Are Billionaires mentally ill / evil?

[DFSNOLE]

I asked this in another thread but never got an answer. When did rank and file Republicans become the protector and defender for the elite billionaire class? The vast, vast majority of them would want nothing to do with you unless you were a servant in their house.

 

[franklinman]

I don’t worry about other people’s money. It’s that simple. Billionaires having a shit ton of cash doesn’t affect my life one bit. They earned the money….its not mine.

It’s like me walking into your house and saying you have too many beers in the fridge.

It’s the mindset like yours that lead to socialism

very easy, they can stay in their own space, i'll stay in mine. I don't buy politicians, neither should they have that opportunity,

 

[Tom Paris]

I asked this in another thread but never got an answer. When did rank and file Republicans become the protector and defender for the elite billionaire class? The vast, vast majority of them would want nothing to do with you unless you were a servant in their house.

Those billionaires definitely laugh at Republican voters. 💯

 

[billanole]

I don’t worry about other people’s money. It’s that simple. Billionaires having a shit ton of cash doesn’t affect my life one bit. They earned the money….its not mine.

It’s like me walking into your house and saying you have too many beers in the fridge.

It’s the mindset like yours that lead to socialism

Your post is a great example of not reading/understanding what you are responding to.
Nice work, gump.

 

[billanole]

I think the chronic problem within our government is career politicians of both parties selling their influence to coporations, special interest groups. and lobbyists. Presidents come and go, we have senators who spend their entire lives on the grift.

Certainly a major problem.

 

[billanole]

I asked this in another thread but never got an answer. When did rank and file Republicans become the protector and defender for the elite billionaire class? The vast, vast majority of them would want nothing to do with you unless you were a servant in their house.

Dribble down economics, duh, duh, duh,…
Reagan set the hook in modern Republican circles, but oronge is making ground beef of the current herd.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

You didn’t answer. You tried a whataboutism and added a dash of conspiracy.

I’ll answer. It’s disgusting.

Your turn.

 

[thewop]

I mean, sure I know the thread title is a bit much, but at what point of accumulating wealth does it become OCD/hoarding/narcissism or flat out evil.

I would think at 250 million, or so, a normal human would begin to really start giving the rest away to make the world better. Certainly by 1 billion if you just wanted bragging rights.

With 250 million, you could live an opulent lifestyle and have money set up for all your kids and their descendants to be well off.

They say money corrupts so it makes you wonder about the mentality of the people who just can’t stop accumulating wealth after the first say 250 to 1000 million dollars. They almost have to be warped/OCD/hoarder types and / or massive narcissistic tendencies and / or simply evil.

Remember before you defend, many of these people are despots / oligarchs / dictators. Also remember before you defend these people in human history the last 6000 years billionaire predecessors were almost all most cruel emperors/kings and queens / barbarians hoarding their wealth from conquest and tax of the conquered / peasants.

Cliffs notes: Billionaires should be shunned and made unpopular because almost by definition they are not good people. Sadly, right now they are more often deified and borderline worshipped. A better trend would be to deify and worship the people who give their billions away.

Sort of depends how big of a thinker you are.

To the person who is going to take their $250mm and enjoy life with it, yeah I agree.

However, for those who think bigger, they can actually do more good for more people by continuing to invest, without the fear that the occasional failure is going to ruin them.

Musk does more good by continuing to drive X, SpaceX/starlink, and Tesla to achieve new things than he would if he'd have made $250mm and gave the rest away. Had he done that, we wouldn't have reusable rocket boosters that land back on the pad, Ukrainian soldiers wouldn't have reliable Internet connections nor would millions in remote parts of the world. There wouldn't be near as many chargers for electric cars around the country and the batteries that complement home solar systems probably wouldn't be as advanced as they are. He used his billions to continue to push the limits, even while not necessarily making profit in each of those ventures.

Not to mention all of the well paying jobs each of those ventures provides (with an eye toward efficiency, as shown by the fact that 80% of twitters workforce was culled).

So billionaires who are big thinkers can change the world.

 

[Tom Paris]

I’ll answer. It’s disgusting.

Your turn.

For what? To respond to a lame whataboutism and conspiracy theory? Pass.

 

[DFSNOLE]

I asked this in another thread but never got an answer. When did rank and file Republicans become the protector and defender for the elite billionaire class? The vast, vast majority of them would want nothing to do with you unless you were a servant in their house.

Still waiting. Do none of your multiple handles have an answer, Ryan?

 

[SeaPA]

I disagree on inheritance taxes. The heirs get money that their parent already paid taxes on. Likely enormous amounts of taxes. What that person does with what’s left is none of our business.
If I had a billion and left it to my family members instead of the government so freaking what?
Most of the entrepreneurs you are criticizing (because whether you admit it or not you are resentful and envious) have so much of their wealth in stock or the appraised value of their enterprise and not sitting in a bank as cash. Unrealized gains and stock options they’d have to buy if they exercise those options.
By the way it seems to get reported every year how much money these folks have, but far less often is it reported how much they have given to charity every year.

I think of how many people have jobs in industries that depend on these folks who are statistically few in number but buy “luxury” items that mean annual outlays for maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and how much their multi million dollar residence pays in local property taxes. Or the skilled trades who build these homes. Those are American jobs.

While I agree with a lot of that, most true wealth is not the result of previously taxed income - it comes from untaxed appreciation of assets....the unrealized gains on stock, the stock options, real estate appreciation - things like that are what results in FU wealth. All of those things generally come with very favorable tax treatment up front, then get favorable tax treatment again in the end.

 

[billanole]

While I agree with a lot of that, most true wealth is not the result of previously taxed income - it comes from untaxed appreciation of assets....the unrealized gains on stock, the stock options, real estate appreciation - things like that are what results in FU wealth. All of those things generally come with very favorable tax treatment up front, then get favorable tax treatment again in the end.

Yep. Old money is not so much based on the taxable income over generations, but the untaxed appreciation. Passed on generational wealth that avoids taxation.
Thanks for the SeaPA point of view.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

For what? To respond to a lame whataboutism and conspiracy theory? Pass.

Good idea. I’ll pass on having conversations with you.

 

[goldmom]

While I agree with a lot of that, most true wealth is not the result of previously taxed income - it comes from untaxed appreciation of assets....the unrealized gains on stock, the stock options, real estate appreciation - things like that are what results in FU wealth. All of those things generally come with very favorable tax treatment up front, then get favorable tax treatment again in the end.

And if those people were compelled to liquidate these assets they’d be taxed from here to next month. Imagine if one of these people were forced to sell millions of shares all at once. The effect of those shares hitting the market in one fell swoop would severely impact the price.
Since other folks also own shares it would affect their 401/IRA/Roth as well, and once again the little guy takes a hit.

 

[goldmom]

I asked this in another thread but never got an answer. When did rank and file Republicans become the protector and defender for the elite billionaire class? The vast, vast majority of them would want nothing to do with you unless you were a servant in their house.

Many elite billionaires you refer to are Democrats. Or they’re undeclared who donate to both parties and benefit from the fence sitting,
And by the way, where did you get the information about the “vast, vast majority” of Republicans?
I know lots of Republicans. None of them have “servants”.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Many elite billionaires you refer to are Democrats. Or they’re undeclared who donate to both parties and benefit from the fence sitting,
And by the way, where did you get the information about the “vast, vast majority” of Republicans?
I know lots of Republicans. None of them have “servants”.

Maybe so but you don't see Democrats standing up defending them in the same manner you do.

Read it again. You were so anxious to defend both Republicans and billionaires, you didn't realize it was the billionaires who have servants. Now tell me you know lots of billionaires and none of them have servants.

 

[goldmom]

Maybe so but you don't see Democrats standing up defending them in the same manner you do.

Read it again. You were so anxious to defend both Republicans and billionaires, you didn't realize it was the billionaires who have servants. Now tell me you know lots of billionaires and none of them have servants.

There are truly few billionaires so it’s not likely any of us actually know one.
I’m not anxious to “defend billionaires”. That’s sort of a simplistic argument.
I’m more interested in talking about business, the economy, and how entrepreneurial behavior in a capitalist society affects everyone to some degree.

 

[billanole]

Many elite billionaires you refer to are Democrats. Or they’re undeclared who donate to both parties and benefit from the fence sitting,
And by the way, where did you get the information about the “vast, vast majority” of Republicans?
I know lots of Republicans. None of them have “servants”.

Is “staff” the better term for those who do the work for your friends?

 

[NoleinATL]

@noleclone2 I am not, but I appreciate you checking in on my mental health.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.

 

[Tom Paris]

Our enemy isn’t those who walk across a border or arrive by boat. The enemy arrives in a limo.

Bought and paid for cons preach the opposite. Fear the colored people. Pretty sure LBJ had a pretty good quote also. Something about emptying pockets willingly.

 

[billanole]

It will be ignored until long after the killings start

Thanks for the link, Belem. Good stuff.

 

[noleclone2]

Bump - I still maintain I am right on this, despite some people saying they have met or know a billionaire or two and they seem normal. Serial killers often seem normal too.

Bezos is spending 600 million on a ****ing wedding.

Jeff Bezos to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez in lavish $600M Aspen wedding next weekend: report

Bezos, 60, and his fiancé, 54, have remained mum on their wedding plans and have not yet publicly confirmed their wedding date.

nypost.com

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

Bump - I still maintain I am right on this, despite some people saying they have met or know a billionaire or two and they seem normal. Serial killers often seem normal too.

Bezos is spending 600 million on a ****ing wedding.

Jeff Bezos to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez in lavish $600M Aspen wedding next weekend: report

Bezos, 60, and his fiancé, 54, have remained mum on their wedding plans and have not yet publicly confirmed their wedding date.

nypost.com

At least his ex-wife seems like a halfway decent person.

 

[seminole97]

I mean, sure I know the thread title is a bit much, but at what point of accumulating wealth does it become OCD/hoarding/narcissism or flat out evil.

This mindset misrepresents the issue, and the confusion flows from there.

Wealth has to be created.

Americans didn’t settle this continent and find a magic pile of trillions of dollars. Effort was put into making what was here that valuable to other people.

If I make a company that provides goods or services people want, that didn’t exist before then, how does it become ‘evil’ when I serve so many millions of people the goods or services that they want that other people value my company in the billions of dollars?

If someone makes a company that other people consider highly valuable, how on earth does that justify taking ownership of that company away from the creator?

The idea that we need to somehow thwart people who are successful in creating wealth is dangerous to civilization. You don’t realize the degree to which your living standard is built on the shoulders’ of giants. Cuba certainly doesn’t have the ‘problem’ of billionaires. Now electricity, and all kinds of others basic needs, those are problems they have in Cuba.

Musk’s wealth didn’t come at your expense, it actually came at the advantage of making millions of people better off than they were before they traded with him.

The situation certainly wouldn’t be improved by seizing his wealth for bureaucrats and politicians to control. We have a solid historical record on how that goes, and it isn’t good for the ‘little guy’.

 

[seminole97]

Bump - I still maintain I am right on this, despite some people saying they have met or know a billionaire or two and they seem normal. Serial killers often seem normal too.

Bezos is spending 600 million on a ****ing wedding.

Jeff Bezos to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez in lavish $600M Aspen wedding next weekend: report

Bezos, 60, and his fiancé, 54, have remained mum on their wedding plans and have not yet publicly confirmed their wedding date.

nypost.com

Would we be better off if he didn’t have 600 million to spend on a wedding and you had to get in the car and shop at Radio Shack instead?

The public has actually spoken on this, but you can’t hear it.

Compare what you spent on a wedding to the annual earnings ($730) of the poorest 1 billion people on this planet? Does that ostentatious display of your relative wealth make you evil?

Think how much you could have improved their lot, but instead you had a party.

Party on, and sleep well.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Bump - I still maintain I am right on this, despite some people saying they have met or know a billionaire or two and they seem normal. Serial killers often seem normal too.

Bezos is spending 600 million on a ****ing wedding.

Jeff Bezos to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez in lavish $600M Aspen wedding next weekend: report

Bezos, 60, and his fiancé, 54, have remained mum on their wedding plans and have not yet publicly confirmed their wedding date.

nypost.com

I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger, but…

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

This mindset misrepresents the issue, and the confusion flows from there.

Wealth has to be created.

Americans didn’t settle this continent and find a magic pile of trillions of dollars. Effort was put into making what was here that valuable to other people.

If I make a company that provides goods or services people want, that didn’t exist before then, how does it become ‘evil’ when I serve so many millions of people the goods or services that they want that other people value my company in the billions of dollars?

If someone makes a company that other people consider highly valuable, how on earth does that justify taking ownership of that company away from the creator?

The idea that we need to somehow thwart people who are successful in creating wealth is dangerous to civilization. You don’t realize the degree to which your living standard is built on the shoulders’ of giants. Cuba certainly doesn’t have the ‘problem’ of billionaires. Now electricity, and all kinds of others basic needs, those are problems they have in Cuba.

Musk’s wealth didn’t come at your expense, it actually came at the advantage of making millions of people better off than they were before they traded with him.

The situation certainly wouldn’t be improved by seizing his wealth for bureaucrats and politicians to control. We have a solid historical record on how that goes, and it isn’t good for the ‘little guy’.

I don’t care about Bezos. Dude created a company that employs a lot of people and makes life easier for most of us. Lots of good, certainly you could also argue lots of bad. But we the public have voted - we like Amazon and Bezos has reaped the rewards. If he wants to spend his money on megayachts and a trashy second wife, ok. He looks ridiculous and kinda pathetic, but whatever.

I do wish we could get money out of politics, though. Musk has shown how easy it is to influence politicians and elections by throwing around obscene amounts of cash and that’s not good.

 

[noleclone2]

I don’t care about Bezos. Dude created a company that employs a lot of people and makes life easier for most of us. Lots of good, certainly you could also argue lots of bad. But we the public have voted - we like Amazon and Bezos has reaped the rewards. If he wants to spend his money on megayachts and a trashy second wife, ok. He looks ridiculous and kinda pathetic, but whatever.

I do wish we could get money out of politics, though. Musk has shown how easy it is to influence politicians and elections by throwing around obscene amounts of cash and that’s not good.

I get where you are coming from but the reality is we need to discourage and not idolize people hoarding 200,000 million dollars of wealth and using the power to both rig the government in their favor and waste 600 million on weddings vs giving 1200 charities 500k at Christmas (the type of people who should be idols). We truly are on the cusp of oligarchy and some argue we have hit that point with the impending president of Trump 2.0.

These people for the most part are not good people. Money and power corrupt. It’s 100 percent why we have a new anti hero over the slaying of a healthcare CEO. We are definitely in a new gilded age.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I get where you are coming from but the reality is we need to discourage and not idolize people hoarding 200,000 million dollars of wealth and using the power to both rig the government in their favor and waste 600 million on weddings vs giving 1200 charities 500k at Christmas (the type of people who should be idols). We truly are on the cusp of oligarchy and some argue we have hit that point with the impending president of Trump 2.0.

These people for the most part are not good people. Money and power corrupt. It’s 100 percent why we have a new anti hero over the slaying of a healthcare CEO. We are definitely in a new gilded age.

It is gross, I agree. Bezos as a person seems to have a lot of issues. I don’t think forcibly taking earned wealth from them is the answer though.

I am warming up to the idea of taking a lot more on his death, though.

 

[seminole97]

I do wish we could get money out of politics, though. Musk has shown how easy it is to influence politicians and elections by throwing around obscene amounts of cash and that’s not good.

But where does that money go? Most of it isn't pay Al Sharpton for his endorsement.
The bulk of it is advertising.

You're free to speak, but you have to buy airtime to be heard.

I can't envision how you change that paradigm without curtailing free speech.

Didn't the Biden-Harris team spend twice what Trump spent, and still lost? Biden-Harris had more billionaire backers, yet the message they were selling to the public didn't carry the election.

I think the message matters more than the money, the money is just a tool to get your message out there.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

But where does that money go? Most of it isn't pay Al Sharpton for his endorsement.
The bulk of it is advertising.

You're free to speak, but you have to buy airtime to be heard.

I can't envision how you change that paradigm without curtailing free speech.

Didn't the Biden-Harris team spend twice what Trump spent, and still lost? Biden-Harris had more billionaire backers, yet the message they were selling to the public didn't carry the election.

I think the message matters more than the money, the money is just a tool to get your message out there.

I’m thinking more of the million dollar giveaways to voters, unlimited PAC donations, threats to primary any reps who don’t go along, etc.

I wish we could somehow limit individual and corporate contributions to $10,000 per person per year for a candidate, party or PAC.

 

[seminole97]

I’m thinking more of the million dollar giveaways to voters,

Why do you think encouraging voter registration is bad?

unlimited PAC donations,

But what do the PACs do with the money?
Advertise political positions.
How is that a problem that needs to be solved?

threats to primary any reps who don’t go along, etc.

If we can't threaten to vote out representatives who fail to represent us, WTF is the point of democracy?

I wish we could somehow limit individual and corporate contributions to $10,000 per person per year for a candidate, party or PAC.

If you told CBS news they could only accept $10,000 per year from an advertiser, wouldn't that ultimately limit their ability to exercise their first amendment rights?

Recognizing that's the consequence, what exactly is your goal again?

George Will used to write about this, how the nation spends more advertising potato chips than political positions, yet the latter is viewed by some as a 'problem'.

 

[goldmom]

Bump - I still maintain I am right on this, despite some people saying they have met or know a billionaire or two and they seem normal. Serial killers often seem normal too.

Bezos is spending 600 million on a ****ing wedding.

Jeff Bezos to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez in lavish $600M Aspen wedding next weekend: report

Bezos, 60, and his fiancé, 54, have remained mum on their wedding plans and have not yet publicly confirmed their wedding date.

nypost.com

Why do you care? Yeah it’s beyond ridiculous but it’s HIS money.
Try to think of all the vendors and suppliers and caterers and florists who will have jobs and financial support from his spending HIS money.
If he’s so taken with that plastic hoochie mama who likes to show off her fake boobs in tacky dresses well then the old saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.
Meanwhile his ex is doing very good things with her money. Kudos to her.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Why do you think encouraging voter registration is bad?



But what do the PACs do with the money?
Advertise political positions.
How is that a problem that needs to be solved?



If we can't threaten to vote out representatives who fail to represent us, WTF is the point of democracy?



If you told CBS news they could only accept $10,000 per year from an advertiser, wouldn't that ultimately limit their ability to exercise their first amendment rights?

Recognizing that's the consequence, what exactly is your goal again?

George Will used to write about this, how the nation spends more advertising potato chips than political positions, yet the latter is viewed by some as a 'problem'.

I post from my phone so it’s impossible to respond point by point. And it’s Sunday.

I believe the less money in politics the better. I believe Musk is unique in his willingness to spend millions and millions to influence the direction of the country. I don’t think we can do anything about that but believe it’s not a good development.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

If he’s so taken with that plastic hoochie mama who likes to show off her fake boobs in tacky dresses well then the old saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.

Don’t you want to slap the guy and tell him to wake up? I mean, it’s soooo obvious what’s going on.

She is gross.

 

[seminole97]

I believe the less money in politics the better.

Why do you believe less free speech in politics is better?

I believe Musk is unique in his willingness to spend millions and millions to influence the direction of the country. I don’t think we can do anything about that but believe it’s not a good development.

He's not unique. Soros, Bloomberg, and plenty of other lefties have spent hundreds of millions more advancing their causes for years and years.

 

[goldmom]

I post from my phone so it’s impossible to respond point by point. And it’s Sunday.

I believe the less money in politics the better. I believe Musk is unique in his willingness to spend millions and millions to influence the direction of the country. I don’t think we can do anything about that but believe it’s not a good development.

I tend to view it as an over-correction because 2020 saw lots of shenanigans from the press and censorship on Facebook and the old Twitter.
I think money in politics has ALWAYS been there but not covered previously the way it is now.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Why do you believe less free speech in politics is better?


He's not unique. Soros, Bloomberg, and plenty of other lefties have spent hundreds of millions more advancing their causes for years and years.

Ok

 

[Moral]

Why do you care? Yeah it’s beyond ridiculous but it’s HIS money.
Try to think of all the vendors and suppliers and caterers and florists who will have jobs and financial support from his spending HIS money.
If he’s so taken with that plastic hoochie mama who likes to show off her fake boobs in tacky dresses well then the old saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.
Meanwhile his ex is doing very good things with her money. Kudos to her.

We had to correct this in America once before, I worry the oligarchs will have learned their lessons and prevent a correction.

 

[seminole97]

If he’s so taken with that plastic hoochie mama who likes to show off her fake boobs in tacky dresses well then the old saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.