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islandeye: The majority of the people in the top 1% inherited their wealth from their parents. Many of the rest have accumulated their wealth by gambling with other people's money. They didn't "earn" it with hard work. Family wealth coaches will tell you that money attracts money. If you have alot to begin with, you will accumulate more even if you never lift a finger. It is not the people who have worked hard that are not deserving but those who have so much and done so little who act like spoiled rich kids. It is to those who never have enough that I show disrespect. These are the people who feel little obligation to the nation. A nation whose institutions protect them and their wealth. Just because you are rich does not get you a pass when patriotism is passed around. As citizens of this country we have responsibilities to it. The 99% of the rest of us do work hard, we contribute directly to Social Security and Medicare and for most of us, that's all we have in our old age. We are the ones who served our country in uniform when asked and gladly pay our taxes even if we have little money to spare. We are Americans that understand we are in this together and being a nation means we ALL must contribute to it and serve it. We are the ones wo recognize that the nation has given us many opportunities and protected us throughout our lives. The services our government gives us costs money. It's not perfect but it is something we as a people designed. We are not the ones who pay off the politicians to protect our wealth. We do not avoid military service nor do we manipulate the system with our meager savings accounts. We do not need to pass money under the table to elect politicians or Supreme Court Justices to protect our wealth. That is done by the wealthy. We respect our country and it's institutions. We are the real patriots.