4 Things Rich People Should Stop Saying
By Ryan
Ong in Featured Post, Money
Talks | May 10,
2013 6 Comments
I have nothing against rich people. Hell, I’m hoping to become rich
too. And if you ask around, some people would place me in…would
place me in the “not poor” category, let’s leave it at that. But
that being said, I want to point out that there are some
seriously annoying rich people in this country. Not
because they have money, but because they like to say the following
crap. If you’re one of them, please stop it:
Actually, the city lights are off. That’s the glint
of money.
1. If You’re Not Rich, It’s Your Own Fault
Ah, the meritocracy argument. The belief that effort
always correlates to success.
This belief conveniently ignores context. See, certain
professions pay better at different times and places. If this
were the 1940s, for example, my pay as a writer would kick seven
shades of faeces out of a movie director. And if we were in the
Middle Ages, we’d probably point at doctors and say “That’s
what happens when you don’t study hard“.
Now, let’s look at 21st century Singapore: No matter how much
effort a mechanic, cleaner, or childcare teacher puts in, that
person will not earn more than an investment banker.
That isn’t necessarily because investment bankers work harder, or
somehow contribute more to society (in fact, the closer to manual
labour a job is, the more likely it is to directly benefit
society). It’s just that the current economy makes banking a more
profitable trade.
If we can save the company $5 million, we might get
an extra sandwich at lunch.
The investment bankers, like the app developers who work five hours
a week, happened to be in the right place at the right time.
They’re rich partly due to circumstance, and not because
they’re inherently superior beings launched from Krypton.
I’m not suggesting they didn’t do any work to get there. Or that
they don’t have talent. I’m just saying they need to acknowledge
it’s not just will, but also circumstance (including educational
opportunities) that gave them their success. And maybe following us on Facebook,
because we talk about career upgrading all the time.
And that sometimes, people can’t succeed because they’re in the
wrong place or time. Not because they don’t try as hard.
2. Mocking the Amount of Money Involved in
Scandals
When a scandal hits the front page, there’s a lot of public
indignation. Maybe someone
seriously overpaid for
bicycles, or the director of a charity fund
decides “Hey, you know what would help impoverished kidney
patients?
A golden tap in my
office.”
When that happens, we’re all shaken. It ruins our trust in
charities, government bodies, etc. But then a small percentage of
our population (typically the rich) will say something stupid.
Stuff like:
“Come on, $X dollars only? That sort of money is nothing! Why
are you people getting worked up over what is, to me, a tiny
amount?”
It gets even worse when backed by arguments like:
Those arguments are (1) a slap in the face, and (2) missing the
point.
Eh, I provide a LOT of policemen with jobs okay? Now
put the money in the bag.
A few thousand, or hundred thousand, is not a small amount of
money. It might seem that way, if you have a District 9
condo worth a Saudi Prince’s harem.
But for many Singaporeans, an amount like $57,000 could pay their
HDB loan for years. When rich people roll their eyes at the
“trivial” amounts, it’s no less than a wealthy, fat tourist waving
a a drumstick at hungry villagers. We’re happy you’re rich and all,
but you don’t have to act like a contemptuous dic…person.
Second, we’re not outraged at the amount of money involved. We get
that, when someone commits a commercial crime, it isn’t so he can
buy a $2 Slurpee. We’re outraged at the betrayal of trust.
It’s not about whether $10,000 or $10 was wrongfully taken. The
point is that it was wrongfully taken. If your 10 year old
son steals $20 out your wallet, how would you feel? Betrayed and
alarmed? Or would you laugh and say “Hell, it’s just
$20?”
That’s what we’re pissed about. And that’s why rich people
need to lay off the “He may have stolen $X, but he made $Y”
argument. It misses the point.
3. Dispensing Advice That Only Other Rich People Can
Use
“Well if it takes that long to maintain the building,
you ought to hire yourself a secretary.”
Rich people who were born poor will never do this. But Singapore is
home to the occasional heir, who never had to earn his money. And
when that person gives advice, I cringe.
Mostly, the advice sounds like this:
Poor Man: I don’t even have a bowl of Yong Tau Foo, I’m
starving man.
Rich Brat: Then why don’t you drink some Bird’s Nest? It’s very
filling.
Other examples are:
Look, if you inherited money, congratulations. We’re all happy for
you. But if you’re going to walk around dispensing advice, may I
suggest you listen first?
Perhaps if you spent less time talking, and more time understanding
the issues of the less fortunate, you’d be able to make a real
contribution.
4. Saying That Money Trickles Down, Even if You Won’t
Invest in Us
Think of it as importing gold, except it walks,
talks, and has a worse attitude.
Do you invest in local start-ups? Contribute a lot to charity? If
you do, you sort of have a right to use the “trickle down”
argument.
But you need to realize some rich people are just here to stash
money, or for the tax breaks. Or to buy our property. And that
money doesn’t “trickle down”. It sloshes around in their bank
account, never circulating into our society.
Saying it “trickles down” is like putting a bag of plasma in my
hand, and telling me if I hold it long enough I’ll have a full
blood transfusion.
So if you’re one of those rich people who walk around saying:
“Singaporeans suck, they have no creativity, I’ll never invest
here, blah blah blah“, then stop using terms like “trickle
down” or “a rising tide lifts all boats”. You do nothing for us.
We’re doing you the service, by giving you a low-tax
residence that you contribute diddly squat to.
Now back in the ’70s and ’80s, people didn’t put their money here
because we’re a tax haven. Or because it’s easy to import cheap
labour here. They came here to set up businesses and invest in
our workforce, because we had the best and brightest.
They believed in us. Hell, we believed in ourselves. And as a
consequence, we got richer together. Now that’s a trickle
down effect. If we’re lucky, we’ll recapture that spirit.
But in the meantime rich guy, unless you actually invest in us, lay
off the trickle down arguments.
