I think you (and your wife) make a good distinction. Security for the rich and slack for the poor. Kind of like the saying the rich want socialism for themselves and capitalism for the rest of us jerks.
I think you (and your wife) make a good distinction. Security for the rich and slack for the poor. Kind of like the saying the rich want socialism for themselves and capitalism for the rest of us jerks.
It isn't that the rich want socialism... at least, not ACTUAL socialism (not GoP Socialism--they are FOR many of those things for themselves, but those things aren't socialism).
Many of these people have VERY high opinions of themselves and their abilities--opinions that are, in most cases, not really warranted or supported by facts. This high opinion of their abilities and themselves leads them to the belief that they have earned/deserve the security and the support of the government (after all, they ARE job and wealth creators, after all and critical to the economy).
There is also the nepotism or near nepotism factor. Family members on the payroll, hiring relatives of friends for sinecures.
There is also the standard human level of corrupt practice.
The reality is that most of these people do not have a rare skillset (or even necessary any skillset other than being connected to the right people or being lucky or being politically adept).
They can be replaced as easily or even more easily than a skilled worker.
They don't want to hear or admit that, however.
There are rare individuals who are seemingly irreplacable--largely because of narrative or perceptual reasons which give them a power and influence that is hard to replicate. Steve Jobs, is an example. Gates is another... and yet, in the end, both of them WERE actually replaced by people who have done fine.
It is INCREDIBLY rare that someone cannot be replaced, even if it sometimes requires more than 1 person to do so.
I think you (and your wife) make a good distinction. Security for the rich and slack for the poor. Kind of like the saying the rich want socialism for themselves and capitalism for the rest of us jerks.
It isn't that the rich want socialism... at least, not ACTUAL socialism (not GoP Socialism--they are FOR many of those things for themselves, but those things aren't socialism).
Many of these people have VERY high opinions of themselves and their abilities--opinions that are, in most cases, not really warranted or supported by facts. This high opinion of their abilities and themselves leads them to the belief that they have earned/deserve the security and the support of the government (after all, they ARE job and wealth creators, after all and critical to the economy).
There is also the nepotism or near nepotism factor. Family members on the payroll, hiring relatives of friends for sinecures.
There is also the standard human level of corrupt practice.
The reality is that most of these people do not have a rare skillset (or even necessary any skillset other than being connected to the right people or being lucky or being politically adept).
They can be replaced as easily or even more easily than a skilled worker.
They don't want to hear or admit that, however.
There are rare individuals who are seemingly irreplacable--largely because of narrative or perceptual reasons which give them a power and influence that is hard to replicate. Steve Jobs, is an example. Gates is another... and yet, in the end, both of them WERE actually replaced by people who have done fine.
It is INCREDIBLY rare that someone cannot be replaced, even if it sometimes requires more than 1 person to do so.
That's why the meritocracy is a myth they fully buy into and push hard.