So my F-I-L says to me you'll never get a job from a poor person...

[mpreorder]

He says this once in awhile and I usually blow it off and I did this time as well. But I've been thinking about it quite a bit because something about it makes sense on a very simple level, but.....
How did the rich get rich? A myriad of ways no doubt, but in general...
They overcharged for goods and services, using science, statistics, and psychology to determine the absolute most money people would pay.
They underpaid their workers, using careful analysis of the competition to avoid costly turnover all while providing as few benefits as possible, cutting those benefits over the years to fractions of what our parents enjoyed. They also automate as much as possible to increase profits and cut jobs.
They used their wealth to lobby (i.e.buy) politicians for their purposes, from making unions less effective to getting laws passed for increased profits and expanding markets.
They set up shell companies in foreign countries to avoid paying taxes.

Anyone care to add to the list?

I'm going to bring these ideas to him the next time he says this. I doubt it will matter but he was a union guy so one never knows. But most of the wingnuts don't think this way. Unlike Oliver "Please sir may I have another", they'll be grateful for the crumbs they're given. I'm convinced what we're seeing in this country is class warfare, and only the rich know they're fighting it. Warren know this and is shining a light on it. Go Elizabeth!!

[Girard442]

1. Increasingly, you won't get a job from a rich person either.

When they make their money from financial speculation, they don't need you for anything.

[wasupaloopa]

2. Rich does not equal evil.

[dawg day]

3. Tell FIL that no rich person will ever take care of him

In the nursing home. Also you'll only be able to visit hom there once a year because you'll be so busy getting rich.

The adulation of the wealthy ignores the reality
... even the rich need non-rich people for just about everything.

[Sanity Claws]

4. You will get a job from the middle class and the lower middle class

People who are not rich offer plenty of employment opportunities: cooking, child care, cleaning, shopping, repairs, retail, etc.

So many people think in terms of extremes, rich or poor. There is a whole lot in the middle.

[FoxNewsSucks]

5. Some rightwing asshole said pretty much the same thing

to me at the Y once. Back during that tax cut for "job creators" BS. He also said that poor people aren't "job creators".

I told him to look out at the front desk. The jobs at the front desk, and the instructors, and maintenance people were not "created" by some benevolent rich person. Then I said to look around the gym and basketball court. I don't know how rich or poor the members of the Y are, but the fact that they are there is what created those jobs. Without members, there would be no jobs. I said it is the same in every grocery store, clothing store, any store. Any factory or business that makes a product or performs a service. Customers create jobs. Without customers, including poor customers, there would be no jobs making, doing or selling. So yes, a lot of people do get jobs from poor people. He had nothing to say to that.

[Bluepinky]

7. Great response!

[brush]

10. Great response. Makes so much sense there can hardly be any push back.

Another angle that I'd like to see a good researcher explore is how actual self-made rich people use their fortune v those who inherited it—two New Yorkers come to mind. Bloomberg who employs thousands vs trump who ripped off thousands (and continues to rip off the US Treasury with self-dealing).

[Kid Berwyn]

6. They usually were born rich.

They made their money the old fashioned way: they inherited it.

https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/stories/why-rich-kids-become-rich-adults-and-poor-kids-become-poor-adults/

And they hire pols to make sure they keep it.

https://whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu/power/wealth.html

[tanyev]

8. You will hardly ever get retirement or health insurance from a rich person

unless the government forces them to provide it.

[kentuck]

9. Sometimes the rich guy gets rich from the labor of the poor man.

He can become so rich that he can hire another poor man to work for him.

But, from another perspective, it was the labor of the first poor man that made it possible for the second poor man to get a job.

[AllaN01Bear]

11. a friend of mine had a very strong advert and graphics business.

he was able to live "comfertly" untill "GREAT DEPRESSION" 2.0. started to loose money and his "experts a few years back predicted a sudden downturn on his businness income. a few years ago , the downturn hit and he sold the buisness to another partner. he and his wife are now living nicely and fully retired.

[CousinIT]

12. And you'll never get any profit-making WORK out of a rich one. n/t

[Takket]

13. A rich person that is taxed fairly is still rich

[eShirl]

14. let's tell 'em!

[treestar]

15. Another stupid right-wing-ism

Poor people spend all their money. You get jobs from the customers. The rich guy is not going to invest in anything people won't buy. They don't give anyone a job. They are just funneling the funds into the money-making proposition.

[CrispyQ]

16. "And a rich person will never cut your lawn or take your trash to the dump."

That's what I would answer. He has a lopsided view of the world - that only one group has value - the group doing the hiring. Yet, does he want to mow his own lawn? Take his trash to the dump? Having contempt for people who do work you don't want to do is snobbery.

If he's a union man, remind him of this. Rich people didn't give labor these things out of the goodness of their hearts. I know we don't teach it in school anymore, but labor fought & died for these things.

[Happy Hoosier]

17. Our economy does require capital.... BUT......

The fact is that capital follows demand. The way to grow an economy is to expand demand. We have no need to expand capital. There is more than enough available.

[lettucebe]

18. Effective counter-argument are stories of those who had nothing but grew to a fortune

Stories about those who immigrated, with nothing in their pockets but lint, came to America. Worked hard. Built businesses, employed thousands. Those stories make more sense in this argument.

Here's an article about 13 People Who Came to America with Nothing and Made a Fortune

[Initech]

19. George Carlin said it best:

"The rich make all of the money, pay none of the taxes. The middle class pay all of the taxes and do all of the work. And the poor are there, just to scare the shit out of the middle class! Keep them showing up at those jobs!!".

Truer words ever spoken!

[coti]

20. Tell him that's something only bootlickers say. nt

[GoCubsGo]

21. To which I say, "So what?"

I don't understand the point to that comment. Because the poor can't give people jobs, does that make them worthless or inferior? Why does it matter that they can't give other people jobs? I don't get it.

I will also counter with the point that most of these "rich" people don't get that way (or stay that way) without poor people. A perfect example is the Walton family, who own Walmart. They make a fat chunk of their money off of poor people. They also keep their own employees poor, because they pay dirt wages and practice wage thievery.