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One of the finest benefits that our global society derives from having an elite class of superrich individuals is the priceless advice they offer to the rest of us.
For example, America was blessed last year with the special wisdom of Mitt Romney. As he struggled to get traction among the common people for his presidential campaign, he reached out to the youthful spirits who had sparked the Occupy Wall Street protests. In a father-knows-best tone, Mitt informed them that political anger toward financiers who’ve achieved financial success is wrongheaded. Rather, he lectured, they should emulate the rich – “Take a shot, go for it, get an education. Borrow money from your parents,” he advised.
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Lest you think that Romney’s perspective is peculiarly American, get an earful of Gina Rinehart. She owns Australia’s largest mining empire and is the world’s richest woman, holding $30 billion in personal wealth. Last year, she offered this insight on what the riffraff of her country need to do to get ahead: “If you’re jealous of those with more money… do something to make more money yourself – spend less time drinking… and more time working.
Did I mention that Gina got to the top the old fashioned way? Not by working her way up, but by inheriting her fortune from Daddy Rinehart.
Ironically, while this fabulously rich lady admonishes the laboring masses that harder work is their ticket to more money, she has campaigned aggressively to slash Australia’s minimum wage. How low? Speaking at the posh Sydney Mining Club, Rinehart expressed fondness for the African model: “Africans want to work,” she explained, “and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 a day.”
Such social and economic perceptiveness is why Gina, Mitt, and their ilk are so appreciated by the world’s workaday people.
“She’s back: World’s richest woman makes case for $2-a-day pay,” www.latimes.com, September 5, 2012.
“World’s Richest Woman Says People Are Poor Because They’re Lazy Drunks,” www.thinkprogress.com, August 30, 2012.
“10 Worst People on Forbes 2013 Billionaires List,” www.alternet.org, March 12, 2013.
“Rinehart tops BRW rich list with estimated fortune of $29.17bn,” www.theaustralian.com, May 23, 2012.