I don't have first-hand knowledge about the wealthy in our society as I've started at the bottom and, so far, haven't climbed all that far. I was fortunate to have read a couple of book by Stanley (I think that's his name): The Millionaire Next Door and the Millionaire Mind.
In the first book, he outlines that the majority of U.S. millionaires are hard working every day people who do not have outrageous lifestyles, and who, by a vast majority, have earned their own wealth. (Few inheritances)
In the second book, he outlines just what makes self-made millionaires different from the rest of us: They have a profoundly developed desire to extract the maximum utility from whatever resources they have available. (My interpretation of the book.)
If this author's research is sound, it appears that the prosperous among us resist the current taxation policies not because of their greed, but instead, because they perceive the whole system is so totally flawed it cannot possibly achieve the worthwhile goals we all support.
I fully realize that reading two books doesn't validate my opinions, but I do feel that the author's research was much more far reaching than any of my personal experiences. In many areas, I use the eyes and ears of others to extend my sampling of the world around me, so I have little reservation in doing the same in this case too.
Cheers, PW. |
