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I don't have a problem with billionaires per se, but I do have a problem with them being able to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence politics and unde

I don't have a problem with billionaires per se, but I do have a problem with them being able to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence politics and undermine our very system of government.

_bohm 2y ago
Having that power is inseparable from being a billionaire
- throwway120385 2y ago
  It didn't used to be until Citizens United. Before that point donation to a Political Action Committee was indistinguishable from donation to a campaign, and that decision created a distinction that the rich then ruthlessly exploited to fund campaign ads and paid speakers and paid writers on social media.
  - _bohm 2y ago
    Citizens United was certainly disastrous, but there were many avenues to buy political influence before it.
  - asddubs 2y ago
    but now ask yourself why we got citizens united and you'll maybe see what your parent poster is saying
moduspol 2y ago
They didn't start doing it in 2024. Also, at least in the US, it's the side that spent a lot less money that won. Just like in 2016. Besides, having money is only one form of influence. One might also have influence from a massive federal bureaucracy, legacy media, Hollywood, academia, workers' unions, and other places.
- eat 2y ago
  > Also, at least in the US, it's the side that spent a lot less money that won. Just like in 2016. I'm sorry, which side purchased Twitter?
  - karmakurtisaani 2y ago
    And owns the Murdoch media empire?
- consteval 2y ago
  While money is just one form of influence, it’s the most flexible. Those other forms of influence can be bought, just as everything can be bought. We may instate rules to prevent such buying. No problem, undo the rules because undoing rules can be bought because everything can be bought. Look at something like Citizens United. Does anyone want that outcome? Not really. A few, very rich, people want that outcome. And so it is made. How we got there is unclear. What is clear, in my mind, is that the benefactors made it happen.
desumeku 2y ago
Congratulations. You have discovered the fundamental problem with democracy - it is simply just not that hard to throw around a little power, money and influence and lull people into voting for you.
- ZeroGravitas 2y ago
  It is actually quite difficult, which is one of the best things about democracy, but if you spend enough money over enough decades and infiltrate or destroy enough institutions, social norms etc. anything is possible.
ndsipa_pomu 2y ago
I do have a problem with most billionaires as their wealth largely comes from exploiting others (e.g. underpaying their workers, exploiting market anomalies etc).

I don't have a problem with billionaires per se, but I do have a problem with them being able to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence politics and undermine our very system of government.

_bohm 2y ago

Having that power is inseparable from being a billionaire

throwway120385 2y ago
It didn't used to be until Citizens United. Before that point donation to a Political Action Committee was indistinguishable from donation to a campaign, and that decision created a distinction that the rich then ruthlessly exploited to fund campaign ads and paid speakers and paid writers on social media.
- _bohm 2y ago
  Citizens United was certainly disastrous, but there were many avenues to buy political influence before it.
- asddubs 2y ago
  but now ask yourself why we got citizens united and you'll maybe see what your parent poster is saying

moduspol 2y ago

They didn't start doing it in 2024. Also, at least in the US, it's the side that spent a lot less money that won. Just like in 2016. Besides, having money is only one form of influence. One might also have influence from a massive federal bureaucracy, legacy media, Hollywood, academia, workers' unions, and other places.

eat 2y ago
> Also, at least in the US, it's the side that spent a lot less money that won. Just like in 2016. I'm sorry, which side purchased Twitter?
- karmakurtisaani 2y ago
  And owns the Murdoch media empire?
consteval 2y ago
While money is just one form of influence, it’s the most flexible. Those other forms of influence can be bought, just as everything can be bought. We may instate rules to prevent such buying. No problem, undo the rules because undoing rules can be bought because everything can be bought. Look at something like Citizens United. Does anyone want that outcome? Not really. A few, very rich, people want that outcome. And so it is made. How we got there is unclear. What is clear, in my mind, is that the benefactors made it happen.

desumeku 2y ago

Congratulations. You have discovered the fundamental problem with democracy - it is simply just not that hard to throw around a little power, money and influence and lull people into voting for you.

ZeroGravitas 2y ago
It is actually quite difficult, which is one of the best things about democracy, but if you spend enough money over enough decades and infiltrate or destroy enough institutions, social norms etc. anything is possible.

ndsipa_pomu 2y ago

I do have a problem with most billionaires as their wealth largely comes from exploiting others (e.g. underpaying their workers, exploiting market anomalies etc).