Political affiliations, closely guarded in other countries, are advertised on bumper stickers. It's no wonder that magazines listing salaries of the famous alongside the ordinary are so popular, or that the politically disinclined perk up when Dick Cheney's stock options make headlines. What's certain is that it plays directly into the hands of employers. I had no trouble imagining them saying the same thing about me to my supposed fiscal inferiors. For the most part, people earn less than you think.
Corporations pay their executives enough to buy entire towns.
But it's usually shocking to hear how little people make, assuming they're willing to tell you. That figure is mitigated by several factors. As a self-employed person, I receive no health or retirement benefits. And I have to cover all the expenses of running a business from home. Unsurprisingly, people believe that I'm much richer than that.