Why do non-wealthy people believe in the "free market"?

I take home around 28K and have more than enough to cover my cost of living and enjoy occasional splurges. Of course, I don't have/plan to have children, so that eases the burden a lot.

 

It's like the game of Risk. All power will eventually be consolidated. Human history has shown this over and over and over. The problem is that humans are very bad at holding power. We're great at aquiring power but there is always some tipping point where that power gets split up. It's the story of the ages.

Democracy and Capitalism is just the latest tool used to aquire power.

 

My yearly expenditures come out to about 22,000 a year, I currently make a lot more than that. $65,000 a year would be an absolute cakewalk for me.

 

Strongly agree (can't rep you until I spread more reputation around).

It seems to me that many people use their kids as an excuse to live beyond their means. Maybe it would behoove those people to hold off on the 3000 sq.ft home and new SUV and stick with a rented 2 bedroom apartment and used car for awhile. Or if they feel they can't live without the kids and the luxuries, they should just wait to have kids until their salary is higher.

 

It seems to me that the wealthy are the people that least favor free markets. For them, its better to benefit from the perverse incentives of the government's policies. Why I don't understand is why the poor and middle class support the government rigging the game to keep their wages low, their jobs going overseas and the class status quo in place.

 

Why do rich liberals hate the free market?

 

Because they're mostly concentrated in industries that don't produce a lot of negative externalities or use a lot of common pool resources (investment banking, currency speculation, movie-making), they're keenly aware of the dangers being seen as the "high-rollers" in an unequal society, and they'd like their children to know what a fish or a bird is.

As long as the Dems are passing weak, watery Frank-Dodd like bills and they're not the party of raving polluters who don't believe in science, those "rich liberals" will always vote and support Dems.

 

Because they're hypocritical fakes.

 

I think a bigger issue is that people the idea of what is needed is different.
I make pretty good money but still don't want to pay the extra monthly fees to have an Iphone over an Android and try to save where I can.

People will trade their freedom and security for material goods that have significant depreciation and no real use aside from 'wealth appeal'.

Every time ive been to the courthouse for a ticket I hear people say they can't pay their $200 court fines while they play on their Iphone's or wear their Nike/Louis Vuitton purses etc.

People don't want to pay for health insurance but they want to waste their money on $3 coffee or $200 a month premium phone service or brand name goods. I think we've lost touch to what's important and that people must save and sacrifice in order to ensure their futures and better their own lives.


And I think people believe in a free-market (not that our market is free by any means) because inherantly they know its right.