General Discussion

badtoworse

(5,957 posts)

64. Sorry, I don't buy this thread at all.

Tue Jan 7, 2014, 12:41 PM

Jan 2014

My parents started poor but my father worked hard and gave us a middle class upbringing. My wife's story is similar. We both had student loans that we paid off long ago. We worked hard, invested wisely and lived prudently. The house is nearly paid off and our retirement is well funded. We're pretty well off and some might even say rich. We didn't exploit anyone and we used the same infrastructure that's available to everyone.
It pisses me off when I see rich people stereotyped because I know the people who are doing it would be screaming if they saw a racial, sexual or any other kind of stereotype applied. That smacks of hypocrisy in my opinion.

I am thankful for the good fortune my wife and I enjoy, but I make no apology for it.

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When someone tells you they got rich through hard work... [View all] Triana Jan 2014 OP

I'll give that a K & R! LeftofObama Jan 2014 #1

K&R for exposing parasites. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #2

k&r for labor. n/t Laelth Jan 2014 #3

The 'you didn't build that' backlash was a result of this harsh realization. ProgressSaves Jan 2014 #4

The one person I happen to know mercymechap Jan 2014 #5

He got rich through hard work AND taxpayer supported infrastructure n/t eridani Jan 2014 #27

Yes he did, and he is one to mercymechap Jan 2014 #109

Doing what? Bradical79 Jan 2014 #62

Well, he started out doing mercymechap Jan 2014 #110

If just hard work were the answer awoke_in_2003 Jan 2014 #6

So what's "rich"? badtoworse Jan 2014 #7

Good insight on your part... delete_bush Jan 2014 #15

50m+ grahamhgreen Jan 2014 #44

I hope you mean 50 million and not 50 thousand. dawg Jan 2014 #61

50 million. 50 thousand should be about double the minimum wage, IMHO grahamhgreen Jan 2014 #73

I think it is less than that. Unless you have a big family and set up a bunch of trust funds for Maraya1969 Jan 2014 #89

50m @ 4%/yr = 2m/yr, it's enough for anyone, imo grahamhgreen Jan 2014 #102

I wasn't saying it wasn't enough. I was saying it was too much. Maraya1969 Jan 2014 #108

The CEO where I work... Kelselsius Jan 2014 #8

heh Lurker Deluxe Jan 2014 #42

My mistake. Kelselsius Jan 2014 #67

So ... Lurker Deluxe Jan 2014 #72

In other words Kelselsius Jan 2014 #79

very nice Lurker Deluxe Jan 2014 #81

The topic is not whether or not he deserves his money. Kelselsius Jan 2014 #97

This message was self-deleted by its author HangOnKids Jan 2014 #105

I got rich from my hard work and my employees hard work. AngryAmish Jan 2014 #9

And your employees? Kelselsius Jan 2014 #12

How would he know what his employees do with their paychecks? (nt) Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #25

Does he know if their paychecks make them rich? n/t eridani Jan 2014 #28

Oh brother. Kelselsius Jan 2014 #68

In all fairness, that is relative joeglow3 Jan 2014 #82

That's my point. He has no way of knowing if his employees save or squander their paychecks (nt) Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #92

He's a lawyer running a company. Kelselsius Jan 2014 #99

What do/did you do? Bradical79 Jan 2014 #58

lawyer AngryAmish Jan 2014 #65

LOL HangOnKids Jan 2014 #107

Right on! Nobody gets rich from hard work, they get rich by taking advantage of others who work hard DrewFlorida Jan 2014 #10

Yep.... JK Rowling..... Derek Jeter..... Elton John.... the list is endless (nt) Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #16

JK Rowling was supported by the British government while she wrote her first Potter book eridani Jan 2014 #29

Thanks for pointing that out, Eridani BelgianMadCow Jan 2014 #30

I agree that not everyone takes advantage to be wealthy but.. Notafraidtoo Jan 2014 #32

There you go. HappyMe Jan 2014 #38

But the taxpayers funded the roads that your food truck drives on. Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #40

Okay. HappyMe Jan 2014 #41

I don't think anyone is saying you personally didn't work hard. lark Jan 2014 #78

Everyone else has access to those same roads joeglow3 Jan 2014 #84

Whose money did you use to do these things? jmowreader Jan 2014 #76

Ever hear the phrase "work your way through college"? Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #93

And don't forget delete_bush Jan 2014 #17

See post 32# Notafraidtoo Jan 2014 #33

Name one who "Horatio Algered" his or her way to wealth and fame jmowreader Jan 2014 #77

I'm not sure who the 'we' is... delete_bush Jan 2014 #101

I'm not rich, but I am well off due to my hard work Ranchemp. Jan 2014 #21

That and a bunch of infrastructure provided courtesy US taxpayers n/t eridani Jan 2014 #31

Very true, Ranchemp. Jan 2014 #52

Don't understand. You said before you worked for the government. Kingofalldems Jan 2014 #34

I do work for the govt. Ranchemp. Jan 2014 #47

So your response really had nothing to do with Kingofalldems Jan 2014 #51

Neither did half of the responses, did you question their responses? Ranchemp. Jan 2014 #53

I think you were saying, 'I make money, why can't these people?' Kingofalldems Jan 2014 #54

No, that's not what I was saying/thinking. Ranchemp. Jan 2014 #56

LOL. We once had a gungeoner troll (I know coincidence right?).... Hassin Bin Sober Jan 2014 #87

Why does the tone sound exactly the same? HangOnKids Jan 2014 #106

That is the real meaning of Trickle Down, meaning, take advantage of those under your practice or DhhD Jan 2014 #37

i've seen people get rich through hard work.. not everyone exploits people to make it. spanone Jan 2014 #11

Not directly Bradical79 Jan 2014 #59

It depends upon whether sulphurdunn Jan 2014 #13

Nobody has ever told me that. And I doubt they ever will. Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #14

EPIC!!!! Demo_Chris Jan 2014 #18

I'm sure this means something delete_bush Jan 2014 #23

I usually just tell them to go fuck themselves. RagAss Jan 2014 #19

a kick for the great Don Marquis quote nt NoGOPZone Jan 2014 #20

kick mstinamotorcity2 Jan 2014 #22

Freepers don't even get it. Kingofalldems Jan 2014 #24

Gotta kick this again. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #26

Kicked and recommended a whole bunch.....nt Enthusiast Jan 2014 #35

Anyone read melm00se Jan 2014 #36

Great link. Must read for all at DU. toby jo Jan 2014 #45

I don't recall melm00se Jan 2014 #60

I would never discount hard work, but there is also a certain amount of luck involved, too. wyldwolf Jan 2014 #39

And the 'right' race and sex play a role as well Triana Jan 2014 #46

that it does wyldwolf Jan 2014 #49

And health issues can also be a factor. OnionPatch Jan 2014 #88

Flip it around, and say that most people work hard and don't get rich - What about them? reformist2 Jan 2014 #43

Flip it around further.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2014 #55

We're not rich, but pretty damn comfortable.. mountain grammy Jan 2014 #48

Message auto-removed Name removed Jan 2014 #91

Do you subscribe to the theory that evrything that happens to you is because of something uppityperson Jan 2014 #96

WTF? cyberswede Jan 2014 #98

I don't ask them anything. That would require some level of respect. I just bullshit them to death lonestarnot Jan 2014 #50

We know a couple that Puglover Jan 2014 #57

True. Hard work is good for many things, and has been good for me bhikkhu Jan 2014 #63

Sorry, I don't buy this thread at all. badtoworse Jan 2014 #64

I agree trekbiker Jan 2014 #70

People say things like "all rich people are parasites" Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #94

nope FatBuddy Jan 2014 #66

In the US, no one is exempt from haven taken advantage of a corrupt system. fasttense Jan 2014 #69

I'm torn about this thread hueymahl Jan 2014 #71

I understand your sentiment Triana Jan 2014 #74

That I absolutely agree with hueymahl Jan 2014 #75

... I think, 'then people like those who start threads like this closeupready Jan 2014 #80

So you're OK with sweat shops and sending jobs overseas? dougolat Jan 2014 #90

Not at all; however, I have known plenty of people who did well closeupready Jan 2014 #95

Sure, I know a few myself, but the OP is clearly talking about guys like Mitt... dougolat Jan 2014 #103

Okay, if that's the case, then I agree - sorry if there was closeupready Jan 2014 #104

As the saying goes Boom Sound 416 Jan 2014 #83

The concept is crap as demonstrated by reality TheKentuckian Jan 2014 #86

Message auto-removed Name removed Jan 2014 #100