This animosity poses a question of why the lower class and lower middle class, which is what my respondents would all classify themselves as, would seem to have such animosity towards the rich, even when told they were self-made million and billionaires. There is such an enormous gap between the average citizen and those who make up the plutocracy, which creates a divide between the classes. The ultra rich are no longer seen as normal human beings who came from similar backgrounds as us, but almost as another species altogether. The stark contrast between lifestyles makes it very hard for a middle-class citizen, much less for someone who lives in poverty, to even try to relate to someone who belongs to the plutocracy. In the words of one respondent, when asked if she saw that the ultra rich still had anxieties and worries, "Yeah, of course they worry about stuff, but they are worrying about when to fly their private jet to Monaco while I 'm over here worrying about making my $240 car payment this month and keeping the lights
This animosity poses a question of why the lower class and lower middle class, which is what my respondents would all classify themselves as, would seem to have such animosity towards the rich, even when told they were self-made million and billionaires. There is such an enormous gap between the average citizen and those who make up the plutocracy, which creates a divide between the classes. The ultra rich are no longer seen as normal human beings who came from similar backgrounds as us, but almost as another species altogether. The stark contrast between lifestyles makes it very hard for a middle-class citizen, much less for someone who lives in poverty, to even try to relate to someone who belongs to the plutocracy. In the words of one respondent, when asked if she saw that the ultra rich still had anxieties and worries, "Yeah, of course they worry about stuff, but they are worrying about when to fly their private jet to Monaco while I 'm over here worrying about making my $240 car payment this month and keeping the lights