99% of people are suffering.
With inflation easing slightly, Thanksgiving dinner this year won't be as expensive as it has been in the past. But a little more affordable turkey is cold comfort. Rent remains exorbitant and most tenants struggle to pay. Even more worrying is that 12.8% of households will be food insecure at some point in 2022, a significant increase from the previous year (10.5%). And then there's healthcare. A Commonwealth Fund study released a few weeks ago found that many Americans are struggling with health care costs, with many delaying or skipping necessary care or medications to save money. In many cases, it has been found that this has dire health consequences.
What happens to millionaires? If they decide they are willing to pay a certain amount for a set of luxury services, that's a very good thing. Recent research shows that a small number of people are so wealthy that new york times An all-new suite of boutique services is now available.
of times Reports suggest that the wealthy are paying big bucks to do nothing, hiring nannies on rotation so there's always one (rather than just one to cover the work week), private chefs and housekeepers. The company reportedly employs women and even specialists in niche household chores such as laundresses. People who feel that folding their own clothes is beneath them.
Pet care is getting even stranger. Reportedly, some city dwellers not only take their dog for a daily walk, but also take their dog on a daily hike in the woods outside of the city, and their amount is more than most people can spend on enrichment activities for their children.
For those who can't be bothered to make reservations at fancy restaurants, there are websites that will do it for you for a fee that can exceed the exorbitant bill.
Members-only social clubs have existed as part of the elite class for hundreds of years, and while they no longer have to be white, some clubs are far more economically exclusive. times reports that the cost of admission can be as much as $200,000 (note that this is the cost of four years at Harvard and does not include annual fees).
The ultra-wealthy also pay top dollar for bogus-sounding wellness services like IV vitamin drips. Even more troubling, the paper of record is a medical concierge service that helps wealthy people avoid waiting in line when they, like all of us, have trouble navigating a broken health care system. It has been pointed out that there is an increase in For a modest fee of $3,000 to $6,000 per year (depending on the client's age), these concierges can help you book same-day appointments, lab tests, and everything else that would take weeks for the rest of us. .
If the rich were taxed reasonably and strictly, they wouldn't have the money to skip the queue. And we will be able to build a health care system that is affordable for everyone, does not require the support of specialty stores, and allows everyone to receive the care they need, when they need it, regardless of their income.
Raising taxes on the wealthy would bring back minor inconveniences and light domestic work for the wealthy, while vastly improving everyone else's chances of survival. It would be difficult for the wealthiest families to hire five nannies per child, but it would be possible to create a decent public school system for all children. They may not be able to afford a housekeeper for their third home, but we can invest in housing for everyone to end housing shortages, the stress of overextending themselves to make rent, and homelessness. You can hit Perhaps no one can take their dog on a hike, but everyone can send their children to an overnight summer camp in the woods. The wealthy will have to endure the humiliation of trying to get reservations at expensive restaurants, but others will not have to wait in line at church food pantries to feed their families.
When you look at what the wealthy spend their money on, you can see why “taxing the rich” has always been such a popular political priority. Because it's in the interests of the majority, and everyone knows that those who can outsource the ironing of their shirts can take a few hits and survive. in your lifestyle.
This list of bizarre services also offers a window into the strange alienation of people who spend millions to downsize their lives. Most of these people would probably be happier and require less sketchy vitamin therapy if they did their own food shopping, spent more time with their children, and walked their own dogs. It will be.
Don't ruin your luxurious comfort! We all love luxury and are entitled to it. Socialism should provide space for everyone, if not personal servants, for the possibility of travel and chanterelles (as the German labor song says: “No servants underfoot, There’s no boss above me”). Jennifer Wilson points out: lux The early Soviet Union offered champagne and perfume to the masses as part of the communist vision of opulence, but unfortunately it never came to fruition.
It's also true that many pleasures that are now considered luxuries should be part of our daily lives, such as reading, hiking in the forest, and a day at the beach. But no one should be wealthy enough to hire a personal laundress or join a club that costs more than an Ivy League education. While some people can't even afford insulin or pay their rent, it's a loud signal that our society needs to change direction.
