The Politics of Envy

For the last few years all we've heard in the mainstream media is, "the one percent this" and "the one percent that".  We've heard that income inequality is growing and that the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing.  We've heard stories that it's unfair that those at the top have money and that those at the bottom don't have money.  Businesses have been told they need to increase wages and start paying people a "living wage", that they're underpaid and overworked and staff are constantly treated badly.  Basically we've been fed a bunch of stories about how it's the fault of those at the top that we aren't progressing up the food chain and we've been told by the media we should be angry that there are the haves and have nots.

This infuriates me for a few simple reasons which I'll expand on during the course of this blog post.

The world does NOT owe you a living.  Having your caviar with a silver spoon, 2 horses and a boat isn't a God Given right.  Nor is having the latest iPhone (although it does come in handy when you're bored on public transport) or the latest Louis Vuitton bag and being able to buy the latest consumer toys.  These are all "nice to haves" that people should work for.  They're a status symbol if you like but for some reason people think that they are entitled to them, but the problem is, if everyone has something, it loses its value and status.  It's basic supply and demand but that's a blog for another time.

So let's get back to the politics of envy.  A few days ago a friend posted a comment on Facebook (to protect their identity I won't go into further detail) and I responded with some judgemental comments about those working in certain fields.  The group of people I was attacking said that they weren't like that, that they were there only while studying and that they were in fact intelligent.  Okay, maybe you believe that to be true, but having worked in that field which I look down upon I disagreed - the reality is that this particular field I refer to does not offer personal growth and it is where careers go to die.

One person who replied to me said I was being arrogant, egotistical, judgemental and that she, a Sociology student (and FYI I studied two Sociology papers at uni - Sociology of the Media and Social Policy & Social Justice), was trying to prevent people like me holding people back and judging people based on their profession and income.

It got me thinking about, the politics of envy, nowhere in the comments said person posted did she say that maybe these people are trying to better themselves, maybe this is temporary.  Instead I was criticised because, how dare I have an opinion on desirable and undesirable jobs, and how dare I think that people should aspire to me.

This is one of the main factors in income inequality.  Instead of looking at the wider issue - education and employment, all those on the left side of politics do is complain about how hard done by they are.  But instead of complaining about what you don't have, wouldn't you be better off spending that time working on how to improve what you have and improve your economic position?  This could be through further study or working longer hours.  It could be taking a job that pays more money.

Instead of focusing on what people can't do, and complaining about their economic position, they'd be better to focus on what they can do and how they can improve their economic position.

Say someone is working part time or someone lives in a small town, as Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Harvey Norman founder Gerry Harvey have said, they can't be choosy about what jobs they take.  Many people seem to have this idea that taking a job below their skill level is beyond them, but there is nothing to say that job has to be long term, and it is much easier to job hunt for something you truly want while you have a job that pays the bills, than to look while unemployed.  Anecdotal evidence frequently suggests that those who are unemployed find it harder to get work than those who are in work.

Another thing is that low paying jobs are not even meant to be long term.  They are only meant to be short term and you're supposed to upskill and develop your talents and what you can offer employers.  People fail to remember this, and are so often focused on the politics of envy which prohibits personal and professional development.