To feel really angry that Petra Eccleston is buying a £98 million pound housewhile while people are starving?

[mightybright]

I am completely judging her for buying a £98,000,000 second home, her first cost £56,000,000.

I'm not jealous, it just makes me feel quite sick that people are dying of starvation and that amount of money would go a long way towards making the world a better place IMO, aibu?

[allegrageller]

@Neptune, how ridiculous, of course I am not saying that all evil people are rich..

I'm talking anecdotally, as we all do. The very rich (millionaire-plus) people I've met at college and through previous work were not pleasant. At all. Obsessed, fucked up, arrogant and narcissistic. But no, not serial killers :-D Although one was, in fact, a child abuser.... So I'm not jealous of rich people- at all. They are no better or happier than the rest of us.

Urgh. Deference to the rich on this thread, as if we should all be grateful they deign to spend their millions in our country (not that we see any of it unless we happen to be employable as minimum wage cooks and nannies...or overpaid accountants and tax advisers).

I frankly doubt that the NHS is 'mainly funded' by rich individuals. Probably the biggest tax revenue comes from major corporations- and the government seems very keen to hand that back to the poor overburdened multi-billion entities, as shown by the recent Vodafone scandal. It's been clear for years that the burden of tax falls disproportionately on the poorest.

[OurPlanetNeptune]

Allegra Your post explicits states

I don't actually think it's great to be mega rich. Probably deforms your character. Is that anecdotal? English may not be my first language but come off it. In response I was illustrating that character flaws are not the preserve of the rich.

If a person is a twat, they will be one regardless of the level of their bank balance.

[OurPlanetNeptune]

disclaimer: I am not saying being a serial killer is a mere character flaw.

[allegrageller]

indeed Neptune. And yes it is absolutely anecdotal, from experience of spending time with some very, very rich people. That's why I said 'probably'.

I'll never forget walking with a university friend who was the son of a billionaire across Marble Arch and encountering a number of homeless people. It was as if he didn't think such people really existed until then. He just couldn't take it- recoiled in disgust and horror, started saying 'get me out of here!' He wasn't a bad guy, but he just refused to reconcile the obvious suffering he was seeing with his rich-kid philosophy of 'the poor should just stop moaning and get rich like me.' He also used to insist people were 'jealous' of him, which was sheer bollocks for many reasons.

I think poverty very likely deforms people too in a different and imho far harsher way. It takes an exceptionally strong person to overcome their social circumstances. Just saying; no more than that.

[smashinghairday]

Allegra.

Simple maths shows that the better off you are the more tax you pay.
The poor do no have to give 40/50% of their income away each month in tax.

[allegrageller]

Of course I know there are different tax bands, I'm not quite that thick. However, when you look at the proportion of income actually absorbed by tax (including VAT at ever increasing percentages) and it's quite clear that the poorer you are the more as a proportion of income you actually pay back to the government.

[SardineQueen]

smashinghair people who are less well off pay disproportionately on things like VAT on essentials. Many wealthy people do what they can to avoid as much tax as they can. So your simple maths is rather too simple IMO.

I suppose on this thread a lot of people are coming at it from different angles. I'm a socialist, and am very interesting in conversations about what systems might be employed in place of capitalism and to rectify inequalities etc.

But I think to pick out this one individual, slate her, not mention others of her ilk, etc etc etc is just not on.

OP what are your ideas for rebalancing the world's finances? Or do your ideas cease at "look at this rich woman it's sickening"?

[smashinghairday]

sardinequeen- as a socialist - how would you level the playing field? ( genuine question1) or should I start a new thread?

[Bandwitch]

YANBU OP, it is ridiculous. The thing that might be making people uncomfortable is singling her out for criticism (or singling anybody out for an individual lecture). I agree with you, anybody who spends £3k on a handbag regularly when that could feed whole villages....... I feel really sad about the distribution of wealth in the world. I've no idea how I would behave if I had 98 million to spend on a house................. no, I just can't imagine it. I know I would have to give most of it away. I wouldn't live in squalor, I'm no hero! but no way could I hold on to that much money.

[OurPlanetNeptune]

I understand your point better now Allegra. But I still disagree, somewhat .
I have equally interesting anecdotes describing instances when wealthy acquaintances have shown great compassion and empathy for those less economically fortunate than them. Wealth (or lack there of) may change perception but not the fundamental character.

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Yanbu, op, it is utterly indefensible and anyone who doesn't agree with you is a twat.

Why can't she buy a poxy little £20 million pound house? That should be more than enough for any mere mortal on this earth, let alone a 22 year old who has not even earned the money herself.

[bibbitybobbityhat]

I also agree that in many ways it must be utterly miserable to be mega rich. Think of the security! She and others like her will be constant targets for kidnappers. Grim.

[SardineQueen]

hahaha whoops @ "i am very interesting"

I meant interested obviously!

Have to go out now!

[Yekke]

I do hope that the OP rents a studio flat in a very cheap area and donates the balance of her income to the starving otherwise I fear she might be accused of hypocrasy.

[MirandaGoshawk]

OP, YANBU.

It's the gap between the haves and the have-nots that's relevant. The fact that people are in slavery in some parts of the world because they owe the equivalent of £50 sickens me.

And yes, I do give what I can to charity rather than buy expensive stuff for me. It's true that it's hard to draw the line, but no doubt that £98m for a 2nd home is way over the line.

[Bandwitch]

Yekke that's nonsense,, the suggestion that somebody on 30k a year must live in a studio flat (and give what's left to charity) before they are in a position to have a genuine ethical discomfort at Ms Ecclestone's spending, that is not right. That person would NOT be a hypocrite.

[Gooseberrybushes]

People want people to spend money on stuff. Otherwise they wouldn't have jobs. The craftsmen who men 20,000K watches want people to over indulge themselves on 20 000K watches. The world won't run on charity. Very simplistic op.

[OurPlanetNeptune]

You are hilarious kerrymumbles How long did it take you to trawl the 'net to find the worst picture of her? When she is crying? Jealous? I am more certain of it now.

[sue52]

I would rather see someone enjoy their money than have a mega rich hypocrite lecture us about third world debt. In my view Bono and Sting are far more vile than Petra Eccleston.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

That judgement only really works if you donate your own spare money to the starving millions too. If you don't then don't berrate others for not doing so either.

[OurPlanetNeptune]

Seriously? To liken the girl to a porn star says a lot about you Kerry

[expatinscotland]

I didn't even know who this was.

Now that I've googled, I don't care.