Michelle's Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous

[I Missthe North]

Really? Where do you get that from? Will his giving up caviar or argula, help the less fortunate? How?

If not, how will punishing the rich?

Do you see a problem?

Honestly, I do see a problem with state mandated donations to the poor (which is essentially what taxes on the rich are because they clearly do not need most of the programs that their taxes go to), but there is a pretty simple way around that; the rich could donate large sums of their money back into the community on their own. As I said before, I believe it is the responsibility of those are are extremely well off to help those who are less fortunate and sadly, I do not see them doing that on a large enough scale on their own. At the turn of the last century, America saw great philanthropists among the uber wealthy in the form of Rockefeller, Carnegie, Astor and others who donated the equivalent of billions to their local communities to help others. Nowadays the only people I see going out of their way to help of such a large scale are men like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Most wealthy people today only donate so they can get tax breaks. America's modern consumer culture is based around satisfying one's selfish desires instead of helping the people around us. If the government has to forcefully make these people help out others so be it; they have made it quite clear that they are unwilling to do it on their own.

 

[Annie]

Honestly, I do see a problem with state mandated donations to the poor (which is essentially what taxes on the rich are because they clearly do not need most of the programs that their taxes go to), but there is a pretty simple way around that; the rich could donate large sums of their money back into the community on their own. As I said before, I believe it is the responsibility of those are are extremely well off to help those who are less fortunate and sadly, I do not see them doing that on a large enough scale on their own. At the turn of the last century, America saw great philanthropists among the uber wealthy in the form of Rockefeller, Carnegie, Astor and others who donated the equivalent of billions to their local communities to help others. Nowadays the only people I see going out of their way to help of such a large scale are men like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Most wealthy people today only donate so they can get tax breaks. America's modern consumer culture is based around satisfying one's selfish desires instead of helping the people around us. If the government has to forcefully make these people help out others so be it; they have made it quite clear that they are unwilling to do it on their own.

uh huh, sounds good. Tell us how it's going to work.

 

[I Missthe North]

uh huh, sounds good. Tell us how it's going to work.

Exactly, there is no way to force the rich to donate and feel some sense of responsibility to society. That is kind of my point. Personally, I feel like they owe society for their success, because it facilitated their rise to affluence, but that is a feeling that has to be ingrained in someone from birth. Sadly, that concept has gone the way of the dodo bird and we may never get it back. There needs to be a change in the attitude of the super wealthy towards society, but that is easier to say then actually do. That is why I believe if taxes are the only way to illicit this money from the wealthy, so be it. They should have already been giving it back; they were just too greedy.

 

[Gem]

I'm sorry...but what part of mandated charity sounds good? America is an amazingly giving nation. We often lead the way in charitable donations. What many Americans object to is being REQUIRED to give their money to projects, departments, and services that they do not agree with or that they know do not work.

Perhaps the answer is to do away with these programs...and leave it up to people to help their own communities...rather than assuming "the gov't will take care of it."

 

[dilloduck]

I'm sorry...but what part of mandated charity sounds good? America is an amazingly giving nation. We often lead the way in charitable donations. What many Americans object to is being REQUIRED to give their money to projects, departments, and services that they do not agree with or that they know do not work.

Perhaps the answer is to do away with these programs...and leave it up to people to help their own communities...rather than assuming "the gov't will take care of it."

exactly--the best way to stop people from abusing the system is for there to be no system. You either watch people starve, freeze and die or you help them. Not some government. Any idea how much it costs to admininster welfare programs ?

 

[I Missthe North]

I'm sorry...but what part of mandated charity sounds good? America is an amazingly giving nation. We often lead the way in charitable donations. What many Americans object to is being REQUIRED to give their money to projects, departments, and services that they do not agree with or that they know do not work.

Perhaps the answer is to do away with these programs...and leave it up to people to help their own communities...rather than assuming "the gov't will take care of it."

Perhaps your right and I do have a problem with the government taking our money and wasting is through inefficient government agencies. I don't know how much is wasted every year just on bureaucratic nonsense, but it is too much. I would love to have faith in the American people to give their money responsibly to programs that help the greater good, but I am not convinced they would. Our current culture is one of spend, spend, spend, not give, give, give. We may give more dollars out in donations per year, but I bet as a percentage of our income, we give less then most cultures (I will try to find statistics). American's are notoriously selfish when compared to other cultures and I think that would carry over to charitable donations to help society. I also believe there is a big distinctions to be made between helping society as a whole and helping ones own self interests through charity; another concept I doubt more Americans are open minded enough to understand.

 

[Care4all]

And socialist. If that is what you want, seems you may well be on the winning side.

As for me, I want lowest taxes and individual right to support whatever charities, causes one chooses or not.

Cut out unnecessary wars and the waste in the military industrial complex and you've got your tax break, big time!

 

[PoliticalChic]

I doubt the loss of what [alms] you do give now will make even a drop in the bucket, yours is such an inconsequential pittance. And inflating the "value" of the trash you give to the thrift store or the rummage sale.... Yup, yup, yup, that is real generosity.

You remind me of some church ladies I know that pat themselves on the back about how they "serve" the homeless by helping out at the community dinners. It is pretty pathetic, these pharisee bitches, whining and complaining the whole while!

It is pointless unless you do it to no material benefit to yourself.

Christian Charity - Good Deeds Bible Quotes

and BTW, you need to really make the effort to acquaint yourself with the actual meaning of "charity."

Christian Charity and Giving

I'm shocked that with each of your posts you manage to find a new nadir in discourse. It is saddening that in your life there was no person who loved you enough to teach you how to deal with others. Nickel Psychology: you must think that others feel this way about you, so you speak with such venom in an attempt to "beat them to the punch."