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Reducing the problem of inequality to envy is so totally, arrogantly disconnected from the reality of life on this planet that it makes me want to punch the aut

Reducing the problem of inequality to envy is so totally, arrogantly disconnected from the reality of life on this planet that it makes me want to punch the author in the face. This entire blog post can be summarized in one short sentence: "let them eat cake!". Seriously, "Take the regular jobs."? What the fuck do you think the vast majority of people lucky enough to have a job are doing? "Avoid conspicuous consumption." Well thank you very fucking much for that bit of helpful advice to the majority that have no fucking choice. Envy is the standard lame excuses of the privileged that don't want to bother thinking about the consequences their privilege has for others. His "finite games" are non-optional within a society of structurally growing inequality. You stop playing, you lose everything. Maybe not dramatically in one individual's lifetime (if, like his one and only example, you're lucky enough to be pretty fucking privileged to start with), but bit by bit, generation by generation, until there is nothing left but scraps. That's what Piketty and Occupy Wall street were talking about, not about whether or not people can "choose" to buy a fucking BMW. Inequality is a growing cancer that gradually takes all choices away.

gdubs 12y ago
The book, "The millionaire next door" is based on extensive research on the consumption patterns of America's wealthiest and a surprising majority live below their means and don't play that game. They're wealthy is spite of being low earners -- in other words they play solid economic defense and often have a weaker economic offense than many. There are a lot of people driving BMWs who can't afford them, and the economic crises revealed a ton of people over-leveraged on mortages. Now, in that case there's certainly a strong argument that people were taken advantage of, and inequality is a really big problem -- I'm just not convinced the status game is something that must be played. Again, the book makes a compelling, fact based argument that frugality is a bigger determinant of wealth than high income.

gdubs 12y ago

The book, "The millionaire next door" is based on extensive research on the consumption patterns of America's wealthiest and a surprising majority live below their means and don't play that game. They're wealthy is spite of being low earners -- in other words they play solid economic defense and often have a weaker economic offense than many. There are a lot of people driving BMWs who can't afford them, and the economic crises revealed a ton of people over-leveraged on mortages. Now, in that case there's certainly a strong argument that people were taken advantage of, and inequality is a really big problem -- I'm just not convinced the status game is something that must be played. Again, the book makes a compelling, fact based argument that frugality is a bigger determinant of wealth than high income.