Why it matters that our politicians are rich

[rdean]

Why it matters that our politicians are rich - Boston.com

Newt Gingrich, with his $7 million fortune and an up to $1 million revolving line of credit at Tiffany. The relentlessly anti-elitist Rick Santorum disclosed last week that he earns roughly $1 million a year. Mitt Romney built an immense $200 million fortune through his “corporate raider” work at Bain Capital; even Ron Paul, who claimed in one debate that he was embarrassed to show his tax forms because he made so much less money than his rivals, is worth as much as $5.2 million.

Politicians would like us to believe that all this money doesn’t matter in a deeper sense—that what matters is ideas, skills, and leadership ability. Aside from a little extra business savvy, they’re regular people just like the rest of us: They just happen to have more money.

But is that true? In fact, a number of new studies suggest that, in certain key ways, people with that much money are not like the rest of us at all. As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. Rich people have a harder time connecting with others, showing less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. They are less charitable and generous. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And they are more likely to defend an unfair status quo. If you think you’d behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you’re probably wrong: These aren’t just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.

The researchers offered the subjects a chance to agree with statements that dehumanized others (“Some people deserve to be treated like animals”). The money-primed group was more likely to agree.

In other words, higher-status people were more likely to feel that they’d earned their high place in society, and that poorer people hadn’t.

More recently, similar research—involving not just surveys, but heart-rate measurements —has found that higher-status people tend to be less compassionate toward others in a bad situation than people of lower-class backgrounds.

----------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps that's why Republican Lt. Gov Andre Bauer thinks that giving kids free lunches in public schools is like feeding stray animals? Just a thought.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mueucu5cMdk]Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed. - YouTube[/ame]

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed.

Perhaps some politicians have less empathy than others.

 

[Skull Pilot]

It matters more that politicians get rich while they are serving than if they got rich in the private sector.

Tell me how does a person of moderate means when elected to office and who earns only 160K a year become a multi-millionaire in just a few short years?

 

[rdean]

It matters more that politicians get while they are serving than if they got rich in the private sector.

Tell me how does a person of moderate means when elected to office and who earns only 160K a year become a mufti-millionaire in just a few short years?

Yea, that matters too. Since they write the laws. Joe Biden never got rich from congress. Obama's money comes from his best selling books. Until he wrote those books, he was still paying off his college loans.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

It is the same story irrespective of party. Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller and the whole Kennedy clan and etc etc etc.

Not saying you are wrong here. This is where the looney tunes have a point. Politicians on both sides write laws that make themselves rich at our expense.

This is where the deanster has it wrong. It does not matter which camorra writes the laws. It matters that the process be open and that the number of laws be few and clear so the connected can't rip off the population at large.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

It matters more that politicians get while they are serving than if they got rich in the private sector.

Tell me how does a person of moderate means when elected to office and who earns only 160K a year become a mufti-millionaire in just a few short years?

Yea, that matters too. Since they write the laws. Joe Biden never got rich from congress. Obama's money comes from his best selling books. Until he wrote those books, he was still paying off his college loans.

He is rich too, but that is different right?

 

[Trajan]

Why it matters that our politicians are rich - Boston.com

Newt Gingrich, with his $7 million fortune and an up to $1 million revolving line of credit at Tiffany. The relentlessly anti-elitist Rick Santorum disclosed last week that he earns roughly $1 million a year. Mitt Romney built an immense $200 million fortune through his “corporate raider” work at Bain Capital; even Ron Paul, who claimed in one debate that he was embarrassed to show his tax forms because he made so much less money than his rivals, is worth as much as $5.2 million.

Politicians would like us to believe that all this money doesn’t matter in a deeper sense—that what matters is ideas, skills, and leadership ability. Aside from a little extra business savvy, they’re regular people just like the rest of us: They just happen to have more money.

But is that true? In fact, a number of new studies suggest that, in certain key ways, people with that much money are not like the rest of us at all. As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. Rich people have a harder time connecting with others, showing less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. They are less charitable and generous. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And they are more likely to defend an unfair status quo. If you think you’d behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you’re probably wrong: These aren’t just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.

The researchers offered the subjects a chance to agree with statements that dehumanized others (“Some people deserve to be treated like animals”). The money-primed group was more likely to agree.

In other words, higher-status people were more likely to feel that they’d earned their high place in society, and that poorer people hadn’t.

More recently, similar research—involving not just surveys, but heart-rate measurements —has found that higher-status people tend to be less compassionate toward others in a bad situation than people of lower-class backgrounds.

----------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps that's why Republican Lt. Gov Andre Bauer thinks that giving kids free lunches in public schools is like feeding stray animals? Just a thought.

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed. - YouTube

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed.

Perhaps some politicians have less empathy than others.

dishonest thread title, why didn't you just forgo the 'our' and use 'republican'....hack.

 

[Trajan]

It matters more that politicians get while they are serving than if they got rich in the private sector.

Tell me how does a person of moderate means when elected to office and who earns only 160K a year become a mufti-millionaire in just a few short years?

Yea, that matters too. Since they write the laws. Joe Biden never got rich from congress. Obama's money comes from his best selling books. Until he wrote those books, he was still paying off his college loans.

He is rich too, but that is different right?

hey kerry is on heiress no.2 so, its all good

 

[rdean]

Why it matters that our politicians are rich - Boston.com

Newt Gingrich, with his $7 million fortune and an up to $1 million revolving line of credit at Tiffany. The relentlessly anti-elitist Rick Santorum disclosed last week that he earns roughly $1 million a year. Mitt Romney built an immense $200 million fortune through his “corporate raider” work at Bain Capital; even Ron Paul, who claimed in one debate that he was embarrassed to show his tax forms because he made so much less money than his rivals, is worth as much as $5.2 million.

Politicians would like us to believe that all this money doesn’t matter in a deeper sense—that what matters is ideas, skills, and leadership ability. Aside from a little extra business savvy, they’re regular people just like the rest of us: They just happen to have more money.

But is that true? In fact, a number of new studies suggest that, in certain key ways, people with that much money are not like the rest of us at all. As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. Rich people have a harder time connecting with others, showing less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. They are less charitable and generous. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And they are more likely to defend an unfair status quo. If you think you’d behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you’re probably wrong: These aren’t just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.

The researchers offered the subjects a chance to agree with statements that dehumanized others (“Some people deserve to be treated like animals”). The money-primed group was more likely to agree.

In other words, higher-status people were more likely to feel that they’d earned their high place in society, and that poorer people hadn’t.

More recently, similar research—involving not just surveys, but heart-rate measurements —has found that higher-status people tend to be less compassionate toward others in a bad situation than people of lower-class backgrounds.

----------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps that's why Republican Lt. Gov Andre Bauer thinks that giving kids free lunches in public schools is like feeding stray animals? Just a thought.

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed. - YouTube

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed.

Perhaps some politicians have less empathy than others.

dishonest thread title, why didn't you just forgo the 'our' and use 'republican'....hack.

You'ld be hard pressed finding Democrats who say, "Let him die" and "feed the poor and they'll breed" and so on.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Why it matters that our politicians are rich - Boston.com

Newt Gingrich, with his $7 million fortune and an up to $1 million revolving line of credit at Tiffany. The relentlessly anti-elitist Rick Santorum disclosed last week that he earns roughly $1 million a year. Mitt Romney built an immense $200 million fortune through his “corporate raider” work at Bain Capital; even Ron Paul, who claimed in one debate that he was embarrassed to show his tax forms because he made so much less money than his rivals, is worth as much as $5.2 million.

Politicians would like us to believe that all this money doesn’t matter in a deeper sense—that what matters is ideas, skills, and leadership ability. Aside from a little extra business savvy, they’re regular people just like the rest of us: They just happen to have more money.

But is that true? In fact, a number of new studies suggest that, in certain key ways, people with that much money are not like the rest of us at all. As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. Rich people have a harder time connecting with others, showing less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. They are less charitable and generous. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And they are more likely to defend an unfair status quo. If you think you’d behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you’re probably wrong: These aren’t just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.

The researchers offered the subjects a chance to agree with statements that dehumanized others (“Some people deserve to be treated like animals”). The money-primed group was more likely to agree.

In other words, higher-status people were more likely to feel that they’d earned their high place in society, and that poorer people hadn’t.

More recently, similar research—involving not just surveys, but heart-rate measurements —has found that higher-status people tend to be less compassionate toward others in a bad situation than people of lower-class backgrounds.

----------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps that's why Republican Lt. Gov Andre Bauer thinks that giving kids free lunches in public schools is like feeding stray animals? Just a thought.

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed. - YouTube

Republicans To Unemployed: You're Spoiled, Drug-Taking Hobos & Animals, Who Shouldn't Breed.

Perhaps some politicians have less empathy than others.

dishonest thread title, why didn't you just forgo the 'our' and use 'republican'....hack.

You'ld be hard pressed finding Democrats who say, "Let him die" and "feed the poor and they'll breed" and so on.

the title of your thread is........."Why it matters that our politicians are rich".....not what they have said.....here we have yet another thread where Dean will spin it to fit what he wants it to say....so Rich Democrats are now different than Rich Republicans?......i got news for you Dean,if push came to shove,those Rich Democrats that you think are just great guys would throw you and anyone else under the bus and side with their Rich Republican buddies to preserve their wealth....