Half of us strive for success; half of us are suspicious of it

pioneer press ^ | 11-11-12 | joe soucheray

[TurboZamboni]

The real problem is that about half the country believes that business and the success that might flow from business is somehow contrived. About half the country believes that success is assigned, whimsically or arbitrarily, by guys in blue blazers who flick their cigar ashes at those whom they do not wish to succeed.

It doesn't work that way, and we know it doesn't work that way.

Mitt Romney, for example, was successfully portrayed to about half the country as a fellow who had it made from the beginning. His old man headed up a car company. He must have had money. Mitt went to the good schools and then played the system to make himself hundreds of millions of dollars.

But for virtually everybody in half the country that voted Republican, their old man did not head up a car company and they did not attend the good schools. They are the half of the country that still believes that the government is not the well from which all things must be drawn. They still believe in work, achievement, success, entrepreneurship and competition.

Republicans have to sell that.

[TurboZamboni]

I admit I sometime struggle with envy. But I’ve never thought the solution was to enlist a Congresscritter to take from someone and give it to me.

Envy is not a virtue. Jealousy is not a family value. Socialism is institutionalization of jealousy, of envy, of covetenous.

(which is spelled out directly in the 10 Commandments. )

while "envy" is associated with "covet", "covet" fits: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.

[A_perfect_lady]

I envied when I was younger, till I realized that success didn’t fight off disease, heartbreak, insecurity, familial problems, depression, uncertainty, moral and philosophical confusion, or chaos. That in fact most of the rich I know are miserable, neurotic, irritable wrecks who live on diet pills and prozac. Of course, I live in West Hollywood...

[IslamE]

The sad thing is that greed is the symptom of companies driven by money and unions are a response to that, yet Unions become just as greedy as those they seek to change. I am not saying all business owners are greedy, no, nor am I saying all union members are, but money is the root of all evil, people need to humble themselves before God, the best, and most prosperous businesses are those that spread the wealth among those who make a business run, their employees and themselves, that is what motivates success morally and financially!

[Badabing Badablonde]

This mindset is so dangerous to our very eay of life. Why would anyone with initiative and passion ever strive to succeed if be or she thought that the end result would be hatred from the do-nothing class, accusations from jealous unmotivated, and in the end losing half the fruits of your labors to both? We lose as a nation and a society if we kill exceptionalism and initiative.

[dfwgator]

It’s more the Republican Brand Name that is the problem, Bush had a lot to do with that, he totally ruined the brand name with his bailouts and TARP, showed that indeed Government and Business were in bed together.....that’s not what Republicans should be about, and of course, the Democrats are even worse, but there is too little distinction between the two in that area.

[mountainlion]

The poor of this country are rich by world standards. The left want U.S. all in the poor house. The Globalists want our resources. The Barbarians want our riches and to put US in the dark ages.

[TurboZamboni]

Money is not the root of evil. The LOVE of it (placing it above God) is.

[freekitty]

Here goes the 50/50 split crap again.

[Reeses]

Envy develops from excessive self-esteem, vanity, pride. The self-esteem movement has helped destroy America.