Anti-Rich Classism

Anti-rich sentiments can be quite overt in American culture, and the motivations behind these sentiments are often plainly stated--the rich tend to be seen as a class of selfish individuals who overlook or prey upon the poor.  What is not always openly mentioned is the fact that the motivations behind statements that treat wealth as an indicator of moral corruption and a symbol of classism, discrimination based on social class, are often thoroughly hypocritical.  Does classism harm the poor?  Of course!  However, in criticizing classism against the poor, some politicians and laypeople make classist statements of their own against the rich.

Many people are not intelligent or morally aware enough to condemn one form of classism without committing the inverse error or offense in the process.  Displaying their hypocrisy so that any observant person can see it, the people in question act as if one cannot care for the poor without directing anger towards the rich, thereby showing that they despise or suspect those in possession of significant wealth (whatever arbitrary amount they deem "too much") on the basis of class.  The idea that classism can only target the poor is far from true.

Unfortunately, classism against the poor and rich is not difficult to find.  Classism of the former kind can be easily found in the words of the political right, and classism of the latter kind is easily found in the words of the political left.  It is likewise common to see this same type of incompetence in fights against certain manifestations of sexism or racism: relatively few fight all manifestations of sexism or racism, no matter who they are leveled against, just as few fight all manifestations of classism without regard for whether the poor or rich are being illicitly discriminated against.

Recognizing different forms of classism should be a simple affair.  Anyone who hates or opposes the rich simply because they have significant personal wealth is guilty of classism just as much as a rich person who regards poor people as inferior is.  Since assumptions about a person's moral character or personality traits on the basis of class are fallacious (as are all assumptions)--and only an imbecile would refuse to admit that they are--then the rich and poor alike can be the victims of classism.  As logic easily reveals, irrational and unjust forms of discrimination can always go both ways.