What do you think of when you hear the word "wealth"?
Now, what do others what you to think of when they say the word "wealth"?
It of course depends on the person asking, doesn't it?
Depending on who your audience is, "wealth" can be a dirty word--especially in the political world. I always found it ironic that so many of the people in elected office who villainize the wealthy are themselves in that class. Strange, isn't?
Another place where this twilight zone effect occurs is in entertainment. A recent article was suggested to me called 'The Mess We're In: The Challenge of Meldramocracy' (by Glenn W. Smith). The article is by a columnist in Hollywood opining about the health care debate. He accuses one ideological group of scaring voters to their view using "melodrama" (but doesn't suggest that that group might actually be winning the debate through factual data and sound reason).
And yet we have another ideological group that likes to employ guilt in order to get voters to support their advocacy of a nanny state--in this case government-run health care. The tactic is usually focused on the wealthy, as a way to either explain why they must pay higher taxes or why they should willingly give over their wealth.
Sadly, the tactic works and all too often. How do I know? Because the person who suggested the article is a millionaire, and a millionaire who has worked hard to become so. And because of guilt laid on successful people such as himself, he is willing to accept the irony that he (and others like him) should give up their wealth to the government so that politicians can re-distribute that wealth as they see fit. This is a terrible mistake if followed through to conclusion.
There is a tendency to equate wealth with arrogance or disconnected elitism. Absolutely this occurs and (again) the irony is that this trait is most often found in wealthy bureaucrats, aristocrats, intelligentsia, and entertainers doing the criticizing (or engaged in related activism), NOT hard-working wealthy such as my fellow entrepreneur colleague.
There is great power and responsibility in having wealth. In the case of the health care debate, people of wealth should not be the target of taxation. They need to be allowed to keep their wealth so that they can (continue to) invest that wealth into the free market.
What better way to reduce unemployment and the uninsured than by an investor's wealth putting them to work through quality, long-term jobs in the private sector? Has any government in the history of man ever benefited its people by re-distributing the wealth of its upper class or interfering (if not outright taking over) functions normally controlled by private enterprise?
Or does history show that the strength of a people depends on the well-being of its wealthy and providing them an unobstructed path to do with their wealth as they see fit?
Josh is the co-owner/founder of Grail Quest Books. He is also passionate about his team of motivated people interested in maximizing their pursuit of happiness. If you think you should be making more money than you are, consider the following information from his senior team leader: http://teamradkejk.com/?t=radkejkezine5
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