It never ceases to amaze me. Just the other day did I hear a top-of-the-line carpenter complaining about his vastly wealthy client. All rich people are evil snobs who steal from the poor, he cried.
How ridiculous is this illogical complaint when we examine how one becomes wealthy! In America, at least, there are only three ways of acquiring great wealth. It must either be stolen, inherited, or earned.
Rich people in America do not steal their way into wealth. Perhaps a few thieves are wealthy momentarily, but by and large the wicked do not prosper. There is absolutely zero evidence to say that rich Americans are thieves, and there is an abundance of evidence to prove the opposite.
Rich people in America also do not inherit their wealth. Again, a few wealthy persons may receive “old money,” but this number is only a fraction of all the wealthy. At most, only 10% of wealthy Americans have received their wealth via an inheritance.
Now let’s examine the wealthy who earn their money. Without a doubt, it is true to say that rich people in America earn their wealth. And how can we be upset at people for earning lots of money? Wealth is simply the result of hard work over a long period of time. We all appreciate and are willing to pay for hard work, but when the hard worker reaches a certain level of wealth we suddenly decry him as an immoral cheat. How is this logical? Where in the process did the honest hard worker become immoral?
Instead of constantly preaching stupid class warfare, low and middle class Americans should look up to the wealthy. We should emulate their successful practices that won them their wealth. The beautiful thing about America is that wealth is created. If one wants to become wealthy, he must simply find a way to create his wealth. But that will never happen for those who are too busy complaining.
TomNaegeleBlogs 
Seriously, are you Catholic? We should emulate their practices. First, your premise in wrong. Not all the wealthy have “earned” their wealth. Take Trump, he inherited $200MM. Given where he started, you could argue he actually underperformed the market especially when risk is factored into the analysis.
The ones that did earn their wealth through hard work and ingenuity, very, very few are good men. The vast majority put money ahead of family and God. They often turn to serious sins, because no matter how much wealth they accumulate, they lead unhappy lives.
Is wealth bad, no. However, is it the measure of a man, absolutely not. The modern economic philosophies has reduced mans’ reason to exist to the accumulation of wealth. This is evil. Consider the question, what is Joe worth? Today, the answer is what is his financial net worth. I think God views a man’s worth in a different way, as should we as Catholics.
I don’t think a man is worth only as much as his finances. I’ve never said that.
As far as earning weath, how can we say people like Trump haven’t earned it? Just because he was the recipient of some fortunate financial circumstances doesn’t mean his weath is unearned. If we used that logic, no one could earn anything. We have all received our entire existence from another. We can claim nothing of our own merit. The wealthy have earned their weath because they have made good use of the gifts they have received. It is true that Trump waa gifted a great deal of money, but he made (fairly) good use of it. So in that sense, yes, he earned it.
He did not earn in in the sense that the “poor” can imitate him. He also was not that good earning money. If he would have invested in S&P Index funds, he would have made more money. He used the bankruptcy laws to steal(morally speaking) from his creditors. Without the bankruptcy laws, he would be broke. Should the poor use him as a role model?
You may not have said a man’s worth is measured by money, but it could be inferred. One of your points is that we should imitate the rich. If you do so, you will lose your soul and probably still be poor.
“There is absolutely zero evidence to say that rich Americans are thieves ” where do you get your facts from? O.J. Simpson beak into the hotel room and stole some sports memorabilia.The Clintons steal furniture from the White House. I am sure if you google it you will come up with a few more. ” …but by and large the wicked do not prosper Clintons ? George Soros ?
Dave Ramsey, mostly.
Tom Naegele, one tax that some people seem to advocate is a wealth tax. If we had to have any form of taxation, what would you prefer personally-a flat tax or a national sales tax?
Tariffs on imported goods.
Sounds good.