AIBU to not understand why some people seem to have an absolute hatred for rich people in this country.

[Barbierella]

I cannot understand why people find it acceptable to slate rich people as if they are all the same and responsible for all that is wrong in society.

Surely people can understand that many rich people do pay tax and generally are an asset to society? And without the many successful businesses in the private sector we would not have a public sector?

AIBU to think that people who like to lump all rich people into one tax avoiding bunch of tossers can be the very same people who get outraged at the lumping of all out of work people as benefit scroungers?

Neither are ok in IMO.

maninawomansworld - the delicious irony of your post escapes you, on a thread moaning about how howwid we all are, why can't we just treat people as people!

For the record, I am not left wing and I don't eat fish. I like steak.

You may call me 'goody-goody' - it is your right to have whatever opinion you like, just as it is my right to laugh at it.

Please do explain what is 'goody-goody' about worrying about a society where a significant proportion of young people have no hope, no aspirations and no conscience - but they do have guns and knives.

And this dangerous skewing of society is a direct result of this selfish and childish notion that 'there is no such thing as society' , 'why should I pay more tax' 'the poor are lazy scroungers' etc, etc, etc.

its a british cultural thing. success can be openly sneered at.

don't get above your place!

No. Success is great.

But explain why it is 'successful' to be awarded multi million pound bonuses for quasi criminal activities that lead to financial misery for millions.

It depends wether they earned it or not.

But even if they did, they should donate lots of money to charity, I do hate greedy people. But, there are also plenty of greedy people living on benefits.

I think they should get rid of inheritance, it's not fair. And some people have just been lucky. BTL landlords etc! should be taxed extra, as should football players, WAGS and other pointless celebrities.

spero - who are you trying to convince about (some) banking? as far as i cna see, everyone agrees with you.

"No. Success is great.

But explain why it is 'successful' to be awarded multi million pound bonuses for quasi criminal activities that lead to financial misery for millions."

Spero what about the rich that didn't cause the banking crisis and financial misery for millions. Can we respect them and not tar them all with the same brush?

I can't remember who posted about the rich moaning about paying tax but I know a lot of 6 figure plus earners who all pay tax PAYE and I have never ever heard any of them moan about paying tax.

Sorry, I hadn't noticed everyone agreed with me. Must be because that is such an unusual position for me, it simply didn't register.

I was trying to make the point that it is naive to wring ones hands and say 'why o why do some people hate rich people'.

The reasons why are obvious.

this may mean some decent hardworking types get unfairly tarred with the same brush but that's life I am afraid.

I object principally to two types of 'rich' people - the profiteers and exploiters (bankers, BTL landlords etc) and the lazy ill-informed rich people (often the non working wives of bankers etc).

For all those who made their money off their hard work, who contribute to the society in which they live without begrudging that contribution, who realise that not all (some yes, but by no means all) poor people are poor by reasons other than their feckless stupidity - to those I offer sincere congratulations and while of course I feel the odd twinge now and again of envy about your wealth, I certainly don't 'hate' you.

Why on earth should football players be "taxed extra"?
Does that apply to anyone who plays football for a living? Just the Premiership players? Or Premiership players over a certain salary?

I suppose it depends on what exactly "taxed extra" means.

If there are organisations willing to pay someone £300K A WEEK to kick a ball, then I suppose I can't realistically object to that.

It just sits very uneasily with living in a society where the government has cut £6 million of funding to Kids Company for example, an organisation that demonstrably does very good work with some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society.

I don't think you can criticise people for finding it distasteful that someone earns that kind of money in one week for kicking a ball and visiting prostitutes, whereas charities and organisations that carry out vital and necessary work get their funding cut.

Whether there should be a 'cap' on such earnings is another question - I agree it probably isn't feasible but that doesn't stop it making me feel sick.

i certainly hate a massive gap between the richest and poorest
i hate socio-economic inequality
i hate the extremes of inherited wealth that mean some families have owned vast tracts of the uk for almost a thousand years
i hate the uk's class based system - which has not disappeared

and i particularly hate being told i hate these things because of 'envy' or 'jealousy'

you forgot to add that its also because you are a goody goody who eats fish.

Apparently.

The sixth form debating teams are taking avid notes.

I think if you have more money than the average person you probably notice lots of "rich bashing" here on MN. It is definitely growing too. I have been on here for ten years (probably most days!) and notice it more and more.

In RL you probably tend to mix more with people who earn at similar levels and so notice it far less.

I have been at the two extremes. At 23 I earned less than £10k per annum and now at 40 I earn a lot working for myself (certainly nowhere near footballer levels but enough, more than I ever thought I would earn and enough that most people would consider me very well off). I would probably be considered greedy by some for the fact that I don't distribute enough of the money I earn.

Why are footballers singled out for this? Why not film stars etc?

His salary has nothing to do with the government cutting any funding. You make it sound as if the money is going to him instead of spent on government funding, whereas the reverse is true - he is paying shitloads of tax.

Nobody pays him to sleep with prostitutes - that also has nothing to do with his salary.

I used to be very poor and now I am rich.

It is really interesting to see poeple's negative reactions.

They really do span all manner of things.

There are those who assume I've never done anything for my money.
Those who assume I've got something to do with banking.
Those who assume I evade tax.
Those who assume I got where I am via some sort of connection.

Then there are those who simply don't like the fact that I did make my own money (they slate you for being new money).

Then there are those who don't like what I spend my money on. Apparently, there is an agreed list (shrug).

Then there are those who don't like it that I spend it all (too flashy).

And of course there are those who assume that every aspect of my life is perfect and 'it's alright for you.'

My Mum gets extremely upset. She can't understand how all that work to get out of deprivation is ignored and wonders if people would rather we just know our place and don't try to improve our lot.

TBH I'm past caring.

atticusclaw, good point

elites are insulated. that is part of the danger and why it leads to instability and collapse. too much inequality eventually ends badly - history shows us this over and over. so why do we repeat history? because elites dont realise as they are so out of touch

i liked this study - not just about uk. has global implications

Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?

gu.com/p/3nhdd

I've never understood the squeamishness about sports people either.

To say they get paid 'to kick a ball about' shows lack of understanding of football as an industry.

Rooney is a worldwide brand. He makes his clubs a fortune. And when he doesn't any more, he will no longer be paid. Simples.

No different to JK Rowling, or Brad Pitt, or Bill Gates.

We are all only worth what someone is willing to pay for our skills/products.

Part of it is the sudden explosion in footballers' salaries, at the top, since the Premiership started. In 1990, Gazza, then the brightest young prospect in the old first division, earned 4k a week, which was considered high.

Sure, but football is now a global industry.

When I saw a budhist monk in Vietnam, wearing a Man U top over his orange robe, I knew football had become something more than a sport!

I agree. I just think the huge increase in not that much time is why footballers are so singled out.

"Whether there should be a 'cap' on such earnings is another question - I agree it probably isn't feasible but that doesn't stop it making me feel sick."

This is so short sighted, capping salaries. The more they earn the more tax they pay. The money they earn is not taken from the public purse but global spending. It's brilliant that some of our people earn so much and can therefore contribute vast sums to our society surely?

I've never understood the squeamishness about sports people either.

then that is indicative of the poverty of your understanding.

I am not singling out sports people - the same distaste applies to any field where people receive enormous rewards for the kind of activities which are not comparable to improving medical care or educational opportunities etc, etc.

This may be how we are ok with organising our society. So be it. But just because it happens, doesn't mean I have to like it or think it a 'good thing'.

I think top footballers pay around 6 million in tax each a year don't they?

the more they earn the more tax they pay. The money they earn is not taken from the public purse but global spending. It's brilliant that some of our people earn so much and can therefore contribute vast sums to our society surely?

This is just naive.

the more you earn, the more access you have to accountants who can give you all sorts of useful advice about trusts, off sure accounts, investments etc, etc, to reduce your tax burden considerably.

I very much doubt that Wayne Rooney pays as much tax as his earnings would suggest. He should sack his accountant if he does.

sorry, 'off shore' obvs.