3 ms·

> Why are you interested in keeping billionaires rich? Probably because billionaires don't stay wealthy, probably because politicians are generally really bad

> Why are you interested in keeping billionaires rich? Probably because billionaires don't stay wealthy, probably because politicians are generally really bad at spending tax money, probably because how would Tesla exist. There needs to be a class of people that can say 'f*ck it' and bet the farm to make moonshots. > However, wouldn't it be even better if the benefits were not just received by the public, but steered by the public as well? You need to consider real world politics and not only consider political ideology. Right now if you were to implement your plan you'd give Trump more money to build his wall. I don't imagine that is what you'd want. Don't think about what you want to do, also think about what you don't want to happen. Plus you are proposing shift money (power) from 607 individuals (billionaires in the USA) to 535 individuals (members of congress). You've not solved the problem, you've just moved it to an a group of self serving individuals that wouldn't understand the value of money.

lidHanteyk 7y ago
Billionaires overwhelmingly establish family businesses, estates, trusts, and other dynastic structures of wealth. [0][1] By definition and constitution, only elected representatives can decide how to spend tax money. [2] Whether Tesla, or whatever company you today favor, exists is irrelevant, but an excellent segue: Why do we need Prince Elon? There do not need to be a class of people with unlimited fuck-you money. Such people are known as royalty. Traditionally, they have not made moonshots, but spent most of their money and power on obtaining more money and power. If I buy a thousand trees, then I've spent proportionally quite a bit more on trees than Elon. Note that literal moonshots have been, up until recently, performed by large government agencies using taxpayer funds. You need to consider the apportionment clauses more carefully. Right now, if my words were to leap off the screen and turn into a coherent taxation and spending policy, then Pelosi and McCarthy, Mitch and Chuck, would be the people holding that power, not Trump. And, more importantly, the people are transient. Sure, Trump's a fascist, but he's on his way out, and while I don't know exactly how Republican power will splinter as a result, I think that it's safe to say that the legislature is not going to suddenly represent less of the peoples' will. In terms of what I don't want to have happen, let's scroll through [0][1] for a moment: * Consider the royal families of Thailand or Brunei, or the Sauds or other emirates. They commit a lot of human-rights abuses. * The Waltons, Kochs, and Johnsons have, to some extent, created and capitalized upon the American consumerist lifestyle, at the expense of the social fabric and the environment. * Bezos' Amazon commits labor-rights abuses against workers in the USA. * Thiel's Palantir is developing pre-crime technology; I don't have a succinct way to explain what kind of next-level privacy-violating BITE this is. Yes, I am suggesting that our elected representatives are better at this than private citizens. And the way I see it, at worst, I'm moving the money away from a group of self-serving individuals who don't understand its value! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_families https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_families [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royalty_by_net_worth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royalty_by_net_worth [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxing_and_Spending_Clause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxing_and_Spending_Clause

lidHanteyk 7y ago

Billionaires overwhelmingly establish family businesses, estates, trusts, and other dynastic structures of wealth. [0][1] By definition and constitution, only elected representatives can decide how to spend tax money. [2] Whether Tesla, or whatever company you today favor, exists is irrelevant, but an excellent segue: Why do we need Prince Elon? There do not need to be a class of people with unlimited fuck-you money. Such people are known as royalty. Traditionally, they have not made moonshots, but spent most of their money and power on obtaining more money and power. If I buy a thousand trees, then I've spent proportionally quite a bit more on trees than Elon. Note that literal moonshots have been, up until recently, performed by large government agencies using taxpayer funds. You need to consider the apportionment clauses more carefully. Right now, if my words were to leap off the screen and turn into a coherent taxation and spending policy, then Pelosi and McCarthy, Mitch and Chuck, would be the people holding that power, not Trump. And, more importantly, the people are transient. Sure, Trump's a fascist, but he's on his way out, and while I don't know exactly how Republican power will splinter as a result, I think that it's safe to say that the legislature is not going to suddenly represent less of the peoples' will. In terms of what I don't want to have happen, let's scroll through [0][1] for a moment: * Consider the royal families of Thailand or Brunei, or the Sauds or other emirates. They commit a lot of human-rights abuses. * The Waltons, Kochs, and Johnsons have, to some extent, created and capitalized upon the American consumerist lifestyle, at the expense of the social fabric and the environment. * Bezos' Amazon commits labor-rights abuses against workers in the USA. * Thiel's Palantir is developing pre-crime technology; I don't have a succinct way to explain what kind of next-level privacy-violating BITE this is. Yes, I am suggesting that our elected representatives are better at this than private citizens. And the way I see it, at worst, I'm moving the money away from a group of self-serving individuals who don't understand its value! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_families https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_families [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royalty_by_net_worth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royalty_by_net_worth [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxing_and_Spending_Clause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxing_and_Spending_Clause