It seems to me that it is becoming increasingly taboo to observe and judge other's flaunting taboos. It is almost an axiom that no man can judge another’s lifestyle because he does not really understand it. Someone is close minded when he is not accepting of other people’s choices. They are prejudiced when their morality and beliefs do not permit them to be approving. They are evil for considering others through stereotypes.
So why is it perfectly acceptable, reasonable, and fair to make judgments about wealthy people and what they do with their wealth?
Anyone with wealth is automatically guilty of something. Somewhere along the line they must have committed some great moral crime to achieve their wealth. It would seem that there is an unreported white crime wave going on and we just know this is true. Our evidence is that some who are wealthy have committed crimes to achieve that wealth. This puts a taint on all wealthy people as criminals. This is an acceptable stereotype.
It is obvious that a man with wealth does not really deserve it. He has more money than he can use so he should give it up to the rest of us. It does not matter that he claims to have earned it because who knows what he did to earn it. He is unworthy of what he has earned. This is a reasonable prejudice.
Why should the wealthy enjoy the benefits of being that way when so many others are in precarious situations? Why are they allowed to have yachts and vacations and fancy food when other’s do not? What gives them the right to choose to spend their money in the way that they do? They do not deserve these things, even if they did earn them, so it is fair to close our minds to their choices.
I disagree with this. It is a stereotype, it is prejudice, and it is close mindedness. We have no more right to judge a man about how he spends his money than we do another man on how he spends his time. We have no more right to consider the wealthy criminals by default than we do another man for being black. We have no right to dismiss a man just because we don’t perceive him to be generous enough.
If you want to continue to judge the wealthy you do have that right...but it says more about you then them.