Frustrated people use frustrated language, sometimes we have to be able to see past that. As someone who used to live below minimum wage, but haven't in a long time, I guess it's easier for me to understand why people get frustrated enough to use emotional language, as it's (seemingly or actually) affecting their daily life at every turn, and they see others around them get richer and richer.

Ironically enough, that you cannot see past the emotional language and describe the quote as "alienating me" also demonstrate an lack of empathy for me, but I guess that's beyond the topic.

Ironically, I don't think it's usually the frustrated minimum wage earners using this holier than thou language. It's generally journalists and academics, and indeed the author is a former journalism professor. When someone struggling to get by does say something that I think is ridiculous like "eat the rich", I keep my judgement at a minimum.

> Ironically enough, that you cannot see past the emotional language and describe the quote as "alienating me" also demonstrate an lack of empathy for me

I wouldn't be surprised if I actually have below-average empathy, but unfortunately for you, people like us still get to vote, and shame isn't a great way to get support on controversial issues. Anyways, your choice in language has real utility, so it's not really a matter of whether or not I'm empathetic. I support welfare as a social safety net, but not welfare solely for the sake of redistribution of wealth. If the political camp that is advocating for welfare is using language that suggests the second purpose of welfare, then I'm less inclined to support them.

> The use of "frustrated" language demonstrates no self reflection and recognition

I feel like that extrapolating a lot from someone who just emotionally doesn't feel well.

> the fact that someone earns a low wage is because they have chosen not to improve themselves

I don't think you understand how poverty works (in most countries at least). Have you ever lived close to the poverty line and/or earned below minimum wage?

> you're selfish and greedy if you don't give me the money you earned [...] the people they want to take from

No one says this, but at least that you wrote this makes it clear that you don't want to engage in a discussion in good faith.

>Have you ever lived close to the poverty line and/or earned below minimum wage?

Yes. I grew up in poverty in an area far from any big cities in the '70s and '80s. We only had eggs and meat because we raised chickens and rabbits. Half my calories during the summer months came from the garden.

>No one says this, but at least that you wrote this makes it clear that you don't want to engage in a discussion in good faith.

I paraphrased. What was actually said was "I hate living in a country where everyone is greedy and don't want to support the poor and homeless."

> you don't want to engage in a discussion in good faith.

Your comment ended in a way that demonstrated no interest in a good faith discussion. Preemptively telling the people who disagree with you that they have no empathy is a sure-fire way to guarantee that tone of response.

E: Both your comments so far in this subthread are predicated on invalidating the opinions of other because you assert they don't have the right life experiences to know how it is.

> ...why someone earns a low wage is because they have chosen not to improve themselves and they have a large amount of envy about other people's lives. The takers...

Tell us you haven't grown out of your teenage Ayn Rand-fan Libertarian phase withnout telling us you haven't grown out of your teenage Ayn Rand-fan Libertarian phase.