I was a watching television the other day. It might have been Judge Judy. (You can’t always be watching Downton Abbey and Charlie Rose) Someone described himself a self-made millionaire. This made me mad. What exactly is a “self-made” millionaire?
Do you live in a bubble? (Moop) Are you completely isolated? Were you raised by wolves in a cave with no contact with any human, suckling from the teats like Remus and Romulas? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can legitimately claim the status of “self-made” millionaire. This guy can sorta claim to be self-made:
Even the man living off of garbage in a cave is still reliant on others for his livelihood. People have to throw stuff out for that guy to eat. Every successful person relies on others. They are not self-made. The education system. The healthcare system. Infrastructure. Police and firefighters. Without these things you won’t be successful. That’s why the term “self-made” millionaire makes me mad.
Some people have better opportunities. Some people have to overcome obstacles to be successful. The illusion that people do that on their own is a fallacy. I don’t want sound too political but the better the system, the greater the chance at success.
Don’t get me wrong. To be successful you have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. That is where the individualism comes in. Working with what you are given.
It is our system. We pay for it. I hate paying for taxes just as much as the next guy. When politicians are charging 16 bucks for a glass of orange juice, I get pissed. For all the waste, I believe that the society that I have helped build and continue to build has given my kids a great chance to be successful. They won’t be self made millionaires. They will be society made millionaires that will take care of their daddy in his old age.
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