To be so sick of anyone who earns a 'decent' wage being demonised by those who don't?

[sickofthis]

OK, I am very probably REALLY going to regret this, but it is getting to me, the number of threads at the moment that seem to think if anyone earns a decent wage (over £50K) they are somehow responsible for the downfall of the economy and are greedy etc.,

It's cobblers.

The truth of the matter is the housing market has grown too far too fast and too many people have borrowed beyond their means on the back of thier houses (which now aren't worth what they thought they were)

Yes, some banks took too many risks and are paying the price but this does not mean ALL bankers are greedy, horrid people. Just like all property developers (who, by the way, have made lots of money from the property boom) aren't either.

But, some people took far too many personal risks to buy material stuff they didn't need. That makes them JUST as culpable.

The housing market needs to cool off. When ordinary good people can't buy a reasonable house, there is something wrong with the pricing strategy and, one way or another, it's going to be corrected.

I think people mean decent as in sufficient to have a decent standard of living. Nothing to do with the nature of the work done.

Oh! I don't think I get these threads. I feel I have a good standard of living but earn nothing like that.

what Starlight said.

Cory, unless you were secretly hoping that said archaeologist was going to become a regular on Time Team... Carenza was much more expensively dressed than her peers at the International Medieval Congress a few years ago.

alas, any dream of dh being respectably dressed is likely to remain a dream

(do you go to IMC regularly then, Habbibu?)

back in the day I did, before I gave it all up... DH is still a regular on the dance floor!

just found this (over a week late ) -very interesting.

to reply to the OP... the reason high earners are sometimes demonised is just because the rest of us are jealous. Plain and simple.

we don't really think about who shouldn't have borrowed what, the state of the economy, etc. We are just jealous.

And the high earners (basically anyone in the high tax bracket so yes £50K is high earning to me) really ought to realise this and not be sensitive about it.

suppose i was really skinny (and i'm not btw ), i wouldn't moan or whinge about my hip bones sticking out or not being able to find clothes small enough in the company of some size 16+ acquaintances, because i would be sensitive enough to know that given half the chance they would probably rather be like me. The reason they are not skinny / rich could be a combination of luck, opportunities, bad choices, lack of intelligence, cirumstance etc etc etc whatever. lack of opportunities to be thin.

so in other words i am prepared to say that yeah i dislike rich people immediately, because i am jealous. i'm just being honest! (stamps feet like toddler at the unfairness of it all)

hopefully that clears things up for you

Superfrench - Envy plays a part but often it is more 'you must be a complete arse/wanker and really not give a hoot about anyone but yourself'. Which is only sometimes true.

Speak for yourself, superfrenchie...

Habbibu - Do you go to Medieval themed dinners in Perthshire castles?

Over My Dead Body, Swedes. I was a professional medievalist in my day - we don't touch that kind of crap with bargepoles.

Habbibu - You can't imagine the relief. I lived in the Scottish Highlands for quite a few years (DSs 1 & 2 both born at Raigmore Hospital Inverness). When I discovered myself in plus-fours cutting kindling I phoned my very southern sister for help. I know shit happens up there.

swedes - it would be easier if it were like that!

actually anyone with an ounce of sense knows that it is perfectly possible to be well-off / earning £50K+ with a perfect little family and a lovely home and to be really happy and fulfilled and still be a good person. there are good people who are rich and good people who are poor, likewise bad people come in all wage brackets.

see? i'm just jealous! (and yes i know it's bad etc, can't help it)

Yes, you need to be sensitive about other people's feelings. Obviously however well off you are some things in life are just as bad for you like deaths etc but others you wouldn't expect any sympathy at all given the average wage is £50k. I was talking to someone yesterday who has in his role been going round sacking people at the moment in a big company which is not much fun and he was saying it's not so bad even doing it to old friends who are directors in their 50s who he's known for years as if they don't have savings by that age they're silly etc but the hardest is the young men in their 20s with a housewife and babies at home because they just don't have anything to fall back on in the same way. So although there are always people better off than us if you're reasonably well off it's not going to win you any friends to whinge about cut backs you're having to make.

"actually anyone with an ounce of sense knows that it is perfectly possible to be well-off / earning £50K+ with a perfect little family and a lovely home and to be really happy and fulfilled and still be a good person."

I think you've pretty much described my family, superfrenchie, though you'd have to ask others about the "good person" bit - our joint income is a bit under 60K, and we're really happy. I honestly can't see how extra money would significantly increase our happiness, and so can, hand on heart, say we're not jealous.