Are audiophiles still out of their minds?

The social and psychological content of this and several other threads going on now are fascinating.  drac, your post below is one of your most thoughtful in this thread.  The recent cultural disdain for folks who have accumulated wealth seems to have replaced what was once respect, then envy.  Sure, some inherit their wealth but many others are some of the hardest working people I know and many started with nothing more than an idea, fearlessness and perseverance.   Without the wealthy to drive our economy, who is going to provide jobs?  The government certainly cannot do it all since they are funded by all of us.  It would be interesting if the folks who complain about high-priced cables actually took a close look at what the government does with the money we pay them.....talk about waste and lack of value.  
To your question,

What is your reasoning behind justifying the cost of $10k ICs and $50k speaker cables? 

I would say, why do they have to be justified?  While I am happy with my WE wire from ebay, I have no problem with others who believe a $10K pair of interconnects, or a dozen $150 fuses, are necessary for their audio enjoyment.  I agree with jl35, 

if someone wants to build them and someone wants to buy them, so be it...

Mitch2,

"To your question,
What is your reasoning behind justifying the cost of $10k ICs and $50k speaker cables?
I would say, why do they have to be justified? While I am happy with my WE wire from ebay, I have no problem with others who believe a $10K pair of interconnects, or a dozen $150 fuses, are necessary for their audio enjoyment."
Well, my question was directed to asp307, but I’m glad you joined our discussion. The reason why I posed the above question is because some have attacked me for suggesting some high end cables have become so absurdly expensive for no good reason. And there are people willing to buy these cables without really even thinking about what goes into making them. And the reasons they give for buying these cables is well...how should I put it...they already drank the kool-aid. I was hoping for more rational reason other than the subjective "it sounds good to me". A hamburger with grilled onions and cheddar cheese sounds good to me, but I’m not going to pay $200 for it no matter how good it is. I guess I have a disdain for getting ripped off.

"It would be interesting if the folks who complain about high-priced cables actually took a close look at what the government does with the money we pay them.....talk about waste and lack of value."
You don't think people are aware of this? I work at an institution that is supported in part by the government and see the waste first hand, besides all the government waste reported in the media. But this is entirely a different matter that doesn’t belong on Audiogon.

"Sure, some inherit their wealth but many others are some of the hardest working people I know and many started with nothing more than an idea, fearlessness and perseverance."
I agree. My criticism was never about these people. My original post had to do with unjustifiably expensive cables and the people who buy them.

"drac, your post below is one of your most thoughtful in this thread."
Well thanks. I’m not exactly sure which exact post you’re referring to because most of my posts are thoughtful when I’m responding to rational people. ;-)

Drac, if you love dogs, here this will get you riled up. It makes $100K cables look pedestrian!

Who loves their dogs??!!
You don’t really love them unless the have a exquisite dog collars from “I Love Dogs Diamonds” .
3 models to choose from starting at $498,000 and going up to $3,200,000....for a dog collar.

What’s that? Can’t hear you Drac. Hahahahahahahahahaha.

http://www.leibish.com/diamonds-for-dogs-article-400

I enjoy how you qualify *rational* people. They are simply those people that agree with your way of thinking.

In my mind, *rational* people are those that understand that there are differences between people, and accept that others choices should be left up to them.
*Irrational* people, are people like you Drac, that get frustrated when you find people that do not agree with everything that you feel to be *right*, and have a burning desire to try to make everything *right* in the world by trying to change those people.

Expand you mind, expand your horizons, expand your world.
Accept others for what they are, and enjoy your life.
Stop trying to change others to fit your mold of what should be.
As Frankie Goes To Hollywood would say: R-E-L-A-X.

Hmm..Jmc, seems like you’re the one who can’t except the way some people are. RELAX man. Poor you, vying for my attention with all your posts. You want my attention. I’m giving you some. Happy?

while I think we generally agree on cables Drac, I don't assume the purchasers of $10K cables are fools or the manufacturer scammers...