I would say the uber wealthy are the ones vilifying us. Simply because they wish to have millions or whatever, they incorrectly project their skewed values on us.
I never wanted to live in a mansion. I never wanted to drive a new luxury car every year. I am a retired social worker/educator. I own a modest home in a middle class neighborhood and drive a 5 year old car. I am fortunate to have more than I need. I owe virtually nothing to anyone. I pretty much do anything I want- including two trips to Europe in the past 3 years.
I remember a few years ago someone wanted Suzi Orman's approval to spend an insane amount of money he really could not afford on a fancy vehicle. Suzi asked why he wanted to do that. His reply was that when he drove down the street, he wanted people to look at him and say something like "Wow! Look at that car. That guy must be really cool!" You can imagine how Suzi reacted. She took the wind right out of his sails. You want to go into extreme debt to attempt to impress people you do not even know?
I was lucky. I was in the right place at the right time in my career. But I see people almost every day who work every bit as hard as I ever did who are struggling to survive. They all deserve a minimum living wage.
It is the arrogance of the uber wealthy I find so offensive. The vast majority do believe they did it all by themselves without a scintilla of recognition that they gained their wealth under a system skewed very much in their favor.
I am not a religious person- not at all. But I firmly believe in compassion and I believe I AM my brother's keeper. I believe very strongly and deeply that I am ethically bound to share what I have with others and do it anonymously whenever possible. That alone is infinitely more rewarding than owning any material possession that exists.
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