3 ms·

What is your evidence for this grand conspiracy theory?

• lapcat 3y ago
  That's kind of a strange question. It would be a confirmed theory rather than a conspiracy theory if there were empirical evidence. I would say, though, in support of the theory: (1) this is how the ultra-wealthy have always behaved throughout history, to advance the interests of their own social class, to preserve and enhance their social inequality, and (2) I have a hard time trusting the motives of the people who have set up these foundations, because they've always been ruthless and greedy throughout their lives. Gates has never stopped accumulating personal wealth; his net worth is higher now than when he "retired" and claimed he was going to give most of his wealth away! Buffett has never stopped accumulating personal wealth either. It's a cop-out to claim that you're going to give everything away to charity, but only after you're dead. Moreover, your pledges are worthless when your dead, because your children who now control your money via the foundations may behave in ways that you didn't intend (which is often the way with children). If you're going to give most of your wealth away to charity, and by that I mean to actual people who need the money, not to a "foundation", then give it away now, before you die. I do not trust Bill Gates one bit, not even one tiny bit. I don't even trust the foundations to do good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation#Criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundat... So you can say that my conspiracy theory is the most cynical interpretation of the situation, due to my cynicism about the billionaires themselves.
  • pkkm 3y ago
    In other words... you made it up to confirm your bias?
    • lapcat 3y ago
      No. I'm not even sure what you mean by "confirm". Did I make up the theory? Yes, of course, by definition. All theories are made up. Am I cynical about the motives of billionaires? Yes. Was my theory inspired by my cynicism? Yes. Did my theory "confirm" anything? No, I don't know what it would confirm. The purpose of the theory is to explain the existence of all these family-run "charitable" foundations that every ultra-wealthy person seems to be setting up nowadays, regardless of how terrible that person might have been in the past or continues to be in the present. Don't you think that's a bit suspicious? Honestly, I have a hard time believing that these foundations could do any more good than simply writing $10k checks to millions of poor people. That would immediately and dramatically improve their lives.