People Power

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14th November 2011, 19:56
BDunnell

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck34

That is fine. You are completely within your rights not te be a money-obsessed ****. I am not either, I have turned down chances at being about one step below filthy rich myself because I made a consious decision to see my family.

But what business is it of yours if someone is a money-obsessed ****? Why should you allow that to bother you?

It is my business to have an opinion on someone. Saying that I should not allow the fact of someone being a **** to bother me is akin to suggesting that I should have no emotions, whether positive or negative, at all.
14th November 2011, 19:56
BDunnell

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck34

Why is it any of your business what they get paid?

Do you believe it wrong to criticise in any way anyone's remuneration in the private sector?
14th November 2011, 20:28
Eki

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck34

In the name of "fairness", how much is too much? :confused:

When you have more than you can spend in your own life time.
14th November 2011, 20:33
BDunnell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eki

When you have more than you can spend in your own life time.

I'm not sure that the object of anyone can or should be to have just enough money to see them through their life with nothing left over in the end. Financial prudence and security are very sensible things.
14th November 2011, 21:23
Eki

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

I'm not sure that the object of anyone can or should be to have just enough money to see them through their life with nothing left over in the end. Financial prudence and security are very sensible things.

I didn't mean to have just enough money to see them through life, I meant enough to buy everything they can imagine of what they can use in their life time like, fancy houses they live in, fancy cars they drive, fancy yachts they sail on, fancy food they can eat, around the world trips they travel, etc.. When they have money to buy more houses they can live in, more cars they can drive, more yachts they can sail, more around the world trips they have time to travel and more fancy food they can eat, etc., then they have too much money. It's like if you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth, it's enough. If you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world multiple times, then it's too much.
14th November 2011, 22:22
BDunnell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eki

I didn't mean to have just enough money to see them through life, I meant enough to buy everything they can imagine of what they can use in their life time like, fancy houses they live in, fancy cars they drive, fancy yachts they sail on, fancy food they can eat, around the world trips they travel, etc.. When they have money to buy more houses they can live in, more cars they can drive, more yachts they can sail, more around the world trips they have time to travel and more fancy food they can eat, etc., then they have too much money. It's like if you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth, it's enough. If you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world multiple times, then it's too much.

You see, despite my views on the private sector, I don't have a problem with people having that much money per se so long as they have earned it in a legal manner. Just don't expect me to automatically respect people on the grounds of their wealth. What I do object to is the growing gap between richest and poorest, and those situations in which such earnings are not deserved — if they have been at the helm of a failing business, left and been granted an enormous pay-off, for example.
14th November 2011, 23:47
chuck34

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

And what recourse, precisely, does one have against a large company unless one is in possession of substantial legal resources?

If they ripped me off, I can take them to court ("substantial" resources aren't really required). Or if I just don't like a company for whatever reason, I just won't buy from them. In the opposite (government) case, I can't sue the government, and they will take my money wether I like it or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

I don't know — except to say that supermarkets do not have anywhere near the same dominance in Germany as in the UK and elsewhere. Whether this is to do with regulations of some form I have no idea.

Unless you can point to some regulation that supports the supermarket dominance then it (the dominance) is probably because of market forces. People have made a conscious choice to shop there instead of their local farmer's market. Where I live we have several farmer's markets and I shop there when I can because their stuff tastes better, and is usually cheaper. But sometimes things are out of season, or I get lazy, so I go to the supermarket. Personally I like that choice. I'm sorry you do not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

No-one has said that. I certainly haven't. All I have done is say their customer service, in my experience, is exemplary. A very different thing, unless one reads what one wants into any statement.

Just another one of my attempts at a bit of humor which failed I suppose. It was another dig at all those protesters at OWS that are so d@mn tired of corporate profits, yet talk on their iphones, twitter on their ipads, and listen to their ipods. I just find that too freaking funny for words. But maybe that's just me?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

It is my business to have an opinion on someone. Saying that I should not allow the fact of someone being a **** to bother me is akin to suggesting that I should have no emotions, whether positive or negative, at all.

Don't get me wrong, if the guy is a ****, hate him all you want. But hate him for that reason. To hate him because he's got more than you is plain jealousy, and I find jealousy to be a waste of time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

Do you believe it wrong to criticise in any way anyone's remuneration in the private sector?

Not really. You can criticize what someone makes all you want. But if you continue to buy from the business they work for, then I reserve the right to call you a hypocrite. And if you call for some sort of government intervention to make sure he makes less, I'll fight you at every turn.
14th November 2011, 23:50
chuck34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eki

When you have more than you can spend in your own life time.

What is wrong with wanting to provide for your children and grandchildren? Or, what if I earn more than I can spend in my lifetime, and donate the rest to charity? (see Bill Gates)
14th November 2011, 23:57
chuck34

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

You see, despite my views on the private sector, I don't have a problem with people having that much money per se so long as they have earned it in a legal manner. Just don't expect me to automatically respect people on the grounds of their wealth.

On this, I think we agree 100%

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

What I do object to is the growing gap between richest and poorest,

This contradicts your last statement. Do you think people should earn all they can or don't you? Do you believe in personal responsibility? Do you think there should be some mechanism that narrows the gap between the "rich" and "poor"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDunnell

and those situations in which such earnings are not deserved — if they have been at the helm of a failing business, left and been granted an enormous pay-off, for example.

Again, on this we agree (at least as you put it here, you'll probably parse it a bit differently in a minute). This is precisely the reason I am against bailouts. Let the f'ers go down with the ship. Make them learn a lesson.
15th November 2011, 01:10
anthonyvop

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eki

I didn't mean to have just enough money to see them through life, I meant enough to buy everything they can imagine of what they can use in their life time like, fancy houses they live in, fancy cars they drive, fancy yachts they sail on, fancy food they can eat, around the world trips they travel, etc.. When they have money to buy more houses they can live in, more cars they can drive, more yachts they can sail, more around the world trips they have time to travel and more fancy food they can eat, etc., then they have too much money. It's like if you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth, it's enough. If you have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world multiple times, then it's too much.

Why am I not surprised that your entire view of wealth and economics is based totally on the disgusting emotion known as jealousy?

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