Being Poor is Not a Virtue - It's Trends Evil

Where in the Bible or in Catholic doctrine does it say that being poor is a virtue?

Is there nobility in being poor?

Are individuals, families, neighborhoods, or cities better off if they are poor?

What advantage is there to being poor?

And yet the Catholic Church elevates the value of being poor, by assuming that poverty is inevitable and perhaps the goal attained.  The Church cares for the poor, like the government does. They GIVE stuff to people. That is caring, but it's not a real good example of caring.

A PREFERENCE FOR THE POOR must include a process, a path, and an education to accumulating wealth and self-sufficiency. Otherwise, IMHO, this "preference for the poor" is a bunch of crap. It is hypocrisy. It's self-perpetuating. It's evil. Gravely evil.

I acknowledge that some individuals are destined to be always poor. There are people that are not capable for any number of reasons of earning a living, keeping a job, or even getting out of bed without falling. I know that. But I'm not talking about such dear souls that exist so that we can learn to help those TRULY in need.

Instead, I'm talking about the otherwise capable, who need to be working at least 6 hours a day volunteering at ANYWHERE good, for the sake of raising their own dignity and improving their lives, and their community. Or, I'm talking about people that should take ANY job, even if it is boring or "beneath their dignity." Work, any work done well, creates personal dignity.

And there are those, in these camps that do feel victimized by society and so they are unmotivated to do anything but find ways to take from the producers, whom them feel owe them.

There is also such hate for those that are rich, that some poor avoid doing things that would help them out of poverty, because they don't want to be like the rich. Stupid thinking leads to a stupid life.

Over generalizations?

No.

I've seen it up close and personal.

It's abhorrent, evil and destructive. 

If you hate poverty, start doing what the rich do. What do the rich do? 

The rich study the lives of immigrants that came to the U.S. with no money, and today are millionaires.

The rich have gleamed and practice those virtues of character that differentiate the poor from the rich and follow them.  Ben Franklin and his book of virtues comes to mind.

The rich have fostered in themselves values such as these:

1. Foster a personal value that accumulating money is good.  Don't love it. But without it you're poor. (See No. 4)

I know of people who claim to be champions of the poor, who avoid money like it was a plague. My conclusion is that they don't want to be seen by their poor friends as being like the rich, because that would destroy friendships. What a stupid idea. The Bible reminds us that the rich have friends, whereas the poor don't. 

2. Study the work habits and traits, not the hobbies, of the rich and replicate those work traits in your life.

I visited a subway restaurant one time in Detroit. It had just changed owners. It was busy, a long line. The staff was short handed. And what was the owner doing? He was making a sandwich for himself, disturbing the work flow, and then he left. Any smart store owner, seeing the line of customers, would have been working to help the customers, not himself. This was also the man who had parked illegally, blocking customer's direct to the shop from the parking lot.

3. Work 12-14 hours a day at improving your education, skills and earning potential. Do not stop at 8 or 10.

4. SAVE MONEY, don't spend it.

I know a stock broker who was born in abject poverty. As a teenager he lived in a very bad, crime ridden urban community. As a teen he worked several odd jobs, and started buying stock. He says his first stock was McDonald's because he liked their food. He became, in that small way, AN OWNER of McDonald's. He was frugal. He also purchased OLD, USED cars. And today he's a rich stock broker that spends 50% of his time volunteering to help the less fortunate. BUT he could not be helping the poor today, if he can not worked hard, saved his money, and learned to be a good stock trader.

5. OWN things of value, not because they simple look cool or will impress your friends.  

See above example. There are numerous commercials that tell you to buy things because you'll impress your friends with your success. If you buy into this concept you'll be poor in no time. 

6. Be the last person off the treadmill, and the first one on the next morning.

This advice comes from Will Smith one of the smartest and hardest working producers and actors in Hollywood. I've been with Will and confirm that this is exactly what he does. While other producers will hire story consultants and writers like me, and visit us for an hour or so during a several day long story conference effort, Will will be the first one there in the morning, and not leave until everyone else is in bed, 14 hours later. Will is extremely talented. But without the hard work, he'd not be rich. Oh, and here's a secret that in telling you I'm probably violating my confidentiality agreement -- but it makes the point well: In his home's movie theater, there are TWO treadmills. Work, baby work. Harder than anyone else.

7. READ THE BEST INSPIRING BOOKS on how to be self-sufficient. Here's a short list. They are not contrary to Catholic teaching, although you'll not find a bishops Rescript in the front. HA! I've read all these and many more. And while we're not rich by some standards, we aren't poor.

RICH DAD POOR DAD:  What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not! (Richard Kiyosaki)

THINK AND GROW RICH (Napoleon Hill)

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE (Stephen R. Covey)

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING (Norman Vincent Peale)

TIME MANAGEMENT (Richard Winwood)

TOP PERFORMANCE: How to Develop Excellent in Yourself and Others (Zig Ziglar)

HOW I RAISED MYSELF FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN SELLING (Frank Bettger)

RHINOCEROS SUCCESS (Scott Alexander)

What the Rich Do With Their Money -- Help the Poor and All Society

Over the past year I've been kept awake by the false claim by politicians, commentators, and pundits that society's ills have been perpetuated by the rich. From my perspective it is the rich that allows American society to function and prosper.

In fact, there are many Bible verses that assail the rich for their greed; although greed is not reserved for the rich if the millions of people that play the lottery is any indication. Also, things were different thousands of years ago when the Bible was written under harsh dictatorial rule where legal acquisition of land and wealth was considered a threat to the autocrat running the locality. I can't help but wonder if the same things would be written today about the rich in America. I doubt it, as I will attempt to show shortly.

American society can be subdivided society into three segments: The Rich, the Middle, and the Poor. You can decide where the dividing lines are between those groups, but suffice it to say that the Poor include both those with low incomes and low net worth, as well as those that have no income and no net worth. For the sake of the examples that follow, my Rich category includes those that have annual revenues above $100,000 to those that have net worth in the billions.  To some, $100,000 may not seem like a lot when taxes take 40%-60% of that money. But taxes herein play a role about what the rich do with their money that helps the poor.

And yes, there will be exceptions in all this, but generally here is what the rich do with their money that helps the poor. In no particular order, but numerated for the sake of the com box.

What the Rich Do with Their Money:

1. The rich pay more than 90% of federal and state taxes, (see footnotes for references.) The poorest of the poor actually pay no taxes and, in fact, get checks from the government. Thus it is the rich that provide for  90% of all government services including federal and state construction and maintenance, defense, politician's salaries, welfare benefits, and those checks to the poorest that pay no taxes. To the extent that the rich are motivated to spend on investment opportunities, the resulting economic activity will be taxed. To the extend that regulations inhibit the Rich's ability to expand their enterprise and expenditures, their money will not be spent, but hidden in tax shelters thus depriving government and society of tax revenue. In every historical instance, lower taxes has always increased government tax revenue. And if the goal is for government to give money to the poor, then you want the government to encourage  the rich to earn more money. If you think it works another way, look to socialism and the tyranny of business that socialism requires. During the height of the cold war compare Western (capitalist) Germany, to Easter (socialistic) Germany; or the USSR to England—full color verses drab grays and blacks.
2. The rich business owners that employ nearly 100% of the private U.S. labor force (including the Rich, the Middle and the Poor). (Remember the public work force is paid for with the taxes from the rich.)  Within the free enterprise system of America business owners are more than willing to pay salaries or remunerate contracts commensurate with experience, skill and education.  I have been the owner of several businesses that have hired dozens, and I've been in corporate management responsible for the hiring and firing of many more. The problem in hiring workers has always been finding qualified workers or workers who are honestly willing to work. I have always been willing to pay significantly more for quality workmanship well done. But my businesses would fail with poor workmanship or workers who failed to show up. In America, workers are free to improve their experience, skills, and education and shop for a job that pays more.
3. The rich (through direct gifts or indirectly through non-profit organizations, religious, and the government) fund 100% of all grants to benevolent organizations that service society as a whole and the poor in particular.
4. The rich are the source of the anchor gifts the build the wings of hospitals,  museums,  educational institutions and the salaries of specialty "chairs" at universities. The names on the side of buildings at such places are oftentimes the names of the rich that provided the keystone funds to get that building made or pay professor salaries. 
5. The rich fund scholarships for the poor and those with merit to attend school. (And remember that all government dollars come from the rich who pay taxes. )
6. The rich hire workers and companies to build, service and maintain their large and small physical assets (homes, businesses, boats) and recreational activities. In fact, every dollar the rich spend pays someone for work to be performed... and by the way, is taxed in the process.
7. The money that the rich deposit in their banks, or stocks and bonds is all put to use by those receiving the money (whether a business or a trader) to fund other enterprises, all which require employment and expenditures and all which eventually generate taxes. 

Citations:
(1) Wall Street Journal; U.S. Government Info; Wikipedia

Tax the Rich: The Grand Economic Fallacy

There's a fundamental economic fallacy posited by the Obama administration and certain other politico pundits and many Democrats that is plain idiocy.  It's that taxing the rich solves our economic woes.

There's a discussion going on HERE at LinkedIn that finally makes plain how stupid this is. My contribution, albeit simple by comparison, was this:

That the rich horde money, at least in the United States, is a gross fallacy. I wish someone would do a simple study and list where the rich put their money when they make it. Here's a short list, and please note that everything on this list, benefits the "working" class (as if the rich are not working...another fallacy) and benefits the government when the tax the working class income. (1) the rich build large houses (they hire construction teams and materials. (2) the rich buy material goods (the working class designs, manufactures, transports, sells, delivers, installs, and maintains those goods). (3) the rich invest their extra money in corporate stocks and government bonds (all which allow companies to invent, design, build, sell, distribute goods -- every step of which employes the working class). (4) the rich leave a small portion of their income in bank accounts (which the banks use to pay their employees, and invest in corporate and government bonds, which, likewise go to employ people and get taxed as income. the rich do not horde their money. They spend and invest it. And every dollar that is spent or invested employs and gets taxed. Bingo! You have economy expansion.

Michael D. Greaney, CPA, MBA, (Director, ESOP Admin Svcs, Equity Expansion International, Inc.) post says it even better at the above link.

Please pass this on. We really need to kill this silliness that the rich are somehow evil for knowing how to generate wealth. Oh, that the poor would learn the the same techniques. It has little to do with repression and everything to do with freedom.