Are the Rich Right to Be Mad?

We hear a lot these days about populist anger at the rich. But what about rich anger at the populous?

'In a witch hunt, the witches have feelings too,' says a New York Magazine article by Gabriel Sherman about angry Wall Streeters. 'As populist rage has erupted around the country, stoked by canny politicians, an opposite rage has built on Wall Street and other arenas where the wealthy hold sway. Its expression is more furtive and it's often mixed with a kind of sublimated shame, but it can be every bit as vitriolic.'

The article focuses on Wall Streeters, but I have heard many of the same sentiments from the non-Wall Street rich. Once celebrated for their wealth and achievement, the wealthy are suddenly feeling persecuted, wrongly maligned and, yes, even victimized.

Here's why:

Salaries. America is aghast at how much Wall Streeters were paid to destroy the financial system. Wall Streeters say they worked hard for their money, sometimes answering their phones at 2 a.m.!! And they played a vital role in the economy. 'JPMorgan and all these guys should go on strike─see what happens to the country without Wall Street,' one hedge funder says in the article. 'It's fair to say you ran your companies into the ground, your risk management is flawed─that is perfectly legitimate,' said another Wall Streeter. 'You can lay criticism on GM or others. But I don't think it's fair to say Wall Street is paid too much.'

Obama and Taxes. Even Wall Streeters who supported Barack Obama now are taken aback by his attacks on the Street and the rich. 'He's punishing you for doing better,' Nicholas Cacciola, a 44-year-old executive at a financial-services firm, said in the article. 'He doesn't want to have any wealth creation─it's wealth distribution. Why are you being punished for making a lot of money?' As a Republican corporate lawyer put it: 'It's the politics of envy, and that's very dangerous.'

Bad Actors. The American International Group bonuses tainted everyone on Wall Street, but Wall Streeters say that is unfair. 'AIG pissed some people off, and now you're gonna s─- everyone on Wall Street?' railed a laid-off J.P. Morgan Chase vice-president in the article.

What do you think Wealth Report readers. Are Wall Streeters and the wealthy right to be outraged at the rage?

Robert Frank

谢尔曼(Gabriel Sherman)在《纽约》(New York Magazine)杂志上撰写了一篇有关华尔街人士怒火的文章。他说，在猎巫的时候，巫师也会有感触的。谢尔曼写道，随着精明的政客在旁煽风点火，民粹主义怒火在美国各地爆发，华尔街和其他富人主导的领域也出现了一种对立的愤怒情绪。这种愤懑表达得较为隐秘，通常还混杂着一种升华的羞愧，但这种情绪也同样的尖酸刻薄。

华尔街人士是这篇文章的重点，但我已经从华尔街以外的富人那里听到了很多同样的抱怨。富人们曾因为他们的财富和成就而受人推崇，如今却突然感觉自己受到了迫害，受到了诬蔑，没错，甚至觉得自己沦为了受害者。

下面就是其中原因：

薪酬。华尔街人士拿着令美国民众瞠目结舌的高薪，却毁掉了金融体系。华尔街人士说，他们努力工作赢得财富，有时要在凌晨2点钟接电话。他们在经济发挥了关键的作用。一位对冲基金人士在文章中表示，摩根大通和华尔街这帮人都应该罢工，看看没有他们美国会怎样。另外一位华尔街人士说，如果你的公司被你稿破产，那你的风险管理就是有问题的，这么说很公平。你可以批评通用汽车(GM)或是其他人。但我不认为指责华尔街薪酬过高是对的。

奥巴马和增税。目睹奥巴马针对华尔街和富人采取的行动，即便是那些原先支持奥巴马的华尔街人士现在也都惊呆了。44岁的卡乔拉(Nicholas Cacciola)在一家金融服务公司工作。他在文章中说，奥巴马惩罚你是因为你做的更出色。他根本不想有什么创造财富──这是财富分配。凭什么要因为挣得多而受惩罚？正如一位身为共和党人的公司律师所说，这是嫉妒政治，这是非常危险的。

害群之马。美国国际集团(AIG)的奖金问题令华尔街每个人都蒙羞，但华尔街人士认为这是不公平的。摩根大通(J.P. Morgan)一位离职的副总裁在文中抱怨道，AIG让一些人感到恼火，那你现在就得拿华尔街的每个人开刀？

《奢华人生》的读者们，华尔街人士和富人们是否有理由对他们的遭遇义愤填膺呢？