Do something with your Life, loser

But... no... BILLIONAIRE... can literally afford to buy blood... and find someone to sell it to him. Absolutely capitalism success story. Capitalism isn't about making it all by yourself, it's about a few people convincing a lot of people to spend a little money on a good idea to rake in a smidgen of profits and repeat a large number of times. Then tuning that system to efficiency and maximum profits. Admittedly, once he passed $100B, he could have turned the dial back and given more to employees. Still can too... (looking at you Bezo).

I was in the wrong thread, but even still. Voluntary exchange is literally how capitalism is meant to work.

A system that allows people to aggregate billions of dollars is irreversibly fucked up. The super rich are eagerly looking for ways to keep the poor masses (labeled as lazy communist freeloaders) and stay outta that shit. Not like gated communities, more like "Soylent Green". Google Douglas Rushkoff "Survival of the richest" and "The privileged have entered their escape pods". I don't know if what he says is true to the detail, but the fact that it might as well be is totally horrifying and idaunting at the same time. And I'm pretty sure Mr. Resister here will point his gun at the poor people oliutside the fences, to protect a childrens book's portrait of capitalism from communism.

Free trade between consenting parties is the exact opposite of fucked up. What's fucked up is any system that threatens freedom or consent.
So the guy wrote a story of highly questionable veracity that claims a certain class of people are responsible for the world's issues and are trying to further inoculate themselves from the effects or consolidate even more power in the aftermath. Congrats, he is a few thousand years late to the concept and not nearly as compelling or convincing as some of the others who have done the same. Why in the fuck do I care about a hypothetical poorly disguised as anecdotal of an isolated group, when I can instead look at the mass graves, gulags, concentration camps, killing fields, failed states, and "free" nations that don't have rights to protest peacefully, speak freely, bear arms, or be secure in their property, possessions, and papers?

*lol* you clearly didn't even read it... and why would you?

On medium? Yeah. I got bored of it.

@inspectora Ironically enough drug cartels have been known to help their local poor communities, much more so than assholes like Bezos ever would. Look at Pablo Escobar, he was a ruthless monster to his enemies and competition but he did actually invest a lot of money to help the poor of Colombia. It's a sad world when criminals like him are better for society than "self-made" exploiters. Not that billionaires aren't criminals, mind you. The amount of tax they dodged and human rights they've abused would make anyone's stomach turn inside out, it's just that we don't see them as such because they have enough money to avoid jail and pay the media to talk favourably about them.

That's what billionaires actually do anyway: they spend a tiny fraction of their money to "do good" in order to get away with their pillaging of resources and infrastructure.

My grandad once told me: usually when billiinaires do philanthropy, it is to clear their conscience.

Your grandpa is/was an optimist. They usually do it for a tax write off plus the free PR.

Obviously none of us will agree. Therefore I propose that we all strive to become billionaires and then philanthropic for the sake of society. ... of course, when I make it the first $5M goes to PBS in annual donations (want that Celtic Woman CD). .

Next is environmental impact studies & alternate routes for the border wall, because no one else will do them. Then start spending on farm, manufacturing, infrastructure and water projects in Mexico to piss off everyone. Republicans will hate b/c money goes out of US, Democrats hate because people stop crossing border and return to Mexico for jobs (smiles... it's fun to dream). with slot machines and strippers

What a wonderful thought. Yeah, I wish we could return to the renaissance Italy mindset, back when the richest families competed in who would invest more into public spaces as a sort of dick measuring contest. The question of course is if it's even possible to earn such vast amounts of money without massive exploitation of either people or resources (or both), but yes, if billionaires could invest more, that'd be great. Honestly it would probably be enough for them to stop cheating their taxes. So yeah, like that's ever gonna happen lol
Also, heck yeah, Celtic Woman are awesome.

Ooh, what if... and hear me out first, if you pay more than $250 million in taxes in 1 year (personally, not corporations) you get a 1 year license to kill anyone in the US? I mean full legally, "As you can see officer, I DO have a get out of jail free card. Worth it! He killed John Wick's dog." Billionaires be dumping taxes just to top each other and keep from getting sniped. (Some terms and conditions apply).

Pffft, you think the ultra rich don't already have weird murder and/or sex dungeons? You're on the right track, there should be incentive for them not to cheat the system, but the problem is, once you have enough money (that you have made by cheating the system) you can just get that potential reward yourself. For example by buying or building a remote island and doing all kinds of fucked up illegal shit there. Money is its own get out of jail free card.