4 ms·

If you took every penny from all the billionaires in the USA it would fund the US government for 8 months. The threat is the Government.

effed3 2y ago
the real treat is the wide and growing inequality, coming from individuals or goverments (made of individuals too) is the same.
ZeroGravitas 2y ago
And Supreme Court Justices would need to pay for their own holidays.
effed3 2y ago
Or correctly invested, fuel the real good economy for 80years
- amscanne 2y ago
  You should share the secret of how to “correctly invest”, because the point of the parent comment was that it’s not about the capital
  - effed3 2y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
    - j16sdiz 2y ago
      The global market has changed a lot since 1930s. In the 30s, customers can't place orders on the order side of the ocean and have it the same week.
      - effed3 2y ago
        yes, and some changes are not for the best. But for the real big global market of resources, oil, gas, steel, energy, high-tech.. some ideas are still valid imho, of course to be adapted. And i notice that the lifes of 99.99% of us people has not even a fraction of the freedom of capitals and goods, and this is another side of the problem.
    - amscanne 2y ago
      Looking at inflation-adjusted dollars or even fraction-of-GDP, Biden has spent more on stimulus and new investment programs than the entirety of the New Deal. So what gives? Maybe it’s not a capital problem.
lapcat 2y ago
> If you took every penny from all the billionaires in the USA it would fund the US government for 8 months. How is this relevant? The article was about funding journalism, not funding the government.
- drweevil 2y ago
  This is merely an attempt to show just how lopsided the wealth distribution is. Imagine being able to afford to run the US government for any meaningful length of time with your personal wealth. I'm lucky I can run my modest household. Multi-billionaires are like black holes. They are capable of distorting the very fabric of society. Democracy has no meaning under these circumstances. We have a much more severe problem here than funding journalism.
  - lapcat 2y ago
    > This is merely an attempt to show just how lopsided the wealth distribution is. I'm confused about what "This" refers to and why you're replying to me, as opposed to the OP. > We have a much more severe problem here than funding journalism. I agree. Nonetheless, the submitted article is about funding journalism, so the OP's comment appears to be a non sequitur.
scotty79 2y ago
> If you took every penny from all the billionaires in the USA it would fund the US government for 8 months That's actually horrifying to me in the completely opposite way that it is to you. That just a handful of people (<1000) can use individually at will more than half of resources that elected representatives of 300mln people administer in a year.

effed3 2y ago

the real treat is the wide and growing inequality, coming from individuals or goverments (made of individuals too) is the same.

ZeroGravitas 2y ago

And Supreme Court Justices would need to pay for their own holidays.

effed3 2y ago

Or correctly invested, fuel the real good economy for 80years

amscanne 2y ago
You should share the secret of how to “correctly invest”, because the point of the parent comment was that it’s not about the capital
- effed3 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
  - j16sdiz 2y ago
    The global market has changed a lot since 1930s. In the 30s, customers can't place orders on the order side of the ocean and have it the same week.
    - effed3 2y ago
      yes, and some changes are not for the best. But for the real big global market of resources, oil, gas, steel, energy, high-tech.. some ideas are still valid imho, of course to be adapted. And i notice that the lifes of 99.99% of us people has not even a fraction of the freedom of capitals and goods, and this is another side of the problem.
  - amscanne 2y ago
    Looking at inflation-adjusted dollars or even fraction-of-GDP, Biden has spent more on stimulus and new investment programs than the entirety of the New Deal. So what gives? Maybe it’s not a capital problem.

lapcat 2y ago

> If you took every penny from all the billionaires in the USA it would fund the US government for 8 months. How is this relevant? The article was about funding journalism, not funding the government.

drweevil 2y ago
This is merely an attempt to show just how lopsided the wealth distribution is. Imagine being able to afford to run the US government for any meaningful length of time with your personal wealth. I'm lucky I can run my modest household. Multi-billionaires are like black holes. They are capable of distorting the very fabric of society. Democracy has no meaning under these circumstances. We have a much more severe problem here than funding journalism.
- lapcat 2y ago
  > This is merely an attempt to show just how lopsided the wealth distribution is. I'm confused about what "This" refers to and why you're replying to me, as opposed to the OP. > We have a much more severe problem here than funding journalism. I agree. Nonetheless, the submitted article is about funding journalism, so the OP's comment appears to be a non sequitur.

scotty79 2y ago

> If you took every penny from all the billionaires in the USA it would fund the US government for 8 months That's actually horrifying to me in the completely opposite way that it is to you. That just a handful of people (<1000) can use individually at will more than half of resources that elected representatives of 300mln people administer in a year.