How comes society accepts that poor people are punished way more strictly than rich people if they do something wrong?

[noname223]

If someone on welfare makes a mistake hell breaks lose for him or her. There is massive societal stigmatization. A lot of pressure. Countless media reports about alleged "welfare queens". It is easier to bully and kick people at the bottom of society I guess...

On the other hand rich, people are considered smart when they evade taxes. There are even so many legal loopholes when it comes to taxes for billionaires and companies. They don't have to abide by these rules. If they commit a crime they can pay a fine or their Ivy league educated lawyers can save their asses. They have a strong lobby that represents them.

Why aren't there more riots against that? I think media plays a role. The US media system distracts the average American and makes him believe the people who give massive tax cuts to the rich were actually fighting for the average Joe and Jane. It is all perverted.

 

[itsgone2]

If someone on welfare makes a mistake hell breaks lose for him or her. There is massive societal stigmatization. A lot of pressure. Countless media reports about alleged "welfare queens". It is easier to bully and kick people at the bottom of society I guess...

On the other hand rich, people are considered smart when they evade taxes. There are even so many legal loopholes when it comes to taxes for billionaires and companies. They don't have to abide by these rules. If they commit a crime they can pay a fine or their Ivy league educated lawyers can save their asses. They have a strong lobby that represents them.

Why aren't there more riots against that? I think media plays a role. The US media system distracts the average American and makes him believe the people who give massive tax cuts to the rich were actually fighting for the average Joe and Jane. It is all perverted.

I'm in a weird spot. For most of my life I've been somewhere in the middle. Not poor but certainly don't have the money that the people around me do. And now my job is going to end since my company has been acquired.
So just my opinion, but the taxes part bothers me less than job destruction does. They do pay taxes, just not enough and yes some ways around it.
But what do low and middle class want? I think we'd rather have meaningful work than just be given everything. But they constantly downsize, or post mergers they get rid of any redundant positions. Out outsource to cheaper foreign labor, who are basically being exploited.
To me this is the true sin of the rich. And there are so many levels to it.
But I agree on the basic thought: they are only looking out for themselves, with zero regard for fellow man.

 

[Dejected 55]

The con is simple... Rich people convince you that you can be just like them, so you don't want to see them as the enemy... but the goal. They trick you into "free the rich" with the tease that you can gain entry to the club and partake too... but that very rarely is ever true.

There's a graphic out there somewhere of a rich guy, a middle class guy, and a poor guy. There's a plate of cookies in front of the middle class guy and the rich gay says "Hey, he's taking your cookies!" as he points to the poor guy and takes cookies from the middle class guy. The poor guy is "caught" eating a crumb that fell off the plate of the middle class guy.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Who is it that are telling us to hate those claiming 'undue' welfair? Those 'milking the system'? The ones who are in power- the rich. Including the criminal rich. They have the money and power to control the narrative.

I think we probably do despise the corrupt and rich. In terms of public opinion, I'm not sure we do always admire them. But legally, they have the money to wiggle out of things presumably.

 

[Dejected 55]

Like... I'm all for farmers, I like to eat food and all... but farmers get a LOT of subsidies in the USA... That's welfare you know. But if you are try and talk about it like it is, you get yelled at. They will lose their fucking mind over feeding kids lunch for free in schools or wanting food stamps to feed the family... "why don't you work and pay your own way?" they will declare... Okay, so hey... "why don't the farmers be better farmers so everyone in the country doesn't have to pay their bills for them?"

And oil companies... literally the WORST way to give money to anyone ever... Oil companies, at or near the top of the wealthiest companies in the world, like all the damn time... get government subsidies... What the actual fuck for? I'm for subsidies to investigate new technologies, fuels, cures for disease, etc... you have to spend money to develop those things and it's not always profitable at first... but THE most profitable companies getting money they don't even arguably come close to needing? Why the hell aren't people freaking out about that? If everyone on welfare scammed welfare to the maximum amount, they couldn't but a dent in what oil companies get.

And... the one thing that does get talked about sometimes... while I am in favor of subsidizing new research... what pisses me off is... we the people pay taxes that the government spend subsidizing research... that the company gain a patent and makes millions or billions off the thing they develop that they needed the subsidized money to be able to do... The government, and then us the people need to see kickback from any profitable venture that a company makes due to subsidies.

Remember how all those rich people like to say they get paid big bucks because they risk their own money? So... when you risk subsidized money, instead of your own, you need to think about that the same way and pay us back with interest on those discoveries!

 

[Hvergelmir]

On the other hand rich, people are considered smart when they evade taxes.

I don't think this is true. There is some legitimate tax planning, but there's also a lot of political work to reduce it, and harsh sentences for tax fraud. People are put in prison for those things. I've not seen upper class tax evasion glorified.

Personally I believe that the tax systems need to be simplified, to avoid loopholes.

So... when you risk subsidized money, instead of your own, you need to think about that the same way and pay us back with interest on those discoveries!

Conditional state-backed loans as an alternative to subsidies? That's actually not a bad idea.