David Kaye wrote:
wrote


Unfortunately for the republicans, we have a lot of working poor and
unemployed voters.

The Republicans preach that anybody -- ANYBODY can become rich if
they only try hard enough. Ever try to sell Amway products? They
preach wealth all the time, but name me even ONE Amway salesperson
you personally know who has made a million dollars. Or even half a
million.
Bill Gates has long said that he became rich through luck of the
draw, being born into a wealthy family, having the benefit of the
good infrastructure of Seattle (good schools, etc), etc. This is why
he feels that the wealthy OWE it to society to give back all they
can. He recommends the rich give back at least 50% of their wealth
in charitable contributions to society. He and his dad wrote a book
about it a good 15 years ago...

Heh!

Back near the dawn of time, I saw a PBS interview by F. Lee Bailey. He was
interviewing Texas oilman H.L. Hunt. Hunt was a millionaire many times over
and an irascible curmudgeon. He took his lunch with him to work every day in
a paper bag. The same paper bag.

Anyway, Bailey asked Hunt a variation of the classic "Are you still beating
your wife?". The question was (paraphrasing): "Mr Hunt, when one thinks of
the captains of industry, the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers, one is
impressed by their contributions to the less fortunate. They've endowed
libraries, institutions of learning, museums. Why is it that you've never
seen fit to share your good fortune with society at large?"

Hunt looked at Bailey as if Bailey had eaten a bug. He replied:

"I use my wealth to give people something better than a pretty picture to
look at. I use it to give 'em a JOB."