I... look, I ain't gonna let this become A Thing. A Thing ain't good for nobody here.
I think that ship has sailed.
But man. I never thought I'd find someone who genuinely believed that theory. I pretty much chalked that one up to one of those lies that politicians and rich people pretty much say just because the truth is just too ugly and obvious but nobody actually believes. Like that war can bring peace and so on.t
Pretty much, I've never seen a rich person do anything like that. Generally, they buy huge gaudy unnecessary things made in other countries or buy property that just shuffles the wealth amongst the same class of large-landowners.
Rich people don't need to invest. They're already rich.
They were born that way, thinking they were gods, that God blessed them with money.
So you are saying that the money just 'is', at some point someone was selected at random to receive wealth....
That's absurd. Bill Gates story is pretty well known, he didn't start out rich. I'll go with you if you are saying maybe some luck is involved, but for the most part there is preparation, opportunity and willingness to work hard that results in the majority of 'wealthy' people's wealth. Now it may have happened generations before, but that's neither here nor there. Wealth is taxed, and also wealthy people eat and consume, and buy things - and when they do, their wealth is transferred to others. Sure that rich guy has a yacht. That means he probably spends money to maintain it. Possibly to crew it. He purchases fuel. He purchases supplies. He pays for insurance, dock fees. He is redistributing his wealth, and the majority of it is not going to other wealthy people. Wealthy people aren't pumping boat fuel or selling boating supplies. Or scraping barnacles off his boat...and if they are wealthy doing those things, odds are they earned their wealth the old-fashioned way.
The best part? Maybe this guy is SO RICH he overpays for everything. Or tips really well. Remembers all the people who do things for him at Christmas.
And this doesn't even account for the contributions he makes for having his money in a bank. That's money the bank invests for him. They make loans for new homeowners or small business with some of it. They support government funds with some of it. Some of it goes to investments that support new or emerging businesses. And of course, the proceeds are taxed.
But that's not what you see. You see Thurston Howell the 3rd wiping his ass with a $50 bill. And for some absurd reason, you are under the impression that that's YOUR $50 bill, as though you or someone was else was somehow entitled to it simply for existing in a different socio-economic class. Go do something to earn that $50 and someone will exchange YOUR good or service for their wealth. OR, get wealthy and purchase someone's good or service with your wealth.
Poor people invest because they think it is like buying a lottery ticket and con-men let them buy those lottery tickets on credit.
People who make good investments almost always have something to show for it. Most companies offer retirement programs that include investment and people who use these wisely almost always do better than they would on old-fashioned pension plans or worse, social security. Your statement indicates distrust or fear of the whole investment/ banking industry. Yet wisely saving and investing and home ownership are two excellent ways to improve your financial position if you are able and the two things that most middle class people can work toward and achieve. The issue is not 'con-men'; the issue is educating people about long term financial planning. It does work.
The only people that got rich in the California gold rush were the people who sold the prospectors cheap shitty picks and cheap shitty bluejeans and cheap shitty food. You can still rise through the classes by cheating people, this is true enough, but what if you don't want to cheat? What if you don't have the resources to start such a con?
You could use your talents and abilities to create something that people want or need. Microsoft. Google. Coca-Cola. Mad Magazine. Achewood. You are writing a book. Have you figured who you are going to cheat out of their money for it? Is the 375 page 'con' believable enough? Who are you fooling besides yourself? Your effort is either masturbatory, compulsive, or intended to make you some profit. In most people's cases, it's a combination. I suspect that's the case for you too.
Who did Onstad cheat? Is he making a living?
The only resource that most people lack to start a business of their own is confidence. Taking a chance is hard. You could lose. But if you never take that chance, and spend your time cursing your fate instead, it's just empty bitching.
That was the story of the Great Depression. That is the story of... basically now as well.
The Great Depression was global. It affected the world; probably started a year before it hit the US and was a result (in the US)(Probably) of poor monetary policies, a normal contraction of the economy, a major drought, and consumers unwilling to spend money or increase their debt (what we now would call low consumer confidence). It was probably exacerbated by new foreign trade policies that affected many other countries by making it more expensive for them to export goods or commodities to the US. It led to the rise of polarized leftist or rightist governments in many countries, which definitely contributed to the development of socio-political conditions that led to WWII. It was NOT due to Levi Strauss overcharging prospectors for pantalones and pickaxes; it was significantly more complex and far reaching than that.
Hollywood, of course, is slightly different. You can get rich out here every once in a great while through genuine creative expression but, really, you might as well just buy lottery tickets, the odds are somewhat better and at least you're supporting public education. But remember:
Pauly Shore's mom runs a comedy club and that's why someone who completely sucks got famous anyway.
So you are saying the all the people that paid to see movies or appearances by Pauly Shore were somehow coerced by his mom? "Conned" as you say above?
You are right in that Hollywood is it's own thing, and the economics of Hollywood aren't always rational, but what he have seen is that there is something for everyone in the world of entertainment, and if some people threw a dollar Pauly's way, good for Pauly. I don't think he did anything illegal for his living, I assume he paid his taxes, so like him or not, he's playing the same game we all are. He just got better dice.
There are certain entertainers I don't spend a dollar on. There are others I do. That's a market like any other. You want to somehow prove to us that that is bad, but is it? What is the alternative you propose?
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