The Rich According to the Guardian

[Judy1234]

www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/04/workandcareers.executivesalaries

I didn't know that, Riven. I think she is ghastly, on the whole, the pompous poster girl for a particularly annoying section of the middle class, but at least she did THAT. But...not the same as growing up in a grim area with no money, no books, no hope...

Yes, and just to add to what Iorek has said, is it not a little feeble - some might say disgraceful - to say "Life isn't fair, it never has been, so there's no point in even ATTEMPTING to alleviate it for some people..."

I think we shoudl not strive to have everyone on the same income. China tried it and wholly failed, look at the mess communism makes of things so now they have even bigger gaps between rich and poor than we do. What we should do is ensure for the good of the nation and to avoid riots etc and because it's good not to see people starve that there is a safety net for the poor, income support and an NHS etc.

But I don't see a problem with some people being richer than others or some having bigger breasts of a higher IQ. Unless you want a nation of clones and that may become technically possible of cours, you will never get every one the same.

2.99 chicken comment - I never said I had a low income but we certainly have financial issues arising from my divorce and we don't eat out and over spend and we haven;t had a holiday this summer etc. But I have never ever said I was poor.

my sentiments entirely raven, very well said.

I am pretty sure that if you are in the UK more than 90days, then you start paying tax here - that's not actually that much.
So, imo, fair.
I agree with swc here, I'm afraid.

oh- sorry, swc got there first... bit more than I thought.
But still.....

Xenia you say you haven't had a summer holiday this year, but in the post before mentioned the ISLAND that you own. You'll have to excuse me if I don't sympathise.
The article was badly written and boring to read.

OK, Riven, you've convinced me and I now have a modicum more respect for PT!

Xenia, surely there is a difference between advocating communism (which I am not) and providing, as I think you say, a highly necessary safety net for the needy? Only a moron would suggest that everyone can be the same. But in the realm of a civilised society, the more we can help people to help themselves - not just benefits, which ARE necessary, but above all GREATER OPPORTUNITY - the better for the moral, social and even financial health (if you want to look at it that way) of the entire nation.

Ah, the in-touch Guardian... Champion of the working classes, with its recipes involving polenta, feta and ground nut oil, and its promotions for lovely little leather handbags which you can only find in a certain North London boutique for £500.

I read that article this morning and was quite enraged about it, what saddens me most is not so much that the top 10% are paid so much but that the bottom 10% are paid so little. I don't care if some braying hooray is earning £1.5 a year with a 100% bonus, but I do care that a teacher/nurse/firefighter/copper is paid a pittance. I'm sure all those £500 an hour lawyers/bankers/executives expend ridiculous amounts of energy trying to prevent the low paid getting an extra 1% on their pay rise. I know our management do, while awarding themselves lovely 25% pay rises.

The other thing that struck me is how sad it is that there's no philanthropy any more. The Victorians spent their money building schools/hospitals/libraries/social housing. Where's this century's Peabody (ok he was American but you get the idea).

Xenia, yes some are born prettier or more intelligent, but aren't we meant to be a society? Aren't we meant to take care of those that aren't as fortunate as the others? It's not someone's fault they're born in to poverty, but it's our collective fault if we do nothing to help them out of that poverty.

lol UnquietDad
xenia why dont you do us all a favour and bugger off to your island.
at the moment me and dp are struggling financially, and are barely keeping our heads above water, its a terrible strain, and the little ones suffer also, but hey thats life eh??

Oh and I have a friend who's married to a senior partner in a top law firm, he's on about £1.5 a year plus 100% bonus. She's always amazed at how tired I am. I only have one child after all, she has five....
and doesn't work.....

and three of them are at boarding school....

and she has three nannies for the other two.....

and she has a cook....

and a full time driver.....

and a gardner.....

and a housekeeper.....

I'm genuinely not bitter (not much ) but I agree with the article that the super rich are really out of touch with how 90% of the population live.

We're struggling finacially, but it's ok because we're soooo pretty

sorry, gardener

Why is it a pittance? It's a fortune compared to many people on this planet who almost risk death to achieve the heights of UK state benefits. We look after people They don't starve. They are very lucky.

Lots of people have financial problems at the moment and I have never said mine were remotely comparable. Making extra money, thinking of business ideas, thinking about where services might be required in a community, taking in lodgers, writing articles, babysitting, going door to door asking if people have scrap metal or need ironing done, all those things are hard work and I am sure any mumsnet poster with financial issues is working their way through them as we speak.

yep thats true coco

*(sp)