No, I'm not suggesting a new cocktail. Rather, a 21st century slant on a recurring fantasy: hitting the lottery...striking oil. In other words, realizing the American dream. Come on, admit it. You've thought about it just like the rest of us.
As one moves up the economic ladder there is a general interest in sharing the wealth with other, less fortunate souls. Most of us achieve our goals (and the just rewards) through further education, training, and determination. So this interest in sharing comes slowly over time. No one wants to give their hard-earned dollars away, but a portion to worthy causes seems to be a way of paying it forward, if you will, to those that are still striving toward a richer tomorrow.
Few of us are afforded a lifestyle in which money plays no role in our decisions. Why is it, then. that there is such a resistance to restoring tax rates to those earning more than $250,000 a year. It seems that most would be unaffected by this roll-back of tax cuts, but still the hue and cry against such revenue enhancement can be heard from every rung on the ladder. And the cries become louder at the lower reaches instead of the other way around. This makes no sense without the twist that I've referred to in the title.
We've established that most still believe in the American dream and in achieving fortune (and fame, perhaps). The training and striving, though, have been replaced by a more contemporary version where the riches flow immediately from some sort of instant windfall. These dreamers, if you will, have dwelled at the bottom of the money tree and have come to see themselves as quasi-victims of those farther up.
"Some day", they muse, "when my boat comes in, it'll be my turn to stick it to someone else." No sense of obligation to the programs and opportunities that created the environment for financial success. Just a greed-based desire to keep it all. Now, it makes more sense that higher taxes for the "rich" are so opposed when you factor in the ever-present dream of attaining the same level of wealth.
It also paints a sad portrait of the modern American dream. No longer are we willing to recognize that which made us what we are. No longer do we want to re-invest. No, we want to become "the Man" and stick it those that we used to be. While one person refusing to spread the wealth may not pose a problem for our society, a mentality shared by many does.
It means that the "me" generation has finally come home to roost. Society takes a back seat to the individual to the detriment of various publicly and privately funded organizations that seek to create opportunities leading to more dollars in one's pocket. The irony lies in the fact that fewer folks will now be able to realize that dream. True, lottery winners and the like may still be seen on the front page, but, by and large, the American dream slips further away for more deserving souls.
Reinvestment, be it on a personal or community level, is essential in maintaining any real hope of climbing to a higher rung on that money ladder. You may have heard about a tide raising all boats. If so, you know where I'm headed. And if not, you're probably dreaming of how you will spend all of your money. That's sad, but it seems to be the new reality. How else can one explain opposing higher taxes on an income level that few of us will ever attain? Doubly sad is the fact that politicos supporting such tax cuts know full well that those they claim to represent will be harmed the most by such policies.
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