the more likely your peers outclass you. This is evident to most people, but surprisingly not obvious, in my experience, to the people most directly affected.
  - poorbuthappy 8y ago
    But what does it really mean to "earn it"? What if someone had richer parents who could provide better education? What if someone was diagnosed with cancer after finishing that education? Does a $10M/yr. CEO really "deserve" their fortune? Has he really "busted his ass" anymore than a janitorial worker who works 3 jobs to make ends meet? What about affirmative action? What role does "inheritance of genes" play? Luck plays a much greater role than many free-market, survival-of-the-fittest capitalists want to admit. And so why is it that luck in the form of health, talent, country of citizenship, physical attractiveness, etc. should be any less reason for envy (which is the real issue here) than the gift of money?
- ss2003 8y ago
  You could draw the line at $0. That's the usual edge case.
- Latteland 8y ago
  Certainly a large number of people with significant inherited wealth are useless. It is one of those things where there is ample anecdotal evidence and even presidential evidence. I know one people who denies this. My friend who inherited a bunch of wealth, like 20 million. Being that wealthy doesn't mean you'll be happy or not struggle, but it makes a lot of things easier. There are a lot of people who can barely feed their kids, will they get the opportunity to achieve to their ability? Lot harder for them than for you.
spaceflunky 8y ago
Maybe an over simplified analogy better describes my point. It feels like there use to be three "neighborhoods" for people. The rich neighborhood for people that were wildly successful, the middle class neighborhood for those that did alright, and the poor neighborhood for those just getting their start or starting over. Nowadays it feels like the rich still get their rich neighborhood, but now the middle-class neighborhood is for the children/families of the rich, and the poor neighborhood is for the middle class, and the poor just get to live in an RV on the streets. I guess what's weird is that the rich weren't a middle class problem when they were off doing rich people things, but now that the rich are going after what little the middle class have, it's a problem.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  There's no shortage of room for housing in the US in general. The only places where rich people would be displacing the middle class would be in the cores of urban centers. We likely don't build enough housing, but that's different than it not being possible or affordable to do that given different policy.
  - spaceflunky 8y ago
    You’re right. And I think the reason why rich people don’t “stay in their lane” is because we are limiting the supply which causes higher classes to go after resources traditionally reserved for lower classes.
poorbuthappy 8y ago
But what does it really mean to "earn it"? What if someone had richer parents who could provide better education? What if someone was diagnosed with cancer after finishing that education? Does a $10M/yr. CEO really "deserve" their fortune? Has he really "busted his ass" anymore than a janitorial worker who works 3 jobs to make ends meet? What about affirmative action? What role does "inheritance of genes" play? Luck plays a much greater role than many free-market, survival-of-the-fittest capitalists want to admit. And so why is it that luck in the form of health, talent, country of citizenship, physical attractiveness, etc. should be any less reason for envy (which is the real issue here) than the gift of money?

charlesdm 8y ago

Ridiculous. As if all people who inherit money are useless shmucks with no abilities. And where does one draw the line? Inheriting $100k? 500k? A million? Five million? If you make "a fortune", wouldn't you want to pass it on to your kids eventually? Because I do.

Decathect 8y ago
Inherited wealth gives you an unearned advantage. Therefore, on average for any given slice of society, the least talented members will be the children of privilege. The more money you’ve been given the more likely your peers outclass you. This is evident to most people, but surprisingly not obvious, in my experience, to the people most directly affected.
- poorbuthappy 8y ago
  But what does it really mean to "earn it"? What if someone had richer parents who could provide better education? What if someone was diagnosed with cancer after finishing that education? Does a $10M/yr. CEO really "deserve" their fortune? Has he really "busted his ass" anymore than a janitorial worker who works 3 jobs to make ends meet? What about affirmative action? What role does "inheritance of genes" play? Luck plays a much greater role than many free-market, survival-of-the-fittest capitalists want to admit. And so why is it that luck in the form of health, talent, country of citizenship, physical attractiveness, etc. should be any less reason for envy (which is the real issue here) than the gift of money?
ss2003 8y ago
You could draw the line at $0. That's the usual edge case.
Latteland 8y ago
Certainly a large number of people with significant inherited wealth are useless. It is one of those things where there is ample anecdotal evidence and even presidential evidence. I know one people who denies this. My friend who inherited a bunch of wealth, like 20 million. Being that wealthy doesn't mean you'll be happy or not struggle, but it makes a lot of things easier. There are a lot of people who can barely feed their kids, will they get the opportunity to achieve to their ability? Lot harder for them than for you.

spaceflunky 8y ago

Maybe an over simplified analogy better describes my point. It feels like there use to be three "neighborhoods" for people. The rich neighborhood for people that were wildly successful, the middle class neighborhood for those that did alright, and the poor neighborhood for those just getting their start or starting over. Nowadays it feels like the rich still get their rich neighborhood, but now the middle-class neighborhood is for the children/families of the rich, and the poor neighborhood is for the middle class, and the poor just get to live in an RV on the streets. I guess what's weird is that the rich weren't a middle class problem when they were off doing rich people things, but now that the rich are going after what little the middle class have, it's a problem.

maxerickson 8y ago
There's no shortage of room for housing in the US in general. The only places where rich people would be displacing the middle class would be in the cores of urban centers. We likely don't build enough housing, but that's different than it not being possible or affordable to do that given different policy.
- spaceflunky 8y ago
  You’re right. And I think the reason why rich people don’t “stay in their lane” is because we are limiting the supply which causes higher classes to go after resources traditionally reserved for lower classes.

poorbuthappy 8y ago

But what does it really mean to "earn it"? What if someone had richer parents who could provide better education? What if someone was diagnosed with cancer after finishing that education? Does a $10M/yr. CEO really "deserve" their fortune? Has he really "busted his ass" anymore than a janitorial worker who works 3 jobs to make ends meet? What about affirmative action? What role does "inheritance of genes" play? Luck plays a much greater role than many free-market, survival-of-the-fittest capitalists want to admit. And so why is it that luck in the form of health, talent, country of citizenship, physical attractiveness, etc. should be any less reason for envy (which is the real issue here) than the gift of money?