In some ways, the very poor and the very rich are mirror images of each other. Some anecdotes.

When I'd buy soda, it was usually generic soda, unless for some reason I didn't like the generic version.

I.e. I prefer Dr. Pepper over the generics. But don't care about lemon-lime.

The only people who would ever give me shit for this either had a LOT of fucking money, or were broke as shit.

People in the middle seemed to get it.

Poor folks want their gold plated spinning rims, their BMW... etc... Tricked out cars, or big expensive trucks. Whatever. And the rich want their exotics. Lambos. Porsche. Land Rovers. Whatever.

In the middle, nobody cares if you drive a Toyota or a Ford.

To both rich and poor, compromise and budgeting signals a kind of weakness. Spend $400 on some high brand shoes, or a t-shirt... this is something the rich and the poor would both want to do.

But the middle would say 'nah, a $20 t-shirt and $50 pair of shoes is just fine.'

In this sense, suburbia and its housing developments also tend to be hated by rich and poor. Suburban houses are compromises. Better than an urban shoebox or a trailer. But nothing special. A housing equivalent of buying a Camry. Maybe a nice Camry with all the options, but still

It's fascinating to watch poor people and rich people shit on middles for almost identical reasons.

It's like if you're first place, you win. And if you're last place people sympathize with you. But if you're in the middle... fuck you, loser.

The poor might be bothered that a middle thinks he's doing better. "No Lambo, no Gucci bags, no mansion on MTV cribs... he's a loser! He's no better than me! No, I'm better! At least I wear Jordans! Loser!"

The rich might be bothered that a middle thinks he's any better off than a broke-ass dude living in a trailer. "He's still white trash. Houses made of ticky-tacky. Drives a Toyota. His suit cost $300. What a loser. How dare he think he's doing good."

I think, in a sense, this drives some of the political wrangling in the country. Urban poor and elites have a kind of alliance. Both hate on the middles.

Modern Marxism has a place for rich elites, celebrities, and big Woke corporations.

But it has no place for middles.

Everything the middles have is because colonialism, racism, privilege, sexism, etc...

They should give it all up and just be poors.

Yes. Part of growing up is realizing that your chances of becoming a rockstar are 0.01%. And if you haven't done it by your 30s, the chances are 0.00000001%.

Compromise. You can still have a pretty nice life, even so. https://twitter.com/hndytpr/status/1387056458475388929

Some will say this is selling out on your dreams. But that's kind of the lottery ticket phenomenon. People who, throughout their whole life, keep buying lotto tickets and losing. "But I'm not giving up on my 0.000001% of winning millions!!!"

You add up all the money you spent on lotto tickets and... well, you could be a lot further in life if you didn't do that.

It's a very poor philosophy, and you see poors do this all the time.

In a sense, this is what the Marxist future offers you. You can have your 0.01% that some powerful person notices you, likes you, and elevates you to high status.

Otherwise, you remain in the pool of poors.

It's like the record label phenomenon. To be a famous singer, you have to be talented/good (mostly - there are exceptions, who the fuck had T-Pain as an autotuned singer?).

But there are thousands - perhaps millions - of talented singers.

You also have to be noticed.

Fantastical stories about some singer being noticed by an agent of some record label in a dive bar in buttfuckia are legion.

But how many did NOT get noticed, and continued a career in some shithole bar in the middle of nowhere?

How many poor black dudes have demo tapes? How many poor trailer park girls can sing country with the best of them?

People gotta be real about their chances. Take your shot at glory! But if it fails, you don't have to stay poor.

The middle path to okay money is pretty boring. There is no fantastical story involved in filling out your 401k. You won't be on MTV cribs with your suburban home. Girls aren't at your feet when you're driving your Ford.

But it IS a far better lifestyle than staying poor.