Posted on 12/17/2002 12:02:32 AM PST by JohnHuang2
If someone builds a better mousetrap (and markets and sells it) they deserve to be rewarded. If that makes them rich, great. Anyone who wishes to change that fundamental dynamic in the American system is an enemy of this country's principles and an enemy of mine.
You are illiterate. The nice lady reading this to you needs to call Literacy Volunteers of America. They can help you, but you have to work really, really hard. Now, go back to sleep.
(King Lear)
Thankless for what? Thanklessness presupposes that one has been given something. Poor Shakespeare! Little minds abuse him, so that they might feel like great spirits. Lots of Nazis used to be able to quote Goethe, too.
Oh, so you're the one who started the abuse of Shakespeare. Keep it up, and you'll go blind. And take another look at your sentence -- do you insist on shanghaiing Shakespeare on your linguistic misadventures, or are you willing to take responsibility for your own poor English?
"ungrateful adj. without gratitude."
"gratitude n. a feeling of appreciation for a kindness or favor received."
New Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language (Danbury, CT: Lexicon, 1992).
In the absence of a prior kindness or favor, one cannot honestly call anyone "ungrateful."
You don't know enough people.
It's blantantly obvious, the more your post, that your father hasn't given you enough ( anything ? ) and that is the cause of your bitterness. It doesn't speak particularly well of you, that you feel so free to condemn him, repeatedly here. That's ingratitude, dear. I suppose that now you're going to tell me that you don't owe him any. Has he been that bad a father, or just not forthcoming enough to suit you ?
However, I disagree with you on whether Boortz is talking about you. That's not how I read him. With all due respect, in today's economy you're not rich, or even upper-middle class. And it should be obvious, that my post wasn't about you.
If my wife knew I was wasting so much precious time arguing with some cretins on this thread, she'd introduce the back of my head to a frying pan. But Neal Boortz notwithstanding, there are quite a few illiterate drunks on barstools right here on this thread, and I have a bad habit of arguing with illiterate drunks (including some with Ph.D.s) on bar stools and on "chairs."
While the above may be true, it does not mean that it takes money to make money. It takes hard work to make money. You might be interested to know that the majority of people on the list of Forbes Magazine's most wealthy did not inherit their wealth.
I think that people DO get rich from virtue...from working hard, saving, investing, forgoing immediate gratification, and by giving their clients and customers what they want. Rich people don't get rich by stealing money from others; rather they are very good at giving other people the goods and the services that others want to pay money for.
I gather from your comments that you are not rich, no?
Well, I may not be the brightest light, but I just re-read the article, and I still see his point differently than you do. So, we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Want some cheese with your "whine?"
Luck had nothing to do with it! Can't you distinguish between luck and effort. Besides, he didn't win any lottery, even figuratively speaking.
You haven't been spanked enough on this thread? I for one am used to working very hard, and thus I do not envy people that have attained more success than me ... I just work harder and smarter if my goal is to attain similar success. I may be many things, but illiterate is not one of them. You, on the other hand, are a socialist punk with nothing to say other than that projected by your nuerosis. Your envy of those more successful than you and your ad hominems for anyone critical of you reeks of 'loser', professor or not.
This is the fault of capitalism and is cured by socialism [which you are determined to defend]?? The weight of the chip on your shoulder must be overbearing.
Do show where I defended socialism. (Actually, I wasn't aware that capitalism was fond of inherited privilege, either.)
I would be happy to share my collection of Thomas Sowell books with you. I won't "give" them to you 'cuz I worked hard to pay for them but you can borrow them since I'm compassionate.
Thanks, but I own about twenty pounds of prime Sowell, only half of which I've digested so far. Although I've had no direct contact with the man, about seven years ago, one of his researchers contacted me for help running down some sources. (I have no idea what use, if any, the information was put to.)
My experience is limited to the past three years, and to FR, Salon, and the New York Times threads, but I have found that the hardcore ideologues left and right give each other a pretty good run for the money, when it comes to "the lowest common denominator."
When I first came to New York, I saw quite a bit of those types in publishing. My personal experience, however, runs more to Martha's Vineyard -- up and down-island.
As a kid, I cleaned out their stables for pocket change and played with their golden retrievers and admired their sailboats. Horses, dogs, boats. Horses, dogs, boats. To a one, these were the passions of Old Money. They drove shaky old cars around their beautiful Middleburg estates, and seemed curiously without energy except for I horses/dogs/boats. Being strictly bourgeous, couldn't quite understand why such rich folks had such dark musty houses with such ratty faded oriental carpets. Had to be an adult for a while to appreciate such a cultural statement...(g)
Maybe you should write a sequel to David Brook's "Bobos in Paradise"!
Thanks for the suggestion, but I haven't been to the Vineyard (too many relatives there!) -- or to the apartments of kept kids in publishing -- in years. Besides, you appear to have the more ironic and knowing perspective required of a Bobos II.
FReegards,
You don't get rich by doing what most people can do.
Agreed, but figuring out the right thing ain't easy!
Remember what Mark Twain said; "The reason most people don't have any money is they are too busy working for a living." - Tom
LOL, that son-of-a-gun!
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