Why we should thank the 1 percent

COMMENTARY Thank goodness for the 1 percent. Yes, that same 1 percent that is being skewered by nearly everyone. Why should we thank the 1 percent when it's much more popular to castigate and criticize them? Because they run the world. They create. They build. They lead. They make things happen.

It's only because of the 1 percent that you have a computer screen to view, inexpensive clothing to wear, accessible food to eat, gas to put in your car, and nearly everything else you take for granted. And I'm not just talking about the 1 percent of income earners -- some of them got lucky, were born into their fortunes, or took advantage of others -- I'm talking about the 1 percent of everything. The top 1 percent who volunteer in your community, lead your children's PTA meetings, do the work in your organization, provide jobs to people in your city, and raise more money for charities, among many other endeavors.

The 1 percent is all around us, and we should thank our lucky stars they get out of bed every morning. They make the world go round. They make our lives easier. They are committed. They are passionate. They work hard and they get results. They take chances the other 99 percent wouldn't take. They may get up a little earlier or stay up a little later to get the job done. They start the businesses. They write the books. They invent. They risk their time and money.

And chances are, you are the top 1 percent of something, and may not even know it. Find your own 1 percent and celebrate your success and achievement. Then stop condemning the 1 percent where you are part of the 99 percent. Why tear down those that give so much? Consider Ayn Rand's character, John Galt. There's probably some of him in you, too.

[Fran_Rew]

Thank you Robert Pagliarini for your article "Why we should thank the 1%."

I was particularly grateful to read your last paragraph:

"And chances are, you are the top 1 percent of something, and may not even know it. Find your own 1 percent and celebrate your success and achievement. Then stop condemning the 1 percent where you are part of the 99 percent. Why tear down those that give so much? Consider Ayn Rand's character, John Galt. There's probably some of him in you, too."

I believe that the exceptional talents of John Galt could be even more richly rewarded, if within our existing economic structure, we had an additional individually empowered structure that could support and reward the exceptional talents of the rest of our population. How?

I haven't read the book "Economics of Compassion" written by economist John Kenneth Galbraith's for Japan, because I only could find it on record in the John F. Kennedy Library archives. I believe that my individual economic choices for being compassionate to myself and to others could be dramatically magnified IF our vision for an "economics of compassion" could include a Job Currency Debit Card (J-Card). It could help us all individually to create jobs for each other and ourselves.

Robert, in preparation for our Topic-Talk Walks (TTWalks) collaborative participation in the January 21, 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Marade (parade and march) here in Denver, Colorado, I invite you and your readers to please share your vision for an "Economics of Compassion" and read and comment about my vision at:

http://www.meetup.com/TTWalks/messages/boards/thread/19285082/#63788412

Which can also be found at http://***********/JCDCard

Thank you for this opportunity to comment about your much-appreciated article.

[lmc528]

Clearly the 1% are well represented here - the bottom 1%, that is. The ones who hate everyone who has more than they do and blame others for stealing from them what they never had in the first place, (and will never have, because they're too busy listening to the hate propaganda perpetrated by those that want to keep them at the bottom, to create anything of value for themselves or anyone else.)

[eschatology2]

talk about lack of awareness, this article certainly explains why wall street does not get it, and does not seek to get it, and probably would never read this to know that they don't get it, because they're busy collecting everyone's hard (and I mean real sweat) earned low valued dollar, which is sinking as we blog

like the addict who must hit rock bottom before the change is made, let's hope we don't have to take such a terrible tumble in order to get the 'power paws' to let go of some of their wealth and give the rest of humanity a fair shot at a good life

let's wake up the sleeping 'well to do' and get a seed of thought that grows a healthy economy for the world, built on fairness and honest work, and grounded in ethics not 'fear based greed'

[djnova50]

If I buy a pair of jeans, the lowest price pair I can find is $27. Sure, cheap labor in some foreign country probably made them; but, I think the 1% is more concerned about making money than about whether or not I can find affordable clothing. Thank goodness for clothing banks and thrift stores.

Yes, I am part of the 99 percent, but I'm not mad at the 1 percent. I actually admire their achievements. The problem begins with greed. See my blog "Note to 1 Percenters: You gain. We lose?" http://darlene-speak.blogspot.com

[hypnotoad72]

WWAYD?

http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/middle_class.html

Looks like Ayn would chastise the upper class and calling them passe, due to the rise of the middle class.

Still, it's not 1970 anymore... and 1970 was the tail-end of the middle class's greatness, before new factors whittled it down...

[hsinco-2009]

Nope, I am not buying this tripe either!

[dlackey2]

Robert, you are definitely in the top 1% for BS.

[marine1957]

Because they run the world.
They create. (NO - the 1% hired engineers because they weren't able to create it by themselves.)
They build. (NO - the 1% hired workers because they weren't able to build it by themselves)
They lead. (NO - the 1% push and force and threaten and bully the subordinate workers.)
They make things happen. (NO - the employees make things happen because the 1% didn't have enough hands to get all the work done.)
And finally, the 1% defraud the worker of his rightful $30 per hour wages and pay themselves to the tune of $25,000 per hour.)

[dlackey2]

Let's thank the 1% with a Hallmark card for being who they are.

Then return to the progressive tax policy of the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.

[hypnotoad72]

dlackey2 -

Since middle class wage-paying jobs don't seem to be coming back in healthy numbers, especially given the amount of taxpayer-funded handouts, bailouts, and other entitlements they freely enjoy (so they are "our jobs" because our taxes paid for and subsidized them, and www.ontheissues.org has a few things to say as well about how our tax money has been spent... so when someone is on record saying "Corporate welfare is wrong", they need to be asked far more than just ending corporate welfare, but what to do with the problems offshoring has created that this country has been experiencing. Hauling over more people to train and then ship back is not the solution. (it's just a means for the top 1% to whittle down middle class wages even farther...))

[cheeksforus]

I'm not buying this either. From my perspective many many of them have and are taking advantage of the American dream, our system and us. The banks, credit card company's, all or them including the politicians, lobbyist and on and on. They've killed the value of my home, taken huge amounts of retirement funds, raised the cost of food, taxes, energy all the while taking more and more for themselves. They took our tax dollars to bail out their reckless lying cheating behavior and now this reporter wants us to thank them ??? Most pf them have taken huge bonus while losing stock holders money, I or any of us could go on and on

[hypnotoad72]

100% agreed.