Friday, February 15, 2013

Millionaires and Billionaires

Over The Top Lifestyles Of Some Super Rich
Millionaires and Billionaires, a term often used by President Obama, screams "I have an agenda", the way he uses the term is both offensive and a simplification. Only a crazy person or someone with very little knowledge of money or wealth would think that linking, comparing, and putting the two into the same class has merit. Over the years the value of the American dollar has dropped. Across America and the world, there are millions of working-class millionaires. They do not have private planes or servants, they worry about their financial survival and many work far more hours than the average American worker.

To clarify, anyone with a million dollars, or even several million dollars is not in the same league or class as someone with a hundred or several thousand times as much wealth. It is logical to argue that Billionaires and those with hundreds of millions of dollars fall into a special class and that they can be considered citizens of the world, and not bound to the Earth like us mere mortals. For many of them, the rules often do not apply, these mega rich are in a class of their own. The recent summit in Davos was attended my many Billionaires, or their equivalent, meaning, someone with a mere five, ten or even twenty-five million dollars would not share the same lifestyle. 

I recently saw some pictures of Mitt Romney the recent Presidential candidate who had been painted as an elitist, he was in his kitchen at home eating off a paper plate. This in many ways defines his values and how he goes about life. One of his business partners went so far as calling Mitt "cheap", I would use the term thrifty,  not being wasteful is a good thing. During the campaign, I often recall news clips of Romney exiting a car or plane carrying his own bags. As we know in the election Romney was defeated by a commoner and man of the people, Barack Obama, a man who appears to see redistricting wealth more "fairly", a major goal.
 
Ironically, the lifestyle that Michelle and Barack Obama appeared to have chosen to pursue reeks of the nouveau riche and elitism. The private concerts in the White House, lavish vacations at taxpayer expense, and their use of Presidential perks have not gone unnoticed at a time that the country struggles. This puts a spotlight on the fact that values and wealth do not always go hand in hand. The following is an article that I posted on June 7th, 2012, it seems to describe not only Mitt Romney and his style, but many other hard-working Americans who are the people that make America famous;


The Millionaire Mind

What have you been reading?  I was moving around some books the other day and opened a book by the name of “The Millionaire Mind”. The author Thomas Stanley also wrote the book  “The Millionaire Next Door” which was a best-seller a few years back. The people he studies are financially secure. This book takes a deeper look into how these people think and make their money.

Far from what many of us might think his studies and research show that millionaires are a real down to earth group of people, the kind that made America famous. He looks at where they live, their favorite leisure activities, and the different factors that make them wealthy. Somewhat obscure and not just off the press this book is an excellent read and a manual for those of us wanting to get ahead.                                                                                 
Thomas Stanley reminds us you can’t judge a book by its cover, and that the fella you see mowing his yard or sitting next to you as you fly in coach may just be a millionaire. The book is about making and saving money the old fashion way, not through winning a lottery. This is a far more realistic look at the rich and wealthly in America than the hyped and unhealthy fixation of the media on billionaires.

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