257
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Poob@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 year ago

They sure aren't. They give up their wealth, but by doing so gain more power. They get to decide what is important for the world by dumping millions of dollars in their favourite charities. Charities that they conveniently get to put their names on to feel good about themselves.

[-] Nepenthe@kbin.social 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So they're not allowed to have the money...and they're also not allowed to donate it? Am I clear? Because that seems stupid, tbh.

The world worked a little better when philanthropy was encouraged for the tax break. It always will. They get their cute little name on a plaque, whatever. The money goes where it's needed.

This is not to say anyone needs to be able to make that much in the first place, but demonizing one for also getting rid of it is funny

[-] Poob@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The money goes where they want it to go, which is frequently not where it's needed.

And you are correct, they should not have the money, since they didn't earn it. They also shouldn't get to decide where it goes, since they aren't suited to make those decisions. It should be taken from them.

[-] gullible@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Behold, I am a pedant that agrees with you! However, I do believe that billionaires earned their money… in the same way that a plantation owner earned their terrifying hoard; using their complete moral depravity and means.

[-] Poob@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago

See you call that earning. I call it stealing. When something is earned, it would be wrong to take it from them.

[-] gullible@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Vikings earned their broadly spread genetics in much the same way, complete moral depravity and means. Just because something is stolen doesn’t make it unearned, and just because something is earned doesn’t entitle possession. Theft begets reprisal.

[-] bloodfart@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Labor theory of value as applied to all human activity.

[-] gullible@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Just examples to illustrate that earning, deserving, rightfully belonging, etc. aren’t necessarily the right words to use in this context, but I guess it could be seen as vaguely communist in the right light. More sociological than political, though. Tax the rich, jail the physically and sexually belligerent.

[-] bloodfart@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

it's not a communist sentiment at all. labor theory of value is predicated on socially necessary labor not just doing any old thing.

what youre doing with those statements though is pretty disingenuous. the idea of earning comes from labor (it's literally the germanic to english word for a laborer and their pay) and has always meant that the subject of the verb deserves the object.

you could argue that the raiding parties believed they had earned their spoils, but in a human culture that generally doesn't hold that belief, saying it without that qualifier implies assent to the ancient raiding parties belief.

[-] gullible@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

Judging historic people by today’s morals just produces the opinion that everyone born more than 100 years ago probably deserved to have been gutted like the swine they are, which is exhausting but entirely true to modern standards. It’s just easier to think of them as amoral animals- the gazelle deserves the cheetah and vice versa by pure mechanics alone. Abelard castrated himself obsessing about the moral line, which was lesson enough for me.

As I said, I was just being a pedant for funsies. To phrase it another way, billionaires deserve their fortune but deserve its forfeiture a hundred times over. Deserve wasn’t exactly the right word so I poked fun while agreeing with their sentiment in its entirety. It was entirely disingenuous, and I said as much at the get-go.

[-] bloodfart@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

it really doesn't unless a person renders that judgement outside of consideration of their experiences, world and circumstances.

in which case you could say anything about anyone for any reason and have it be perfectly acceptable.

[-] TinyPizza@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago

I believe they're alluding to the wealthy funneling their money into foundations and other "charitable" endeavors as basically being a money wash that also comes with a lot of power to influence things. Their charity comes with strings and when you're talking about the vast sums they wield, it has the ability to derail other charities or efforts that may have been more focused on the actual task/problem. If NPR decides not to run a story critical of Microsoft or the Gates's because the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation are donors, does that charity still have a net positive effect?

[-] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Can't fucking win with you, can they?

[-] Sylver@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

No, because it is literally impossible to become a billionaire without exploitation.

Millionaire? Possible. Billionaire? No moral way.

[-] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Oh good grief, you really are a tedious lot.

[-] DessertStorms@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

lmfao, right, because you complicit "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" are a real treat...

Here's a hint for you: no matter how much boot you lick, or how much you defend the indefensible, they're never going to know you exist and you're never going to be one of them, so you're not only humiliating yourself for nothing and shooting your own foot, but the rest of our feet, too, by allowing those who exploit us all (yourself included) to continue to do so uninterrupted while their hoards of pathetic sycophants fight their battles for them.

Clown.

[-] theodewere@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

try this for tedium.. if you don't understand that being a billionaire is unethical, you aren't human.. because that sentiment only grows from here, so you need to get used to it..

[-] Poob@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago

I'm not quite sure what you're missing. The entire premise of those post and this thread is that we don't think billionaires should be allowed to keep their money and power because being a billionaire is morally wrong. Why would we let them "win?"

this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
257 points (100.0% liked)

196

16588 readers
2037 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS