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Gates is one of the wealthiest and best-informed and most influential people in the whole scope of human history: if he wanted to architect a sustainable econom

Gates is one of the wealthiest and best-informed and most influential people in the whole scope of human history: if he wanted to architect a sustainable economic model for the next century he could probably do it single-handedly. He could certainly do it if he displayed his demonstrated ability to build a coalition around a purpose. It’s borderline ridiculous that insulin could bankrupt a working family or that a retiree could be homeless or that home ownership among family-aged people could be in free fall with no bottom in sight or a thousand other things could even be possible if Bill Gates opposed them with any vigor. But look at his actions and not his words: at every step for 50 years he has deployed ruthless, bare-knuckled brutality to centralize welfare and influence. He was so egregious that the Department of Justice took time off from chasing arms dealers, terrorist, human traffickers, and other assorted villains they go after to fuck with a domestic economic Cinderella story because it was so badly harmful to the broader welfare. In the 90s when I started hacking seriously there was a meme before we even called it that of him in Star Trek Borg kit captioned: “Resistance is Futile”. At what point do we take seriously the theory consistent with all the evidence?

benreesman 2y ago
The idea that any of these tycoons want anything good for most people is the String Theory in eight compactified Calabai-Yau dimensions of politics and economics. It’s an elegant idea that is just obviously false.
cudgy 2y ago
This sentiment toward the likes of Bill Gates is the root of the problem. Someone builds a large company through massive advantage, luck, privilege, timing, and above average skill in a particular industry, and their starry-eyed wanna-bees think they can do anything, even single-handedly build a sustainable economic model for the next century. Even Bill Gates is smart enough to know that he can’t do that.

benreesman 2y ago

The idea that any of these tycoons want anything good for most people is the String Theory in eight compactified Calabai-Yau dimensions of politics and economics. It’s an elegant idea that is just obviously false.

cudgy 2y ago

This sentiment toward the likes of Bill Gates is the root of the problem. Someone builds a large company through massive advantage, luck, privilege, timing, and above average skill in a particular industry, and their starry-eyed wanna-bees think they can do anything, even single-handedly build a sustainable economic model for the next century. Even Bill Gates is smart enough to know that he can’t do that.