[mrustow]

'Anyone who criticizes the rich is engaging in class war' -- what a tired cliche that is. I learned everything I know about class warfare from the well-to-do. The fact that socialists at DU bash the rich, doesn't mean that people get rich through virtue. A lazy, trust-fund-kid cousin of mine said naively of our common ancestor's wealth, "He
worked hard." If that were so, half the world would be rich! Money makes money; money helps money; money marries money.

[nopardons]

And most millionaires have worked for it ; NOT inheritted or married it ! What's the matter... jealous that your common ancestor didn't leave YOU a trust fund too ? Or, did you blow it ?

Truth be told, I know a LOT of " trust fund " kids ( now adults of various ages ), who have jobs and work very hard. I also know many wealthy people who earned their money and had no help at all; not from anyone.

You may be " sick " of the class warfare appellation ; however, you certainly engage in it. Get over it.

[Republic of Texas]

Envy makes envy, envy helps envy, envy marries envy.

[wcbtinman]

"He worked hard."

He should have said: 'He worked smart." The reason that most folks are relatively poor is that they work stupid.

[staytrue]

Rich people got rich by inheritance, luck, hard work, marriage, athletic talent, intellectual talent, some other talent or some combination there of. I don't think we can confiscate the wealth of the "undeserving" because exactly who gets to decide who is "undeserving" and who is not. Beside, wealth confiscation has been nothing but a receipe for capital flight and eventual destruction of "capitalism" which needs capital to function. Capitalism may not be perfect, but it seems to be preferable to anything else that man has tried.

[A_perfect_lady]

According to The American Enterprise, 80% of America's millionaires are self-made millionaires. Of course, there's "work hard" and there's "work smart." Few people want to admit they don't work hard, and fewer yet will admit they aren't really as smart as they think they are.

[Henrietta]

Money makes money; money helps money; money marries money.

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?

[A Navy Vet]

So what? Some very hard working folks never make a dime; others are handed a fortune for doing nothing. As long as no one is standing in your way to earn a living, why should you or anyone care? That's life. I've been in the top 1% income bracket and dirt poor. Never have I begrudged anyone for having more than me.

BTW, many "rich" persons spend their life in philanthropic pursuits. Other hard working but financially poor persons beat their wife. I don't judge a person by the size of their bank account.