Will the wealthy continue to run the U.S.?

1. 60

   nightwork4posted 14 years ago

   Will the wealthy continue to run the U.S.?
   
   the people of the U.S. seem to want wealthy people in charge of their country, will this ever change?even the people in congress tend to be rich, why do the citizens let this happen?

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2. 59

   thebrucebeatposted 14 years ago

   The only opportunity anyone has to become a representative of the people today is to throw enormous sums of money at the campaign.  If you have your own money to throw at it, then you will be another millionaire in congress.  If you don't, you will be beholden to those that did have the kind of money to get you elected.
   Unless a complete revolution takes place in terms of campaign finance reform, we are locked into our current tradition of having competing millionaires fighting over the spoils of an unrepresentative system.

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3. 60

   Kaniel Loughranposted 14 years ago

   1% of the country controls 96% of the country's private wealth. There is nothing you can do about it. It isn't a matter of the citizens wanting rich people in charge or not doing anything about it, it's the fact that rich people are in charge and only allow other similarly influential people to take part. Ask yourself, would you rather the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, who knows an overwhelming amount about the economy, fiscal policies and earning money, run the country, or would you rather have the general manager of your local McDonald's run our government? Who will be more likely to do the job? The problem is, although the really rich who earned their wealth know exactly how the government and business works and where it is flawed, they are so money and power hungry, they will use their talents, knowledge and experience to earn more rather than do good. The question shouldn't be why we allow rich people to be in control, it's why do we allow them to do whatever they want while in power when they have the potential to enact lasting change?

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4. 81

   Wayne Brownposted 14 years ago

   I don't know that the wealthy have a sense that they run the country. I doubt Warren Buffet feels much different than you or I with regard to how the government reacts or handle certain situations.  He has lived in a country which allowed him to ply his skills and reap his rewards.  The same holds true for me but I am certainly far from being wealthy but then again I don't possess Buffet's keen ability and interest in numbers thus I don't have that knack for seeing things with great investment potential...at least not to the point of wanting to risk some serious money on it. Stephen King, the writer, and Warren Buffet, the investor, both offer the same advice...do what you know and do it well. No everyone will be wealthy and some won't be because they are their own worst enemy...they have had the opportunity time and again and threw it away. For others the passion is not there.  For a much larger portion, their understanding of it all is blinded by ignorance that is so difficult to breed out of the generational layering of America.  That ignorance combined with a healthy dose of apathy creates a block of voters who can be manipulated to believe that wealthy people are slackers, don't pay a fair share of taxes, or care about the welfare of America.  I think that is quite to the contrary of how they think.  Take Buffet again for example, he is willing to pay more taxes and says that he should but he does not write the tax laws and at the same time why should he volunteer to pay more taxes to a government with a wasteful over-spending mindset.  Those who have earned their wealth are quite frugal as to how that money is consumed...it took a long time to earn and it takes just seconds to spend it or lose it.   Most of them are aware of that.  Does that mean we need to go over to their house and kick the door in, take their money, and divide among ourselves...what did we do to earn it besides essentially show up and rob the man?  WB

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5. 85

   ii3rittlesposted 14 years ago

   Nope. It wont change. Pride, Greed, Envy, Lust, Lies and Murder are what run the US today and you can't have any of them things with out a little big a "green" thrown on top.
   
   I'm guessing it will only get worse.

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6. 69

   DonDWestposted 14 years ago

   The unfortunate reality is wealthy people have something that we don't: Time. Contrary to popular belief, the wealthy have more time on their hands than the poor. Wealth buys time because the wealthy don't have to worry working day to day to pay the bills. Consequently, this bought time gives the wealthy the means to persue aspirations, such as becoming president, that us ordinary people don't have. The consequence is because the wealthy have bought so much time, they can use that time to become even more wealthy. This explains the growing disparity between rich and poor in a nutshell. Ironically enough, the only way for the poor to no longer become poor, is by working less, not working more.

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7. 60

   Matt in Jaxposted 14 years ago

   Citizens don't determine the salary of the representative in the government, much like they don't determine their athlete's pay. If we did and could vote on that as well, things would be much different.

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8. 61

   NorthEast Timberposted 14 years ago

   Politicians are wealthy because they can vote themselves raises.  What idiot wouldn't do that?  It's the unions that run the country.  If the wealthy do buy some political favors whose to blame there? The one trying to make his own lot better or the politicians who sell out the people they are suppose to represent.

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9. 0

   Valoric Fireposted 14 years ago

   Absolutely.  So long as "Bread and Circuses" /panem et circenses is provided nothing will change.

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10. 69

    Torch Harrisonposted 14 years ago

    The wealthy run EVERY country.  If you believe otherwise, you are foolish.  Money and power always go together.  And they work to keep the majority ignorant.

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11. 61

    f_hruzposted 14 years ago

    Good question! My answer is right here:
    
    The US has become the one capitalist country in the world where big money, largely in form of the industrial-military-religious-entertainment industry, runs the place for their own profit motives and directs all their energies to keep it this way as long as possible, or till the system falls apart ... the voices of the people is of no consequence any more!

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12. 72

    someonewhoknowsposted 14 years ago

    "one" government for all and "all" for one government?
    
    It,doesnt seem that way if you listen to the news.
    Then the news is paid for by the rich isn't it?

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