Happiness is an odd commodity.
What makes me happy is being with our cats and seeing them
well and happy.
And, as I have said before spending time with friends.
But in order that keep the backdrop in place there needs to
be the essentials for decent living.
I think that every one who lives in the countryside eventually will admit
that a car of some time is essential.
For me a washing and drying machine is too…otherwise there is no way of
having clean clothes and bedding in winter.
The number of former sport stars that lose their way when their careers end is staggering, it must take a strong will not to go off the rails once the fame and money stops. Becker has had problems for years and it’s quite sad that he is now having to sell his trophies to pay off his debts.
Well it happens to many people “at the top” they have so much money that it is
without value and they gamble, buy drugs and very exspensive trophies.
They spend feverishly.
Great volumes of money are not necessarily a great asset.
Going back to some of my previous conversations can you not see
how my ideas form?
My ideas are not about wanting what they have but seeing what would be good
for the world and possibly the really wealthy person too.
You are talking about wealth distribution from an ideological standpoint and at a level way above the likes of Boris Becker achieved or was ever likely to achieve. There are tens of thousands of ‘multi-millionaires’ in the world many of whom owe their wealth to the value of property, are you seriously suggesting they should sell up and give the proceeds away?
yes it is an ideological point of view. I know nothing of Boris Becker except that he is does
not seem to be a very bright or happy man…
And no not sell up and give everything away …just a tiny amount which will go unnoticed to
them…just to others.
Others being people without fresh water, shoes on their feet, a place to sleep and some food to eat.
Pleased to see that you no longer consider a car, tv, holidays abroad and trips to restaurants an absolute neccessity Barbara 
They are what we all work for Ann and most of us do have them.
Can any one deny that,
I do not think so,
Basicly just expectations …but all with moderation.
I am not a smoker and I rarely drink alcohol.
Do you enjoy wine…
wink wink…
All of us are guilty of helping the mega wealthy get richer every day yet so many bleat that it’s unfair or obscene and demand wealth distribution, so next time people use Amazon or Google, buy products from Apple or Dyson and click on those Facebook ads just think that instead of getting the latest iphone etc you could help someone out of poverty by handing over your hard earned pay packet, who wants to start?
There is nothing wrong with generating cash…
I think that is how buisness goes and how the world goes round.
My mobile tel is the most basic you can find…not used for selfies and such.
We have an electric floor cleaner from Brico depo and its ugly…but it works well.
My/our spare money goes on cats, our resident friends and some strays.
There in lies the problem I have with much of what you say Barbara, here in France you may live your life in a certain way but by your own admission when you had a restaurant in London you were part of the ‘smart set’ whose wealth you are now suggesting is re-distributed. With respect I do find that somewhat hypocritical.
I think that you have very little idea of life running a restaurant and being a chef.
We worked crazy hours and enjoyed some sacred time off…yes exploring restaurants.
Most of my associates were interesting, talented …but not many of them were very
well off.
Owning a restaurant does not mean that you are wealthy…it can be much like taking
out a mortgage.
The people who i feel could part with some money are really, really rich.
Different life style…and a real varied bunch of friends from all walks of life and most
of them are not rich.
Stop looking for something which is not there…
At the end of the day Barbara who decides the people who are rich. Even by your standards, you say you don’t have much, but you have a lot more than most people I know.
So, if I say that to me, you have a lot, does that then give me the right to say you should part with some of it ?
Why always harp on about running a restaurant, yes I suppose it was hard work, but you are not the only person who has worked hard!
My life is here and now, like a lot of people I have had my share of hard work, but I wouldn’t dream of telling people that they should do this or that with the money they have.
Leave GB and your past behind, I have, and so have a lot of others…
At the end of the day a few of you have decided that I may be rich!
My idea does not feel right to you as you have closed your mind to it.
I " harp on " about my life in UK because it was good…perhaps you talk
about the weather, the price of petrol or your children.
It is winter and people get grumpy…I can see.
I too live in the here and now.
We are going round in circles …
But I think the topic is over.
I hate the word ‘rich’ and think of it as slang or a derogatory term, wealthy or comfortable seem gentler and less harsh ways of describing someone’s financial position. I’d doubt anyone on SF is really wealthy although some might be surprised to learn that the sum of their assets might put them in the same top 1% bracket as Bill Gates or Richard Branson.
Whatever your wealth I don’t believe anyone has the right to tell you that you that you should hand over some of it, your own conscience will tell you what to do and I don’t doubt that the world’s billionaires do give away big chunks of their fortune, they just don’t feel the need to shout about it.
Yes I too think that those who are truly wealthy will find it be the right thing to share
their good fortune.
It would be nice to know that wealthy people were kind.
Rich brings to mind …full and complete.
And slang…could be…but in every day life slang has taken over and has become
so popular…
How many of you greet with “Hi”
Some of you seen to have “attitude”.
We all seem to be satisfied with what we have…
So be it…
Perhaps you can accept that I have shared my thoughts with you
as to how I see a brighter world.
Please put away the attitude and enjoy your day.
Everyone is free to live their life how they see fit BUT they should not preach that their way is the best for good of the rest of the world. I have spent most of my working life toiling for wealthy people but at no time did I think that they should hand over some of what they in turn have earned just because they’ve now got more than they perhaps need.
I am not preaching Tim…I make no demands but I see a solution
So you do not resent it then…" I have spent most of my working life toiling for wealthy people"
Tim you can not grasp what I suggest can you.
What was your work?
What do you do now?
Am I missing something Barbara, or is your solution to have re-invented socialism?
France still has traces of socialism in the way it operates, and the wealthy would say that they already give a lot to those who have less, through paying higher taxes and contributions. You say
but they do notice how much they’re contributing, in fact they noticed so much that wealthy French taxpayers started moving in droves to countries where they had to contribute less, It’s not a new solution, it’s been tried and it didn’t work, so how are you proposing to change human nature?
If …just if it was given without demand Anna…idealism…a thought…
Not just France but UK…
What is life without dreams, hopes and ideas…boredom and complacency.
Wealth distribution won’t work in a capitalist society, who would dictate the level of wealth someone would have to accumulate before they would have to give some away, how much would they have to give away, who would decide where the gifted money went? It’s a ‘pie in the sky’ solution to the world’s ills.
Before I moved here I spent 20+ years working for someone who is in the Sunday Times rich list, now I work for expats and wealthy Parisians who have second homes here. Do I resent any of them, of course not because if I did it would eat me up inside. We earn sufficient to live a reasonable life and that’s good enough for us, being jealous or envious of other people is pointless as there will always be someone better off than you.