It is more on the super rich end of this, they do take care of themselves and continue to consolidate. This is no conspiracy as many on the left want you believe but most of the wealth is with a very small % of people and continues to move that way. But, I did hear a long interview with Ted Turner the other day. If you did not know what his politics are you would very well think he is a 'right-winger' with the way he talks. He is very much the self made man and I do admire that. So he sort of discredits the idea of a rich 'fat cat' being a money hungry Republican. His take on owning sports franchise was the most interesting comentary, the time you have to spend and the money involved. I do admire what he has tried to do with the UN but we will see if it is money well spent, most with right leaning politics would say it is $ down a rat hole but I tend to disagree. I think is what you do with the your $ in the long run and Turner and Bill Gates are good models in my eyes for trying to do something useful.

The thread...as a person who does not worry too much about money I am OK but I do see what Ivans say around me and in the news and it is not necessarily easy out there. Yes, you have to be motivated and I would not be where I am unless I was motivated. But, our society is rich because we value many things, not just those things that involve $ and when we stop valuing those things and constantly ask 'is it making any $ though' then we are that less rich.

Why do you have your kids take ballet, dance, or music lessons? Totally anti-productive in terms of actually making money, the odds are that they would be better off if you just put the money intot a 401 K or got them interested in law, medicine, or being an acooutant. Or is it just that way? Honestly, I many times question the things we do value with my eye constantly poited at the arts and what is actually happening there. And yes, through things like the National Endowment of the Arts and and other organizations you see what WE REALLY value and that has changed in the last 8 years. I would venture to say that more people on the right then left do not really notice that and am not always sure they care (prove me wrong there). I could go on for a while but there is a lot to what Ivans always says and she is a smart lady...she reminds me a lot of Ann Richards, both ladies are heroes of mine. I babble...

Excellent posting!!

Your siblings sound like both of my brothers in law....

__________________
"A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing but together can decide that nothing can be done."
Fred Allen

"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."
George Bernard Shaw

"Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable."
John Galbraith

Interesting, I didn’t think ole Ted was anywhere near the right thinkin, but would like to read or hear this interview you spoke of.

I personally know that the richest contribute the most and are not only about taking care of themselves. They contribute via scholarships, grants, local non-profit organizations and for this they are condemned. In my county the bulk of the helping hands are from the rich. Yes we have some federal organizations that contribute, but they see far less of these people that actually need rather the private organizations are mostly overwhelmed with these people. In some cases some of the organizational were created via our local gov but had very little funding to carry on after the term of their grants or the politicians lost interest leaving the very people that depended on them out in the cold, thus they have turned to private donors to continue the funding.

Personally I don’t encourage the dance, ballet, but they can do as they wish. My girls do take piano because they wanted to and they have all played or play a sport when they take an interest. I also encourage them to learn history from all societies/cultures. My son just happens to take an interest in business so I do indulge/encourage him in that.

I can’t prove you wrong on the right or left because I will only speak for myself and mine on this issue. I can assume that any parent within reason would encourage and prepare their kids for the real world and what is actually tangible for them.

Thanks what will we do with them?

If I could know the thoughts and opinions of someone by observing the vehicle they drove,clothes they wore,etc...I could make a fortune!