The Economist has an article, The rich are different from you and me , on possible differences between classes in giving. Rather than taking a position, which is the wont of most commenters, a review of all the posts gives a good sense of the readers beliefs. Various suggested reasons: - The rich are rich because they are cheap - The rich lack compassion for the poor because they don't experience poverty. - The rich lack compassion for the poor because the poor are unlike themselves - Neo-conservative values have tilted us toward "Greed is good." - But the rich give more. Bill Gates and Warren buffet redeem us all. - The rich believe people get what they deserve - The rich enjoy their relative societal position - ...even more so the larger the difference - Overreliance on subjects from the developed world skews research.
musings on life and liberty