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-Great Cultural Revolution |
Billionaires Not Morally Qualified to Shape Civilization |
2021-11-08 |
[Consortium News] Human civilization is being engineered in myriad ways by an unfathomably wealthy class who are so emotionally and psychologically stunted that they refuse to end world hunger despite having the ability to easily do so. The United Nations has estimated that world hunger could be ended for an additional expenditure of $30 billion a year, with other estimates considerably lower. The other day Elon Musk became the first person to attain a net worth of over $300 billion. A year ago his net worth was $115 billion. According to Inequality.org, America’s billionaires have a combined net worth of $5.1 trillion, which is a 70 percent increase from their combined net worth of under $3 trillion at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, we’re talking about a class which could easily put a complete halt to human beings dying of starvation on this planet by simply putting some of their vast fortunes toward making sure everyone gets enough to eat. But they don’t. This same class influences the policies, laws, and large-scale behavior of our species more than any other. “It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.” ― Golda Meir |
Posted by:Besoeker |
#16 #13 OK then change "Yes, but.." to Yes, and..." |
Posted by: Merrick Ferret 2021-11-08 13:55 |
#15 ^ Vagaries; OH, I like that word. |
Posted by: Dale 2021-11-08 13:20 |
#14 The billionaire syndrome |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2021-11-08 11:24 |
#13 Yes, but the virtue-signaling robber baron yields the worst of all possible worlds. Way to re-state what Lewis said, but think you're disagreeing with him. |
Posted by: Rob Crawford 2021-11-08 11:15 |
#12 ^ historian Robert Conquest |
Posted by: Merrick Ferret 2021-11-08 09:59 |
#11 I think it was PJ O'Rourke who pointed out that every famine in the last century was man-made. The billionaires could solve that but it would mean mercenaries and such that the writer at Consortium News would probably not agree with. |
Posted by: ruprecht 2021-11-08 09:55 |
#10 Either way, Musk is likely to get the SEC on his neck, again. |
Posted by: KBK 2021-11-08 09:29 |
#9 Re #4: Musk apparently got the wrong memo. You're supposed to juice the stock through BUYBACKS, not dumping your shares. Unless, of course, you realize your shitty company is overvalued by about 10x thanks to idiot retail buying into your lies and tall tales, in which case you SELL to idiot retail investors... |
Posted by: Merrick Ferret 2021-11-08 08:55 |
#8 Number 7 just about sums it up. |
Posted by: Besoeker 2021-11-08 08:33 |
#7 The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end Yes, but the virtue-signaling robber baron yields the worst of all possible worlds. E.g. Soros destroying rule of law with his commie DAs all over the Republic. Suckerberg rigging elections with his $480 million given to shock troops to "harvest" and "cure" phony ballots. Gates promoting "gain of function" research. Bloomberg trashing our economy with his stupid climate policies. Hoffmann spreading disinformation. Hoffman and Pincus coaching a nutjob on how to slander a Supreme Court nominee with vile, ridiculous fables, including "fear of flying" after they plop her on their private jet for a 5-hour transcontinental flight to D.C. Hastings paying off Obama ($67 million sweetheart deal, for nothing) and Newsome ($5 million contribution) and Harry Cuckex / Meghan Minx ($130 million deal to tell yet more lies about his family). C.S. Lewis didn't imagine the kind of tyranny we're now facing from these flaming assholes. |
Posted by: Merrick Ferret 2021-11-08 08:25 |
#6 A billionaire is also a person who has been insulated from the vagaries of everyday life possibly from birth. |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2021-11-08 08:23 |
#5 A billionaire is just a person with a lot of money. (s)he is still just a person. With the same fears and aspirations we all have. Their poop still stinks. |
Posted by: jim murray 2021-11-08 08:10 |
#3 ^ my goodness Woody you were a prolific poster today. |
Posted by: Dale 2021-11-08 03:36 |
#2 well put tw. |
Posted by: Woodrow 2021-11-08 02:56 |
#1 As I recall, in general the food issue is not so much a problem of supply as that war, lawlessness, corruption, and poor roads prevent moving to where it’s needed before it rots. Those were lacks the Americans — and even the Chinese, with their belt & whatchamacallem projects — have been attempting to supply, sadly to less avail than hoped. I’m not sure how these very multi-billionaires are supposed to effectively accomplish such things instead. But I strongly agree they lack the moral fiber, or the philosophical understanding. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “ Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” |
Posted by: trailing wife 2021-11-08 01:32 |