Bob,
I am not poor and some would say I am rich. I wasn't born rich, I was born smart. I relate to your support of the US as a land of opportunity, but I don't understand why you took OwnStock's post so personally. Certainly, you appear to be a self made man with the virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty. You pay your taxes according to the legal requirements. You have nothing to apologize for and nobody to apologize to. I think you are naive if you believe you represent the typical American.
I think that the mores of our society can be discerned by watching a boys 12 year old organized soccer or basketball game. The boys know the rules of the games, but they also already know the rules of life. Winning is everything and the rules should be skillfully broken so that penalties are avoided and the net effect enhances the chances of a win.
Own Stock just pointed out the truths that are universal and throughout history. The rich and powerful are more adept at and more successful at breaking the rules. They win and the poor and less powerful lose until rule breaking gets out of hand. ENRON is a modern example of out of hand.
If you and I are smart, honest, hardworking, self-made men, we should not assume we are the model. As you pointed out, smart isn't endemic and neither is hard work and sacrifice. It is harder to be honest when you aren't smart, you don't want hard work and sacrifice, and you want to win. |
