Too Much?

[ferretrunner]

Haha, digital, you got me on that...the word "seems" makes a difference.

I disagree with this statement, but I'm not sure why. I think it's because I believe in capitalism. There is something so very American about being able to start with nothing and then rise to such power and affluency. My understanding of capitalism would not place limits on someone's ability to earn as much as they can (and more than they could ever hope to spend in a lifetime).

But of the extremely wealthy, very few people actually start with "nothing." Most have inherited money- or were born into at least the middle class where they could obtain an education. For every Bill Gates in the US, there are millions of Harry Johnsons; the guy who works his tail off every day but never becomes a millionaire- even if he tries.

Or the mother who works two jobs to pay for housing, food, and clothes for her kids... or the social worker who goes to school for 6 years and is lucky to get a job paying $40K a year with a MSW.