3 ms·

I think this would be a valid argument if significant money wouldn't also come with significant power in the modern day and age. As soon as there is significant

by b3kart 6y ago

I think this would be a valid argument if significant money wouldn't also come with significant power in the modern day and age. As soon as there is significant wealth inequality, there is also a significant power inequality, with a small number of people determining the fate of the rest of the world. Surely this isn't good?

ryanmercer 6y ago
> Surely this isn't good? Certainly not. We're semi-returning to fiefdom where the wealthy make the decisions for the masses, who they also happen to employ and market their goods to. Sure, some good things can come of this, look at what Bill Gates has done for vaccines in the past decade or so, which is now making an actual difference when it comes to covid vaccination development and deployment. You also have questionable things though, look at the Nevada bill would allow tech companies to create governments. We've seen company towns before, it generlaly didn't work out very well for the masses... I mean, look at the Battle of Blair Mountain where mining interests went as far as to hire private planes and drop bombs on miners in the United States in retalliatin to a labor uprising https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain I love what extreme wealth can do for a given cause, but do I really want a handful of individuals making the decisions? Ehhhh probably not.
- fuzzfactor 6y ago
  Gates has still not done the full 1 percent of what he would have been capable of if he was really dedicated and started philanthropy as soon as it was within reach. And if he could have held Microsoft to making money through engineering more so than anti-recycling it would have been massively better for the environment rather than relatively destructive too.

3 ms·

I think this would be a valid argument if significant money wouldn't also come with significant power in the modern day and age. As soon as there is significant

by b3kart 6y ago

ryanmercer 6y ago
> Surely this isn't good? Certainly not. We're semi-returning to fiefdom where the wealthy make the decisions for the masses, who they also happen to employ and market their goods to. Sure, some good things can come of this, look at what Bill Gates has done for vaccines in the past decade or so, which is now making an actual difference when it comes to covid vaccination development and deployment. You also have questionable things though, look at the Nevada bill would allow tech companies to create governments. We've seen company towns before, it generlaly didn't work out very well for the masses... I mean, look at the Battle of Blair Mountain where mining interests went as far as to hire private planes and drop bombs on miners in the United States in retalliatin to a labor uprising https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain I love what extreme wealth can do for a given cause, but do I really want a handful of individuals making the decisions? Ehhhh probably not.
- fuzzfactor 6y ago
  Gates has still not done the full 1 percent of what he would have been capable of if he was really dedicated and started philanthropy as soon as it was within reach. And if he could have held Microsoft to making money through engineering more so than anti-recycling it would have been massively better for the environment rather than relatively destructive too.