Hello All,
What does Jesus say in the Gospels about wealth, “talents,” stewardship and such things? What would Jesus say to those we might call the “One Percenters?” I am not professing to answer those things here. However, whether you think of yourself as a conservative or a liberal, forget all that and watch this.
This is a great documentary (at the link below) on those who have become dubbed:”The One Percent.” Before you tell yourself you either “know” about them or “don’t want to know more,” you will be doing yourself and others a great disservice by not watching this 76 minute documentary in its entirety. It will challenge and inform you in many ways and NOT in the ways you might expect! It did me. People are often not so “cartoonishly simple” as we and the media like to make them out to be.
It is made by one of the last people you might ever think it would be. He is an heir to the mega-fortune from “Johnson and Johnson” and thus has access to some super wealthy and otherwise powerful and influential personalities.
He was able to gain access to not only economist Milton Friedman, former Secretary of Labor and author Robert Reich, but also Nicole Buffett, the granddaughter whom Warren Buffet “legally and emotionally” disowned for her participation in this documentary. Wait until you see what she is choosing to do with her life today. Also, Chuck Collins, a descendant of the “Oscar Meyer” fortune, proves to be no “wiener” and not “full of bologna” in his interview contained herein either.
Jaimie Johnson, the film maker, also was able to gain access with his camera, due to his “pedigree,” to some very exclusive events for some very rich people. Additionally, his own very personal interactions with his truly confused parents are shown at length along with the hostile reactions of his family’s wealth advisor.
Many other people of more modest means are shown. My personal favorite is the cab driver Jimmie Price for what he tells the young documentary maker toward the very end of the film. Jimmie is right on in my opinion as to what true wealth really is in this world. You won’t want to miss that.
Remember the “Parable of the Talents” and Our Lord’s call toward true “stewardship” of resources. What did Jesus say to the young rich man who asked Him what more he should do to gain Heaven?
God Bless and enjoy…….[ds]
One Prayerful Pilgrim 
Dave,
A very interesting film, but like most of these films only show one side of the story.
Milton Friedman doesn’t agree with his thoughts and considers him a pain the the ass, as apparently does his father and Warren Buffet.
The problem in my mind is he doesn’t seem to see a practical solution to the problem of the uneven distribution of wealth. While a very small part comes from very wealthy family that hand their wealth down, most of wealth is from the efforts and good fortunes of people.
I would love to talk with you about individual cases that I know about personally where people came from humble means and became quite rich.
It seems like Robert Reich had the best thought about how to handle the problem and Ralph Nader had some good points.
I think that all income, Dividends and Capital Gains should be taxes at the same rate as earned income. But, I think that all income should be taxed at at least some level.
My suggestion is that if we increase the minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $9.25 then a minimum tax of 1% tax should apply on everyone’s income.
Also estate taxes should apply above say $50 million, that would allow most small businesses and farms to be passed down, but would keep the super rich from continuing to accumulate vast fortunes (sorry Warren ).
The problem of political contributions from large corporations is a reaction to the large contributions of unions. It should stop for both.
Subsidies to the Sugar companies would stop if the government got out of trying to favor certain industries, like Solar, Wind, Ethanol, Tobacco, etc.
I do agree quite a bit with what you wrote. A truly “progressive tax code” is probably far more in-line with the “Liberation Theology” that the new Pope seems to be about.
When one reads about the theories of “surplus value” as written by economists as different as Marx and Adam Smith (and many others), the case becomes quite clear that a truly serious discussion about wealth and how it is both created and destroyed is merited.
In other words, the ideals of a truly “free market” are never really allowed to exist in our country. We should quit pretending that they do. Every industry and interest group has its hands out.
Capitalist, too me, is very much like socialism. Both are idealistic theories that look good on paper to one group or another but neither measures up to the deeply complex realites of the “real economy” and the real world for that matter. Our government engages in “Socialism for the rich” seemingly endlessly.
Dave,
I just saw that you included your blog on your recent comment. I look forward to reading it! Hope you and Jen are well.
Katie