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The faithful believe that the very billionaires/trillionaires who have pillaged all their holdings from the public, or who inherited their holdings from persons
by nilskidoo 8y ago
The faithful believe that the very billionaires/trillionaires who have pillaged all their holdings from the public, or who inherited their holdings from persons who pillaged it from the public, will magically be willing to float all of society following automation.
- beat 8y agoThe idea that "billionaires... have pillaged all their holdings from the public" is fundamentally flawed, however emotionally appealing it is. How is Jeff Bezos "pillaging" me? By offering me a broader selection of products than any local store, for better prices and less effort on my part? If this is exploitation, sign me up. (Read Marcuse and other post-WWII critical theorists for in-depth analysis of how this undermined 19th century dreams of proletariat revolution.)
- nilskidoo 8y agoMeans can't justify the ends. "Might makes right" is the same logic used by rapists and murderers. We're seeing the privatization of national security into a strictly for-profit endeavor, in real time, and there's no reasonable way to downplay that.
- beat 8y agoWhat does that have to do with my point? I'm just saying the internet billionaires aren't stealing from me (except maybe Facebook). They got rich by creating products that people find useful and valuable. There's this perception by both left and right that wealth is a zero sum game - that it isn't created, only taken.
- nilskidoo 8y ago"Money doesn't grow on trees." And neither wealth or power comes from good intentions.