But, since everybody's not that well off - especially now, and there's still so much resistance to "socialist" ideas that could benefit even those who hate the idea - there must be a reason the not-so-well-off support a system against their own financial interests. Which is why I came up with this hypothesis years ago: I call it starfucking.
As I understand, the term usually refers to trying to associate with celebrities, or pretending to, to get oneself ahead or elevate oneself in the eyes of others. In this case, I use "starfucking" to denote those who will likely never have the money of, say, Warren Buffett - but the notion is in their heads that someday they MIGHT. So, in that slender off-chance, they would not have to want to "give away" so much of their hard-earned fortune to the little people who didn't do as much hard work, and don't deserve it.
(Of course, it's also my postulation that these people never take into account HOW the self-made rich come by their money. Buffett did it trading on the stock market - which is entirely built upon the fortunes of companies, which in turn depend on the productivity and ideas of their employees ... i.e., a lot of those "little people." Likewise, look at someone like Bill Gates, whose fortune I don't begrudge a bit - but, he GOT that money from all of us buying his products. I don't think it's too much to ask he kick in a higher-than-normal share to help keep us healthy and educated. After all, the dead and ignorant have no use for computers.)
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Date: 2009-04-26 03:22 pm (UTC)As I understand, the term usually refers to trying to associate with celebrities, or pretending to, to get oneself ahead or elevate oneself in the eyes of others. In this case, I use "starfucking" to denote those who will likely never have the money of, say, Warren Buffett - but the notion is in their heads that someday they MIGHT. So, in that slender off-chance, they would not have to want to "give away" so much of their hard-earned fortune to the little people who didn't do as much hard work, and don't deserve it.
(Of course, it's also my postulation that these people never take into account HOW the self-made rich come by their money. Buffett did it trading on the stock market - which is entirely built upon the fortunes of companies, which in turn depend on the productivity and ideas of their employees ... i.e., a lot of those "little people." Likewise, look at someone like Bill Gates, whose fortune I don't begrudge a bit - but, he GOT that money from all of us buying his products. I don't think it's too much to ask he kick in a higher-than-normal share to help keep us healthy and educated. After all, the dead and ignorant have no use for computers.)