"Rich people suffer a lot more than middle class people" - where is your proof for this?

Marc

ITEM: We can handle taxes pretty easily. We work, they're taken out, and usually that's close enough to balance so that there's only a few bucks difference either way - maybe a couple hundred if we try to outwit the tax codes, maybe with our once a year accountant. Rich people have to address taxes constantly; they have to hire one or two experts, if they're not accountants, and they not only have their own; as employers, they have to account for employees as well.

ITEM: I hate to clean, you hate to clean, everybody hates to clean. Now, suppose you have two or three domiciles, two or three or four cars, a boat, a jet, a whole building. Those homes have to be livable constantly; those vehicles have to be maintained to perform at an instant's notice. Those buildings need janitorial services. And for all those people who wish they had a two story twenty-two room house... they probably haven't considered how many windows there are to clean!

ITEM: In this political season, you may've been contacted to make a donation. Maybe at Christmastime, Easter, and probably one or two email or snailmail requests a month. It's unlikely you friends and family are constantly at your door for money (well, your kids technically are at their own door, but I'm sure you follow.)

Now posit that not only are there likely dozens of charities and foundations looking for contributions - but A) these are GOOD causes. They're not spam-like, or phishing, or Nigerian princes. They're hospitals, universities, charities, and other legitimate causes. And B) because of tax laws, it is almost impossible NOT to donate money to lighten that tax load.

ITEM: Our world today is horrible. We send our children to school, university, or out into real life, without knowing if today is the day they may have to face a mugger, or a terrorist attack, or a disaster due to decrepit infrastructure.

Now multiply that by being rich and famous. How many kidnappers want your children for ransom? How many monsters are going to try to make a message by using YOUR children? How many bodyguards can be bought out and turn on you? If you were rich, you would worry about your children every second of every day, trying to make them secure - and never being sure that you've done enough.

We all have our burdens to bear, poor as well as middle class as well as rich - and nobody wants bad to happen to any of us, save for a few psychopaths. But being wealthy does not solve every single problem by any means.

That, at least is my conclusion.

The poster boy for this position in the U.K. @ the moment is an MP called Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Look up his latest gaffs & you will see the issues people have with privilege. I am convinced he thinks of us as lesser people who are his playthings

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Trump is a pretty bad example of that (I cannot believe I have to defend him!!! Grrrrrr!)

He actually employs people in his empire - be that staff, construction workers etc. Now, does he use real money or pretend money? That's a different question. Does he treat others as human beings? Does he think that because he is rich, normal rules don't apply? All valid questions and discussion points and all relate to other uber rich people.

Jealousy is a trap when it comes to why people have problems with the rich. It's a lot more complex and nebulous than that.

For example, issues I have with specific individuals include:

Finding ways to not pay tax
(but even then, and this is a stark reminder of just what we mean by mega rich) the top 1% of tax payers in the UK account for 27% of the total income tax paid. So while I may well have issues with the amount they earn, and that they find ways to pay less, either legal or foul, they account for over a quarter of the revenue this country gets. That gives them enormous political and financial power. Much of their money comes from dividends and partnerships.

Taking money from companies to the detriment of the company
short term gain for the individual, disaster for the company - look at how many long established companies are going to the wall at the moment. Yes, there are complex reasons for this, but how many have included directors taking money from the account?
When the Galzer brothers bought Manchester united, THEY took out a loan to buy and own the company. They then transferred that loan to the company, putting the asset they just bought into massive debt - they personally no longer had the debt. How is that right? I don't care if it is established practice, it is a crazy practice.

Stealing money from pension pots
Abhorrent, just abhorrent

The whole lead up to the 2008 financial crash
Watch The Big Short and just weep

These are just some. I haven't got to the whole 'They think we are bugs' as exemplified by Jacob Rees-Mogg above, but that really does exist.

Jealousy isn't even in my list of issues I have with people having personal fortunes greater than entire countries.