We are so divisive...explain this

[SummerSnow]

I was in a discussion .The question was asked, why are rich people called sex addicts and poor people are called perverts? Why do rich people have food addictions and poor people are called greedy? This topic was buzzing at work.

[OldEurope]

1. That's simple:

Rich people are owning the media. Poor people don't have a lobby anywhere.

Edited to add: The media people are rich, too. Or they want to get.

[Duer 157099]

2. It's the Golden Rule

You know, those with the gold, rule.

[libtodeath]

3. In the rw capitalistic world poor = bad rich = good

so anything a poor person does is their fault while a rich just had some unfortunate thing happen to them.

[OldEurope]

4. Even worse,

to be rich is a sign that god loves you. Being poor means you're a sinner and god hates you.

[el_bryanto]

6. I don't think this particular phenomena has as much to do with capitalistic or the right wing

I think it's more fundamental than that - in any class based / caste society these sorts of issues exist. Until you see all people as your brothers/sisters, it's easy to attribute moral flaws to the other - and since the people at the top of society define who the other is to a great extent, their flaws are excused while the poors are condemned.

But that would happen no matter what system we used to determine which people in society matter. If were an atheletocracy where the most athletic ruled, the same sort of thing would probably happen.

Bryant

[libtodeath]

7. Isnt class based / caste society exactly what capitalism is and expands?

[el_bryanto]

8. It can - and certainly now it is.

But Soviet Russia - Communist China - I'm guessing they aren't immune to this sort of impulse - look at Kim Jong Il.

Bryant

[slackmaster]

5. It's all bullshit

HTH

[patrice]

9. I don't know, but I think it's a good sign that people are talking about how language is used. nt

[riderinthestorm]

10. Did you ever see headlines from Katrina? Black people carrying food out of a store were "looting"

white people carrying the exact same food out of the store were said to be "scavenging" or something similar. In both pictures the people were up to their chests in water, carrying the food over their heads - virtually identical photos but in the one it was "looting" while the other one was "scavenging".

It was so blatantly racist and appalling. I never did save the pics, maybe someone else has them, but your story reminds me of those vivid headline disconnects....