What Do You Think?

With permission of Maurice, long-time friend and only regular commenter on this blog, an edited version of a very recent text exchange:

Maurice: Our economy is like a dumbbell; if you look at Dollar General/Dollar Tree and Tiffany/Netjets you will see the poor are buying cigarettes and beef jerky and the rich are buying nine-carat diamonds.

Me: I don’t have such a stark view of the world. Besides, 80% of American millionaires are first-generation millionaires. The left’s narrative that wealth just “exists” and is simply handed down is total bulls**t.

Maurice: I am a right-leaning lefty. I support waiters, house cleaners, grocery clerks, maids and taxi drivers, my doctor’s staff and the musicians. My money trickles down and recycles…but as Fred Flinstone said, “You’ve got to have philant in order to do philanthropy.” [Note from me: sounds like a supply-sider :)]

Me: I believe that money I have legally earned, legally saved and legally invested belongs to me. Funding government is not the primary goal of economic activity. Philanthropy is great, coercion is not.

Maurice: Every time I go to the mall, I am convinced that people are either doing well, in hock up to their ears or a combination of the two. Regardless, my money, my choice.

Me: Exactly…your money, your choice. Smug, self-righteous and arrogant people who think they have the right to tell me where I have to live and how I have to live can f**k themselves.

Any comments?