n/t

trying to pretend that isn't a big part of how the system works and not giving it to your kids if you have it is not the right thing to do either, IMHO.

The right thing to do is to teach your kids why its a problem and give them the tools they need to try to make change. It's a lot easier to advocate for change if you have money.

Let's assume that Sting knows full well it is "a big part of how the system works". I see no reason to believe he does not. I do not however see how that impacts his personal decision not to do so. Does it somehow invalidate his reasons?

Further, I have little confidence that handing a large pile of money to your kids and expecting them to use any of it to fight to change a system that allows people to give large sums of money to their kids is a viable plan.

If you believe that the 99% are completely marginalized and the 1% hold virtually all the power, its asinine to keep money from your kids when you die and expect them to challenge the status quo as 99%ers rather than 1%ers.

That makes absolutely no sense.

That said, Sting can choose to do what he wants with his money. Spend it, leave it, whatever.

with me.

Civilization does require a belief in stability and a sense of permanence to thrive.

My point is that estates of hundreds of millions of dollars and more (such as Sting's) should not be passed down to one's progeny. It ultimately pulls the fabric of civilization apart, rather than keeping it together.

If it is such a corrupting burden, why does he not just give all his money away now? Go back to the simple life pre-fame and fortune.
Because he and I both know that being poor sucks.
I am pretty sure that they may not inherite the whole 300 million but they will be taken care of. Not to mention doors somehow magicallly open up to the kids of "IN" poeple.

ethic.

His point, I think, is that he came from nothing and built what he has today from his talent and sweat.
His money is the result of that, so it is the fruit of his labor, not a corrupting influence, at least for him.

He also talks about the many people on his payroll, that benefit from the money he brings in, so the money is not just a static thing, he's putting it to use all the time, to keep other people working.

And of course, Sting's kids are privileged. He's trying to mitigate them from becoming so privileged that they don't know what real work is.

I think that's a good thing.

...

"You're Sting's kid? Why are you working here?"

"Well, ya know.....Sting's my dad!"

"Point taken, buddy! Time for a pay rise!"

He's stated he plans to give away most of his fortune hence the Gates Foundation. When Gates suggested that the wealthy have a duty to give something back to society the Wall Street Journal editorial writers lost their shit.

that go apoplectic when the words Bill Gates and Charity appear in the same sentence.

(of course unless your daddy was super wealthy and wants you to inherit his wealth!)

to the government than his family.

Or, that "charity begins at home", so anything you make is owed to your family.

Or, since children don't ask to be born, a parent owes them EVERYTHING (many comments like this) and giving money anywhere else is a betrayal.

Seriously!

It's pretty crazy.

turned it's victims into thoughtless, clueless, and callous human beings who I refuse to associate with.

I've watched kids waste their lives kissing their shitty parents' asses, doing basically nothing that would prepare them for life and being kind to others, because they expected or knew that their parents were going to leave them great wealth.

The expression "money is the root of all evil" is pretty much the truth.

Yahoo's comments sections have long been badly infested with right wing sock puppets. Right wingers love their family money, even the wannabes, who will never see anything like that themselves.

And, it's certainly not surprising that their commentary is incoherent. It rarely makes sense.