For Republicans, Wealth = Virtue: More Evidence
Ezra Klein highlights a fascinating study of attitudes towards public health issues, where Republicans were found to be less sympathetic to reducing rates of Type II diabetes when they found out that lifestyle issues contribute to it. Wow. Yet more evidence that for Republicans wealth and health are signs of virtue and poverty and disease afflict those that deserve it.
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How about this:
attorneys upstairs: make a ton of money
attorneys downstairs: same resumes, make half the money, called "staff attorneys"
anyone remember "upstairs downstairs"? My firm is like that.
Except the downstairs attorneys actually have, for the most part, more impressive degrees. Just don't like the 80 hour work weeks.
October 19, 2009 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting.
I once had a conversation with Jolly Roger about the historical underpinnings of protestantism (which is now Christian Fundamentalism).
My take on it is this. The wealth=virtue idea really got going in Protestantism because they were up against the Catholic Church. The Protestants needed lots of money fast to protect themselves if it came down to a battle, but they couldn't hold the money institutionally or it would attract too much attention. So they went for minimal outlay on Church-y stuff, encouraged their people to acquire great wealth, and told them God liked that sort of thing.
The resulting loop is still there--God rewards healthy/wealthy choices with more health and more wealth, so if you want to find somebody God loves, look for someone with lots of money.
BTW, my academic support for this viewpoint is nil so if I'm wrong I'll acknowledge it.
October 19, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am quite sure Erica there are more than a few incongruities in how wealth is distributed. The manner in which you have framed it is very likely correct.
This is serendipitous on an individual basis. By birth some have great advantages, others not so much.
But institutionally there is absolutely no guess work at all.
October 20, 2009 4:42 AM | Reply | Permalink