why are people envious of the rich?

I read an article recently in FT that suggested poor people are more generous than rich when it comes to charity. A behavioral study done by University of Berkeley also concluded that lower class give more of their resources away, whereas upper-class tend to preserve and grow their wealth.

It makes me ponder if we take every opportunity out there to stab the rich. After all, one can crunch data in many different ways to define human nature and rising inequality in the society. It can as easily be shown that the richest are contributing most to the tax, which provides critical support to the society. We have seen multiple discussions on higher taxes on the rich instead of giving them a choice to spend their hard-earned money as they please and support the economy.

There are many better ways of forcing the rich to contribute to the society. Promoting capitalism that can create jobs is a much better way to reduce social inequality. As someone rightly said “Capitalism is the worst form of society, except for all the others that have been tried”

Many rich people have worked their way up with sheer perseverance, hard work and risk taking ability. Protecting ones future with financial security is basis of survival ship and there is nothing wrong for the upper class or for that matter anyone, to act in their self-interest. The world has already witnessed that governments, including that of developed nations, are incapable of securing the future or providing any social benefits to its taxpayers, so naturally saving and preserving wealth and future is crucial.

Have we forgotten all about Objectivism (as defined by Ayn Rand) that individuals hold free will, are autonomous and independent; by using reason, they determine their own beliefs and values and thus create their own life? Society as a whole would be a much better place to live if we don’t force altruism on every individual.

Is the society moving towards altruism as the new fashion statement? Do we need to define the moral worth of an individual by his values of egalitarianism?

I certainly agree that the some affluent people have exerted more influence on the government to define policies for their self-interest. Instead of hating the rich, the society should lobby to select the right leadership and government that can create environment conducive to equal and fair opportunity for all. But the political dreams of our so-called leaders rely heavily on the donations from the rich.

Once again, I might be perceived as a seriously empathy-deficit person but I do believe that the core problem in today’s world is government structures and leadership rather than capitalism.