March 5, 2016 6:10 AM

The social contract: It means to those whom much has been given much is expected

Alexis DeTocqueville once said that Americans don’t begrudge the wealthy their success because even the poorest among us consider ourselves to be temporarily inconvenienced about-to-be-millionaires. Because of this, we hold the wealthiest to exceedingly low standards, which allows the wealthy few the luxury of feeling their position in life is due to their being special.

In this era of rapidly increasing income equality, the wealthiest among us have assumed themselves to be somehow above the rules that apply to “lesser” mortals. They get away with it because, even though we decry income inequality, we respect success and great wealth…because it’s what we wish for ourselves.

The problem with achieving such lofty success is that it’s easy to delude oneself into believing that it was due to hard work and perseverance…and while that’s certainly a large part of the equation, in no way can it be exclusively true. The truth is, as Sen. Warren eloquently stated, that no one achieves success on their own. Anyone who achieves financial security does so in part because of the system in which they live. They’re fortunate enough to live in a country with a capitalist economy that rewards risk-taking and ingenuity. They’re blessed to pursue their dreams in a country governed by the rule of law, where markets are (as much as is possible) predictable and consistent, and where political and economic unrest don’t threaten to undo everything a person has worked for.

No one is going to begrudge someone who’s worked hard and sacrificed the right to success honestly achieved. That’s what America is about, grasping opportunity and running with it. It’s about rewarding those who add value, whose ingenuity and commitment to being the best, to creating something that didn’t exist previously makes our world a better place.

Achieving that sort of success also creates responsibility: the responsibility to give back, to recognize that you didn’t get to where you are alone, to understand that what you’ve achieved is the product of many factors, some having nothing to do with your hard work and sacrifice. Our economic system and the rule of law, along with the people who ensure the systems work, also play an important role.

No one gets rich all by themselves, and while it’s difficult to single out and reward people individually, there’s an implied obligation to pay it forward. You found success? Awesome; good on you…but that doesn’t mean you get to act or believe as if you did it on your own…because you didn’t. Paying taxes is not the government stealing money from your pocket; it’s your obligation to support the system that made it possible for you to achieve success.

Getting rich doesn’t happen in a vacuum…unless you’re one of the fortunate few blessed to be born into wealth. Those who work hard and achieve it should understand that great reward confers great responsibility. At least have the decency to recognize the role you play and the obligation it carries. The country that made your great food fortune possible deserves nothing less.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 5, 2016 6:10 AM.

Finally...a candidate who can unite us in our collective hate was the previous entry in this blog.

Q: How do you tell a Republican debate from a junior high school locker room? A: You can't. is the next entry in this blog.

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