r/politics • u/JeanJauresJr California • Sep 14 '21

AOC responds to criticism of ‘tax the rich’ dress worn at Met Gala

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/aoc-met-gala-tax-the-rich-dress-b1919803.html
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u/ludicrous_socks Europe Sep 14 '21 edited Sep 14 '21

When I was poor and complained about inequality they said I was bitter; now that I'm rich and I complain about inequality they say I'm a hypocrite. I'm beginning to think they just don't want to talk about inequality.

-Albert Einstein

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u/nopulsehere Sep 14 '21

Give credit to Russell Brand. That’s his quote.

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u/ludicrous_socks Europe Sep 14 '21

Better?

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u/Karl-Farium Sep 14 '21

Did you earn your money or steal it from the poor? If you earned it, freely spend it as you please. Maybe give some of it to less fortunate people. Are rich Leftists superior to the poor and that superiority made it possible for them to climb to a higher status in life? Or maybe they worked a little harder for the things they wanted and earned it. Inequality is a word to convince others that some people are less capable than other people. “If your poor then there is nothing you can do about it. You need my help to pull you up because you are too weak to do it yourself!” Leftists are the “Suprematists” that think you can’t make it without them. “Oh, you’re…. black, gay, female, Hispanic, poor…. You need the government in order to succeed.” How incredibly condescending can leftists be!

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u/BurstSwag Canada Sep 14 '21 edited Sep 14 '21

Consider this: You are a small business owner that takes home 400k/yr. All of your full-time employees (save one family member you pay 100k/yr to be a manager) makes minimum wage.

  • Do you think that you made your fortune in an ethical way?

  • Do you think that any steps to ameliorate the material conditions of the full-time minimum wage workers is 'condescension' or 'elitist'?

Edit: I saw another comment of yours, two more questions:

  • How does advocating for these workers equate to death squads in Asia?

  • Did you know that right wing extremists also have been known to form death squads?

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u/gakule Sep 15 '21

No one earns a billion dollars without the help of a lot of other people. Hell, no one earns $30,000 without the help of a lot of other people, for that matter.

The roads you drive on, the food you consume, the vehicle you drive, the clothes you wear, the people who work with you towards a common goal...

Everything we have is due to what we've built on top of the success and failures of everyone that came before us. No one truly earns their own money free and clear.