‘Give me a break’ is a phrase is often uttered by the financially challenged. Being poor or even middle class in the land of opportunity is really tough. It pays to be rich, in more ways than one. In the world today, it seems as though the people who really need a ‘break’ are not usually the ones given breaks.
Financial Institutions
Have you ever heard the phrase “It takes money to make money?” Well that phrase rings true with banks. Most banks will only lend money to those who do not need money. Yes, the only way to borrow money is to prove to the bank that you do not need to borrow money. This sounds like an oxymoronic situation. Well, go to any bank and you will learn the truth. The common term for this situation is “collateral”. The bank wants a guarantee that if you borrow money, you will be able to pay it back. For example, in order to borrow money start a business, the bank wants to ensure that you could finance this business with your own finances. Well, if people could finance their own business ventures, they would not need to borrow money from a bank. Though this seems to be a simple conclusion, it is unheard of in banks. Banks operate by the creed, “You must have money to borrow money”
World of Fashion
Image is everything in today’s society. Everyone wants to be in style. More importantly, your personal style matters greatly. Your own personal style determines how the world will perceive you. Style can sometimes be a determining factor in a job interview. It most certainly matter for those aspiring to model, act, or sing.
How many people want to wear fashionable, expensive clothing? Most do. Most women want designer handbags and shoes. Most men want nice suits. For the average middle class American, designer items are a luxury. Most people have to save a lot of their paychecks in order to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag, a Roberto Cavalli dress, or Jimmy Choo shoes. However, for the rich and famous, they are seen as common items. Not only are they common items, but these rich and famous people often times do not have to purchase these designer items. On many occasions, the designers will give clothing to the rich and famous in order to ‘advertise’ their products. That seems to make no sense. An award winning movie star can afford to pay $1,200.00 for shoes, while the average person cannot. Yet, the designers give the $1,200.00 shoes to the movie star, while the average person has to save her money in order to purchase the shoes. It seems that fashion designers operate by the creed, “You must be fabulous to look fabulous.”
Employment
The business world is very unbalanced. The CEO figureheads of corporations get paid millions of dollars a year in salary and bonuses, while the people who work 40, 60, or even 80 hours a week for the same company get paid less than 5% of the CEO’s salary. Without these employees working to make money for the corporation, the corporation would go out of business. Instead of rewarding the employees for their role in the success of the business, these businesses give huge bonuses and salaries to the CEO, who often times could not perform the jobs of many of their very own employees. While, the employees are barely making enough money to provide basic needs for their families. The business world seems to operate by the creed, “Employees make money for the company, and CEOs make money for themselves.”
These three scenarios are by no means an exhaustive list. They are just representative of the common ironies in today’s society. It pays very well to be rich, while the poor and middle class just struggle to keep their heads above the water. How long will this cycle continue? No one knows. We all have a responsibility to show others the errors of their ways in order to make our society a better, more benevolent one. This article is my way of shining light on some of the ironies of today. Right now, it pays to be rich. Hopefully one day that will change, and the poor and middle class will be given a break.
