The 99 percent are suffering.
With inflation slowing slightly, Thanksgiving dinner won’t be as Dear this year as was the case. But a slightly more affordable turkey is cold comfort. Rents remain prohibitive and most tenants struggle to pay the bill. Even more worrying, 12.8 percent of households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2022, a sharp increase from the previous year (10.5 percent). Then there is health care. A Commonwealth fund study released a few weeks ago, revealed that large numbers of Americans are burdened by their health care costs, many delaying or skipping needed care or medications to save money, with often disastrous health effects .
How does it work for the very rich? Very good, judging by the amount they are willing to pay for a range of lavish services. A few are so absurdly rich that, according to a recent study New York Times piecea whole new suite of boutique services has emerged.
THE Times reports that the rich pay a high price for doing nothing at all, hiring nannies on a rotating basis so there is always one (instead of just one to cover the work week), private chefs, women cleaners and even experts in household chores like laundresses, for example. those who find folding their own clothes beneath them.
Animal care gets even weirder than that. Beyond walking their dogs daily, some city dwellers send their dogs on daily hikes in the woods outside of town, at a rate that exceeds what most people can afford to spend on enriching activities for their pets. children.
For those for whom the hassle of trying to get a reservation at a fancy restaurant is too much, there are websites that do the legwork for fees that can exceed the exorbitant bill.
Members-only social clubs have been a part of elite existence for hundreds of years, and you no longer have to be a white man to join one, but some have become much more financially exclusive : THE Times reports an initiation fee of up to $200,000 (please note that this is the cost of four years at Harvard and does not include annual dues).
The very rich also pay top dollar for wellness services that seem like quackery, like IV vitamin drips. Even more troubling, the paper notes a rise in health care concierge services, which help the wealthy avoid lines when they — like the rest of us — struggle to navigate our health care system failing. For an annual price of $3,000 to $6,000 (depending on the age of the client), these concierges will help you schedule same-day appointments, lab tests – anything that can take weeks for us, the people.
If the rich were taxed reasonably and rigorously, they would not have the money to skip the queues. And we could have a health care system that was affordable for everyone, one that didn’t require specialized help to navigate and where everyone could get the care they need, when they need it, regardless of income. .
Raising taxes on the rich would reintroduce them to minor inconveniences and light domestic work, while vastly improving everyone else’s chances of survival. This would complicate the ability of wealthier families to hire five nannies per child, but it would allow us to create a decent public school system for all children. They would not be able to afford the services of a cleaning lady for their third house, but we could invest in housing for all, thus putting an end to housing insecurity and the stress linked to difficulties in paying rent. and homelessness. Maybe no one could send their dog hiking, but everyone could send their kids to a summer camp in the woods. The wealthy would have to fight the humiliation of trying to get a reservation at high-priced restaurants, but others wouldn’t have to wait in line at church food pantries to feed their families.
Looking at what the rich spend their money on shows us why “Tax the Rich” is still such a popular political priority: because it would benefit the majority, and everyone knows that people who can outsource the ironing of their shirts will survive a slight blow. in the way of life.
The strange list of services also opens a window into the strange alienation of those who spend big to outsource their lives. Most of these people would probably be happier – and would need less cursory vitamin treatments – if they ran their own errands, spent more time with their children, and walked their own dogs.
Don’t clash with indulgent comfort! We all love luxury and we all deserve it. Socialism should make room for travel and chanterelles for all except personal servants (“no servants underfoot, no bosses above“, as the German workers’ song says). Jennifer Wilson has underlines In Lux that the early Soviet Union offered champagne and perfume to the masses, part of a communist vision of abundance that sadly never came to fruition.
It is also true that many pleasures now considered luxuries — time to read, a hike in the forest, a day at the beach — should be part of our daily lives. But no one should be so rich that they can hire a private laundress or join a club that costs more than an Ivy League education. The fact that some people are, while others can’t even afford insulin or pay rent, is a clear signal that our society needs to change course.