I did the math a few months ago. And at the time anyway, Musk could have started 200 food pantries *in every state,* funded @100K annually for *a hundred years,* and still be the richest person on earth by $20B.
Billionaires will not save us. They became rich because of rhe exploitation of their workers, endless wars for their profits. These weapons killing Palestinians are paid for with US taxes & paid to billionaire arms companies & investors. Endless wars for endless profits & Americans get screwed.
Or even better: small folk from every places around the world allying each others to end capitalism, build self sufficient eco anarchist societies and put the millionaires in jail for crime against life on earth
Billionaires aren't getting in the way of any of that. Go to your local planning & zoning board where an apartment is being considered and you'll see all of the resistance is from homeowners. I've been to many such meetings and have yet to see a single corporate rep or rich person complaining.
Would be even cooler if everyday middle class citizens did this too. There are many more of those than there are billionaires. No one is exempt from compassion for other humans.
Let them keep their egos. If Musk wants a giant statue for ending world hunger I'm okay with that. It can't make him more insufferable than he already is.
He was a good entrepreneur, until he made his AI evil and lost his mind! (to enhancements?) I cant feel bad for him, he did all of this to himself. (positive ways are better)
There is a way to feed the world and accept AI/Robots all positively.
I guess it really comes down to, how much is enough!?
astonishing that someone could be the richest person on earth with opportunity to help countless millions of human beings — create joy and wonder in the hearts of people, cure diseases, mediate conflict, change the world— be a kind and decent person — but then instead choosing the exact opposite.
With a wealth tax of just 1% we could turn this country around. They wouldn’t even feel the pinch at all. Of course that also requires decent human beings in charge of our government to make sure the money actually got to the programs helping people..NOT REPUBLICANS
If Democrats were able to keep control of the House and Senate during Biden’s whole term we would be in a much better economic position than ever before. Americans constantly get in their own way. It’s sad how we just keep repeating the same mistakes.
I’d also update antitrust laws to give smaller companies more of a chance, also it is far easier to have price fixing when there’s only 4 or 5 companies supplying a product.
Too bad that ruins the passing contest of who has the most money. Why should they give back to the people who made them their money. What did we ever do to help them? 🫠
With a caveat that they can be spared this parade by contributing a quarter to half of their net worth to causes that benefit society and/or the planet. A contribution that must be made each year to avoid the annual parade.
We really have gotten very little contribution to society for all the talk, money, investment, hype, about high tech over the last forty years.
Spell check, a smart-assed smart TV, and a communicator.
"smart tv" that's reporting on everything you watch.
Phones that track you everywhere you go, and listen to all your conversations.
AI that keeps you stupid.
"Brave New World"
The Robber-Barons of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...Rockefeller, Carnegie, etc...behaved horribly, but they feared public opinion enough to fund libraries and institutes supporting public health.
Today's oligarchs have no such fear. Perhaps they need a reminder?
Unless the #DNC 's DEEP ties to 1. #corporatism / #oligarchy, 2. #plutocracy / #gerontocracy, & 3. the #MilitaryIndustrialComplex 🤑 are broken, we will continue to see a rise in the % of #nonvoters which tips the scales hard towards the #Russopublicans. #grassroots https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/dnc-ken-martin-dark-money/
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Thx for sharing the article. Getting big $ out of politics (we can start by 86ing Citizens United) is something that even some of the MAGA base would support, based on some recent interviews I've heard.
(2/2)
I agree with most of the author's points. I wish he'd distinguished between "wealthy/connected elites" and "intellectual elites" (some right view the latter as smug/arrogant and are repulsed from the Dems for that reason alone).
Dems should address both types of "elitism" to grow their base.
I was with you until the feared public opinion part. I suspect there was more ego involved. They gave money, put their name on things and people liked the things they gave. Pretty good PR, plus a tax write off. The OP does make me wonder why trying to be the best decent human isn’t a thing for them
You're right, some of it was undoubtedly due to ego and the reality was more complex than I suggested.
Still, politicians of that era clearly protected Robber-Barons from the 'wrath of the lower classes.' High tax rates (compared to today) and philanthropy provided just enough cover to do that.
I agree with you and I think that some politicians have historically played that role: i.e. you give me money and I ensure that only the laws and rules you like apply to you. The wealthy have become more adept at playing that game every year. See Citizens United…
It wouldn’t happen though because the majority of them don’t want to do any of that. The ones that do want to do good in the world are demonised and made out to be bad people.
Much as I would love to see this, I got a feeling that the billionaires would mess it up somehow. Planting monoculture trees then left them to die, building a million houses only to make renting them cost 1 million or even saying they have cleaned up a lot of trash only to throw more out.
I don't understand why they don't. It would be so easy to be the worlds benevolent hero, respected by billions, remembered forever. They seem like they want that, but only if they can take it by force and oppression.
You are kidding, aren't you?
The Oligarchy does NOTHING EXCEPT PICK OUR POCKETS, TELL US WE'RE LAZY, THAT WE NEED TO WORK HARDER, THAT WE AREN'T DESERVING OF THE SCRAPS THEY GIVE US!
that require them to spend their money on humanitarian causes instead of increasing their own fortunes. wishful thinking but unlikely. the're all selfish greedy misers
One of the few billionaires who isn't a total dick is Bill Gates...as well as his ex-wife Melinda, also a billionaire. They give away tons of money for good causes, and they aren't completely awful people either, unlike Zucks, Musk, Bezos et al...
The sad part is every one of the sociopathic narcissistic sub human shit stains could literally be Batman and still be the richest asshole on the planet.
Sadly they would rather have a pissing match on the victims of their narcissistic abuse so they can continue their abuse as conditioned on them by their elite narcissistic fathers
How many multiple mansions, yacht's, private jets, vacation homes can a billionaire and his or her family LIVE IN?? The collapse of the housing market during the Great Recession displaced close to 10 million Americans. 3.1 million Americans filed for foreclosure. In 2025 more people maybe harmed😧
If only. The saddest thing about living in this world is knowing that we have the capacity and ability to create a world where no one is lacking and everyone is pretty happy and we CHOOSE not to.
And education. Don’t forget education. That’s an investment worth making….schools or jails…you choose. Everyone has a place and a super power that can make the world a better place. All people need to be taught that from a young age.
The more I see of most billionaire behavior, the more I'm convinced that the wanton, reckless, insatiable accrual of vast wealth is a symptom of severe mental illness. Allowing it is societal, and quite possibly species, suicide.
Interesting idea, partly b/c they argue it's evolutionary dominance (adequate "reasoning" for their touting/pushing eugenics). Without outside intervention (very close to 0% chance of that), I see 2 paths: 1) forcibly take away their $/advantages to make them survive as we do, ...
(which I don't see working b/c too many of us unconsciously support systems propping them up & we'd get a re-run at best)
2) prove this is regression/devolution by the empathic, democratic majority outwitting/performing them (a steep uphill battle, % of failure high but technically possible).
I feel it every time I hear the term “too big to fail” or see the same restaurant and retail chains no matter what part of the country I’m in.
Getting rid of some of the tax loopholes and changing some rates would help but I think new antitrust laws dividing Amazon, WalMart etc would also help.
Nah. Space, buddy, space. That where the action is.
So, space. That imaginary delineation about Earth where ‘not space’ becomes ‘space’.
You got that right, buddy! Space!
That's not something they can smirk at their fellow billionaires about, I'm afraid. A bigger house, a younger prettier wife, a bigger boat -- THOSE are the markers that they pay attention to, and the turf on which they compete.
The problem is that being a sociopath gives people major advantage in becoming a billionaire. Sure, an ethical and empathic person can become a billionaire and it has happened. But, it's easier to not care because you can do things like exploit people and take risks with other people's money.
It's important for a government to fund and provide support for charities. Tax churches and let them apply for an exemption like any other business. Money needs to be out of politics. Representitives, judges and presidents (and their state counterparts) can't take any income but their salary.
The worlds population has doubled since I was born. In America we had 150M people, today we have 340M people living here. No one talks about that do they.
No one is coming to save us. We cannot rely on some mythical hero. We are the hero or we die. Tax the rich into non-existence. Use those taxes to support societal good.
It’s the only solution and it’s been done before yet Americans act like it’s some radical thing. It’s common sense. It’s humane. It’s fair. We’ve all been brainwashed into thinking anything otherwise.
We can make them do it. Just set tax rate above $1M income to 100% until all of those social problems are solved, define specific success criteria. Then watch them magically find effective solutions to those problems.
So do a ble. Imagine them uniting to build thousands of low cost housing. He'll they could name the subdivisions and streets after themselves and family.
Zuckerberg Heights
Musk Manor
Below Bluffs
Great idea…. They could each take a section of the earth, including the oceans, the air, and clean everything up and put people to work. Imagine what great things could happen in every aspect of life. Just don’t get the end result they r going for today. Their families have to live here too. 👎🥲
Mark Cuban making some inroads, he has his prescription website for affordable medicines and other endeavors, thinking of building his own medical insurance. Imagine if all billionaires did stuff like this
Was scrolling through these replies wondering if someone would mention the obvious name Bill Gates as a billionaire focused on making a positive difference.
Comments
I did the math a few months ago. And at the time anyway, Musk could have started 200 food pantries *in every state,* funded @100K annually for *a hundred years,* and still be the richest person on earth by $20B.
We literally made up the economy, maybe we should make it work for the majority instead of the few.
Every single "rule" of the economy and currency could be changed by human influence, because we made them up to start with.
Conservative coalition in the 70s and Reaganomics in the 80s dismantled it.
We have to fix it in the tax code now by going after calculated asset growth. Read my policy goal here:
But I don't know the rules nor the actual point of the game.
I know theirs though, and they're good. I like people finding ways, even if they're taking some time.
They wouldn’t do it because they couldn’t profit.
Ironically, they would become extremely popular with the people if they did. 🤔
I appreciate you very much 🙏🏻
That would be amazing.
Still not holding my breath...
Just have to make it happen myself :)
There is a way to feed the world and accept AI/Robots all positively.
I guess it really comes down to, how much is enough!?
Or do real restitution and pay back 3X what they have taken and stop their bs tyranny of the workplace
More golf courses and hotels
Spell check, a smart-assed smart TV, and a communicator.
Phones that track you everywhere you go, and listen to all your conversations.
AI that keeps you stupid.
"Brave New World"
Today's oligarchs have no such fear. Perhaps they need a reminder?
#Oligarchy #Resist
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/dnc-ken-martin-dark-money/
Thx for sharing the article. Getting big $ out of politics (we can start by 86ing Citizens United) is something that even some of the MAGA base would support, based on some recent interviews I've heard.
I agree with most of the author's points. I wish he'd distinguished between "wealthy/connected elites" and "intellectual elites" (some right view the latter as smug/arrogant and are repulsed from the Dems for that reason alone).
Dems should address both types of "elitism" to grow their base.
Still, politicians of that era clearly protected Robber-Barons from the 'wrath of the lower classes.' High tax rates (compared to today) and philanthropy provided just enough cover to do that.
So what better way to ensure their legacy than by helping their fellow humans.
That would take empathy, kindness and a heart.
I can’t image that.
Let’s just take all their money and do it ourselves.
The Oligarchy does NOTHING EXCEPT PICK OUR POCKETS, TELL US WE'RE LAZY, THAT WE NEED TO WORK HARDER, THAT WE AREN'T DESERVING OF THE SCRAPS THEY GIVE US!
https://www.fredwilliams.ca/thesecretofmoney.html
Some of the stories about them are bloody ridiculous and yet they stick… (Bill Gates put a microchip in my vaccine…)
Educate the most in need
Heal the most sick/injured
Hire the most unemployed
2) prove this is regression/devolution by the empathic, democratic majority outwitting/performing them (a steep uphill battle, % of failure high but technically possible).
Never gonna happen
When America was great, education was very important.
When America was great, immoral criminals were tarred and feathered not elected to run shit.
Getting rid of some of the tax loopholes and changing some rates would help but I think new antitrust laws dividing Amazon, WalMart etc would also help.
So, space. That imaginary delineation about Earth where ‘not space’ becomes ‘space’.
You got that right, buddy! Space!
But really we just don't need billionaires
Instead of this...
https://taxcutsforsomething.com/learn-more/f/in-life-you-earn-what-you-get
But they’ve all had their dicks cut off by tr*mp
I mean, literally over the top of a power plant ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Zuckerberg Heights
Musk Manor
Below Bluffs
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2e87lzqkdo.amp