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Douglas Carpenter
Douglas Carpenter's Journal
Douglas Carpenter's Journal
May 31, 2014
"The Homosexuals": Mike Wallace's 1967 CBS Documentary
I saw this for the first time today.
Sometimes it is worthwhile to take a look back in time at just how hideous attitudes were within living memory of many of us. My goodness I would have been twelve going on thirteen when this documentary aired on nationwide TV. As ignorant as opinions are in this video - this would have been relatively liberal for the time. After all they did suggest that prison sentences for private sexual acts between consenting adults were probably not a good idea even though polling at the time suggested most Americans supported it.
May 8, 2014
The Democrats in Congress play the envy game by decrying "the rich" and "paying their fair share" and other class-warfare rhetoric, and the poor - far from being powerless! - have the votes to influence public policy toward ever-more welfare and government giveaways. The top percentage of "the rich" pay a disproportionate percentage of taxes, while a majority in this country pay little or no taxes. The "progressive" taxation is but one redistributionist scheme, and it's patently unfair that demagogues demand they pay their "fair share." It's also patently unfair that "government benefits" are portioned out way disproprotionately to the amount of taxes paid. The whole system stinks, and it's further corrupted by a professional class of lobbyists who engage in "crony capitalism." Have you ever read Frederic Bastiat's "The Law?" He talks about "plunder," and it' a real eye-opener because it almost perfectly describes our political system today.
It is the rich who are the real victims
And they are being mercilessly plundered. I kid you not! This is a post from a Facebook friend of my brother - responding to a post about the demonization of the poor. This is what passes for intellectualism in today's Republican Party:
The Democrats in Congress play the envy game by decrying "the rich" and "paying their fair share" and other class-warfare rhetoric, and the poor - far from being powerless! - have the votes to influence public policy toward ever-more welfare and government giveaways. The top percentage of "the rich" pay a disproportionate percentage of taxes, while a majority in this country pay little or no taxes. The "progressive" taxation is but one redistributionist scheme, and it's patently unfair that demagogues demand they pay their "fair share." It's also patently unfair that "government benefits" are portioned out way disproprotionately to the amount of taxes paid. The whole system stinks, and it's further corrupted by a professional class of lobbyists who engage in "crony capitalism." Have you ever read Frederic Bastiat's "The Law?" He talks about "plunder," and it' a real eye-opener because it almost perfectly describes our political system today.
May 5, 2014
On the surface it would seem that those who acquired their money within their lifetimes would be a more honorable sort because to at least some extent they could make a plausible claim of being "self made" and that at least most people would accept that they did by and large earned it. On the surface it would seem that the nouveau riche would be more connected to and have more empathy with the common people since in many cases that is how they started out in life.
However, there seems to be a common perception that the new moneyed class of the nouveau rich are more apt to have the attitude, "I got my money by working hard. There are no free lunches. So, if you want it - you work hard you get it yourself and don't expect any handouts." Contrasted to a perception in at least some peoples' minds that those who come from generations of wealth are more apt to feel community responsibility and noblesse oblige. There is an idea that they were the core of the old liberal Republicans many of whom are now supporters of the Democratic Party. Although I'm not sure how real that is beyond the anecdotal level.
I don't know if these perceptions are actually based in reality or if they are based on anecdote that is not necessarily consistent with the real world. I wonder if anyone else has ever thought about this. Is it more blessed to inherit your money that to acquire it through investment and wheeling and dealing?
The Patricians versus the Nouveau Riche or old money versus new money
On the surface it would seem that those who acquired their money within their lifetimes would be a more honorable sort because to at least some extent they could make a plausible claim of being "self made" and that at least most people would accept that they did by and large earned it. On the surface it would seem that the nouveau riche would be more connected to and have more empathy with the common people since in many cases that is how they started out in life.
However, there seems to be a common perception that the new moneyed class of the nouveau rich are more apt to have the attitude, "I got my money by working hard. There are no free lunches. So, if you want it - you work hard you get it yourself and don't expect any handouts." Contrasted to a perception in at least some peoples' minds that those who come from generations of wealth are more apt to feel community responsibility and noblesse oblige. There is an idea that they were the core of the old liberal Republicans many of whom are now supporters of the Democratic Party. Although I'm not sure how real that is beyond the anecdotal level.
I don't know if these perceptions are actually based in reality or if they are based on anecdote that is not necessarily consistent with the real world. I wonder if anyone else has ever thought about this. Is it more blessed to inherit your money that to acquire it through investment and wheeling and dealing?
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Corry (Erie County), Pennsylvania 16407
Home country: USA
Current location: Saipan, U.S. Commonweath of the Northern Mariana Islands
Member since: Wed Jun 1, 2005, 08:56 PM
Number of posts: 20,226
