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Old 06-09-07, 02:33 PM
MarkP MarkP is offline
RS#292-329: "A nemo meter". Measures hot air.
 

Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: No shandy for me - gin drinking southerner
Posts: 1,119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Brookes
That super rich category must only account of a tiny % of the population though.
True, about 0.1%. But, in the USA at least, they own about half the wealth of the entire country.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Brookes
For the vast majority of people, most work hard for their lifestyles, pay taxes and IMO have a right to feel agrieved that those taxes are being spent (in some cases) to make life comfortable for people who can't be bothered to work.
I can't disagree with you! However, there are few people with the ability to overcome their "birthright" to any great extent. There are some, and they are to be applauded. Perhaps we should be spending more, better targetted, money on the others to ease the way out of poverty. When you're bred to have no hope, it's very difficult to see your way out of "the ghetto" when the only well off people you see are drug dealers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Brookes
Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but to me if you want something, work for it. Beer, cigarettes, playstations, a car are not rights. They are luxuries.
In that respect I'm fairly old fashioned too, but when all the media you're exposed to is full of aspirational lifestyle BS it's hard to believe that your B&F aren't essential. I believe that there's less absolute poverty than there used to be, but the gap between the rich and rest is growing. This can't be good for society.
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