People as pets

The very rich actually have rather a hard time finding ways to spend their money.

They have so much of it, after all, and anyone spending $50,000 for a watch is clearly running out of ideas.

Audemars Piguet : La Boutique New York Royal Oak Chronograph

People like that buy cars priced in the millions

Cars

Sometimes they keep stables of horses, or give huge amounts to save the whale.

Sometimes they contribute vast amounts to ensure the safety of African elephants from poaching or encroachment on habitat.

And sometimes if they run out of ideas, rather than buying such a watch or a car, or yet another palace in Spain, or another stable of horses, or another fund to save another endangered (non-human) species, they spend their money on people.

Endow a university, say.

Or a hospital.

In the latter case, when they do something for people, they are called “philanthropists” and praised for their exceptional, selfless altruism.

And yet, their feelings for needy people are not much different, if at all, from their feelings about baby seals in Norway.

By the way, if ordinary voters ever had the least idea how rich the really rich really are their attitudes toward such political dirty words as “redistribution” would likely be rather different from what they are, right now.

Or maybe not.

Recall the popular TV series, Life Styles of the Rich and Famous.