And I might add maybe not the happiest people either. They could have everything they want yet they don’t always seem all that happy. Elon Musk for example doesn’t seem much happier than the average person, maybe even less so (depends on who you’re comparing against of course).
And you would be morally bankrupt were you rich. I forget the psychological term, but the idea is well documented. When people attain wealth and power, they don’t feel the rules apply to them. And it happens to all of us. “I would be better!”, you scream. Nah, probably not so much. No one is immune.
Saw a great case of this with Hillary Clinton, though I forget the particulars. She’s stumping for some law or policy that she blatantly violated and a journalist (we used to have those) called her on the hypocrisy. “But… that doesn’t apply to me.”
Not like she started out rich and powerful. Sure, she had some privilege, but not First Lady of the United Fucking States and Secretary of State kinda privilege.
The whole concept is kinda horrifying. When I hit the “middle-aged white-guy with a decent income” zone, I started not giving a fuck about breaking simple laws. Fuck they gonna do? I’m driving without a legal license ATM. When I was young and broke, jail. Now? They won’t pull me over in the first place, slap on the wrist, at worst. See how that psychology builds with real wealth and power?
Now think on that kinda thought process as one get’s truly rich and powerful. Morals, out the window. You still think you’re doing the right thing, but you’re badly misaligned with the lowly common people.
Which is why capitalism begins with the word “cap”. There needs to be a cap on the maximum wealth any one individual can accrue, because absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Keep on justifying parasites, maybe you’ll become one!
Many parasites require special conditions to grow. We can manage their populations by managing the environment.