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Well, robomartin didn't say the money would be better spent on charity -- you're misstating the original comment. The problem you should have with robomartin's

Well, robomartin didn't say the money would be better spent on charity -- you're misstating the original comment. The problem you should have with robomartin's mindset is that they are saying "Rich person spent $Money on Cool Thing X, when I think it should have been spent on Cool Thing Y! Why would they ever pick X over Y?!", without recognizing that "better-ness" of Y over X is probably very subjective.

jlgreco 14y ago
In my view, expecting people to spend their money on something that benefits society rather than on what they otherwise want to spend it on is expecting an informal sort of charity. If the view is that no person should have enough money after taxes to do this sort of thing, that I can understand. I wouldn't agree, but I would understand.
- robomartin 14y ago
  I've probably done a bad job of communicating the sentiment. As a Libertarian the ABSOLUTE LAST thing I am going to do is tell you how to spend your money. That said, I can express opinion as to the choices you may have made. That does NOT mean I am right. It's just one man's opinion. My general sentiment is that if you are in a position to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pet projects you have a responsibility to society to make the right choices. Call it a moral or ethical judgement on my part. I do not resent him having money or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit.
  - jlgreco 14y ago
    And what if he both does what he wants, and what you want him to do? Is that acceptable, or will you remain disgruntled until he spends all of his money as you wish? > or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit. What? Have you considered that this is both to him? You make absolutely no sense at all.
    - rtwtlkj 14y ago
      Yeah, the guys is a bit incoherent. He claims he is a libertarian while at the same time opining how bezos should spend his money. Money that nobody else has a claim to it anymore but bezos. As long as he is not breaking any laws whom am I to even think what he should do with his money. That is how a true libertarian should think. The fact he doesn't think this way means he is just trying to bullshit us by claiming he is a libertarian or he simply does not understand what the word means [1]. [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
      - robomartin 14y ago
        Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money? All I said is that spending it raising crap from the bottom of the sea is bullshit. I also indicated this is based on my moral conviction that if you achieve success at that level you have a responsibility towards society not to do crap like that. If you choose to do crap like that, live long and prosper. Your choice. I just don't think it's morally supportable in the context of all else that really needs doing. Look at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as an example of what I think is role-model behavior for the uber-rich. I don't require they behave this way. They are absolutely free to do as they wish. They can even make a big pile with their money and burn it. I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right. That's all. None of this negates a Libertarian doctrine. I should at the same time note that Libertarianism isn't a cookie-cutter system, just like saying someone is a Democrat or a Republican doesn't mean they adhere to 100% of what Wikipedia might say these doctrines consist of. Pure Libertarianism can be a bit extreme. For example, we still need government officials to be there and throw parties when foreign dignitaries visit. Yes, it's a joke! So, how about this: Let's agree to disagree. Back to coding and making money I can then burn.
        jlgreco 14y ago
        > Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money? > I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right What. The. Fuck. You are clearly beyond rational discussion.
  - DanBC 14y ago
    I have trouble combining these two sentences: > I do not resent him having money or having fun with it. and > Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit. What if he enjoys pulling junk up from the bottom of the ocean?Is it still bullshit if he's just doing it for fun? And, really, he's doing the future people a favour in reducing the number of future 'Antithykera mechanisms' to baffle future archeologists.
    - robomartin 14y ago
      And that's OK. This is my moral stance and mine only. Let's not make more of this than what it really is.
      - rtwtlkj 14y ago
        And I say you are completely wrong. Even though you are saying you are not trying to tell him what to do in really you are trying to tell him what to do with his money. If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money.
        robomartin 14y ago
        > If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money. Oh, please.

jlgreco 14y ago

In my view, expecting people to spend their money on something that benefits society rather than on what they otherwise want to spend it on is expecting an informal sort of charity. If the view is that no person should have enough money after taxes to do this sort of thing, that I can understand. I wouldn't agree, but I would understand.

robomartin 14y ago
I've probably done a bad job of communicating the sentiment. As a Libertarian the ABSOLUTE LAST thing I am going to do is tell you how to spend your money. That said, I can express opinion as to the choices you may have made. That does NOT mean I am right. It's just one man's opinion. My general sentiment is that if you are in a position to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pet projects you have a responsibility to society to make the right choices. Call it a moral or ethical judgement on my part. I do not resent him having money or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit.
- jlgreco 14y ago
  And what if he both does what he wants, and what you want him to do? Is that acceptable, or will you remain disgruntled until he spends all of his money as you wish? > or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit. What? Have you considered that this is both to him? You make absolutely no sense at all.
  - rtwtlkj 14y ago
    Yeah, the guys is a bit incoherent. He claims he is a libertarian while at the same time opining how bezos should spend his money. Money that nobody else has a claim to it anymore but bezos. As long as he is not breaking any laws whom am I to even think what he should do with his money. That is how a true libertarian should think. The fact he doesn't think this way means he is just trying to bullshit us by claiming he is a libertarian or he simply does not understand what the word means [1]. [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
    - robomartin 14y ago
      Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money? All I said is that spending it raising crap from the bottom of the sea is bullshit. I also indicated this is based on my moral conviction that if you achieve success at that level you have a responsibility towards society not to do crap like that. If you choose to do crap like that, live long and prosper. Your choice. I just don't think it's morally supportable in the context of all else that really needs doing. Look at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as an example of what I think is role-model behavior for the uber-rich. I don't require they behave this way. They are absolutely free to do as they wish. They can even make a big pile with their money and burn it. I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right. That's all. None of this negates a Libertarian doctrine. I should at the same time note that Libertarianism isn't a cookie-cutter system, just like saying someone is a Democrat or a Republican doesn't mean they adhere to 100% of what Wikipedia might say these doctrines consist of. Pure Libertarianism can be a bit extreme. For example, we still need government officials to be there and throw parties when foreign dignitaries visit. Yes, it's a joke! So, how about this: Let's agree to disagree. Back to coding and making money I can then burn.
      - jlgreco 14y ago
        > Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money? > I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right What. The. Fuck. You are clearly beyond rational discussion.
- DanBC 14y ago
  I have trouble combining these two sentences: > I do not resent him having money or having fun with it. and > Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit. What if he enjoys pulling junk up from the bottom of the ocean?Is it still bullshit if he's just doing it for fun? And, really, he's doing the future people a favour in reducing the number of future 'Antithykera mechanisms' to baffle future archeologists.
  - robomartin 14y ago
    And that's OK. This is my moral stance and mine only. Let's not make more of this than what it really is.
    - rtwtlkj 14y ago
      And I say you are completely wrong. Even though you are saying you are not trying to tell him what to do in really you are trying to tell him what to do with his money. If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money.
      - robomartin 14y ago
        > If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money. Oh, please.