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>Why is this happening? Well if you can explain it, then you’ve got a good shot for at least a Ph.D. in sociology. The global pandemic obviously doesn’t help, b
by tw04 5y ago
>Why is this happening? Well if you can explain it, then you’ve got a good shot for at least a Ph.D. in sociology. The global pandemic obviously doesn’t help, but I think it just exacerbated a mood that was already there.
It's happening because of the widening wealth gap. There was a time when the average American only had to compare themselves to the folks in their neighborhood. Now they see how the actual wealthy are living and are angry about it and for a large portion of them they direct their anger at immigrants or China or insert boogeyman because they work hard and deserve to live like that. It's never the rich guy's fault though... as best I can tell from talking to a couple folks in that mindset their theory is we shouldn't increase taxes or re-implement actual estate-taxation because "when they make it big" they don't want to become poor again because of high taxes. They don't understand what a progressive tax rate is, and they haven't the faintest idea that taxes are literally the LAST thing that is going to cause someone who is wealthy to ever become poor.
That's ignoring the entire generation just entering the workforce that also sees those ultra-wealthy on Instagram and feel that if they can't obtain that wealth working hard, they want to work as little as possible. And I can't entirely blame them.
- chiph 5y agoI for one, am not going to blame it on an actual wealth gap. Shows like "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "MTV Cribs" were around long ago and didn't cause financial angst. Probably because watching a weekly tour through some poorly decorated Beverly Hills mansion wasn't that big of an influence. We knew that a fair number of the homes were staged and the musician didn't live there (from how awkward the "tours" were). [0] However, we usually watched those shows with someone around us (family/friends), but social media is typically consumed while alone and no one else is there to laugh at the absurdities. If the people in their feeds aren't explaining that all the new clothes, cars, houses, and so on were given to them for free by their sponsors - that may be the real problem. Resulting in a perceived wealth gap. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ-Z7aFgDPk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ-Z7aFgDPk
- carom 5y ago>Now they see how the actual wealthy are living and are angry about it and for a large portion of them they direct their anger at immigrants or China or insert boogeyman because they work hard and deserve to live like that. It's never the rich guy's fault though... as best I can tell from talking to a couple folks in that mindset their theory is we shouldn't increase taxes or re-implement actual estate-taxation because "when they make it big" they don't want to become poor again because of high taxes. They don't understand what a progressive tax rate is, and they haven't the faintest idea that taxes are literally the LAST thing that is going to cause someone who is wealthy to ever become poor. It must be tiring talking to so many strawmen. I'm imagining being someone who has a problem illegal labor and the government taking 20% of my pay, then talking to someone like you who just thinks I'm the biggest moron in the world.