Billionaires are evil

[NoXion]

There was that one dude who gave his fortune away, although I'm guessing that he's no longer a billionaire because of this.

 

[NoXion]

Don’t you think human nature is just more complex than that? That like any of us he can hold conflicting views, have blind spots, do shit that completely contradicts what he thinks he thinks.

That's exactly the point IMO. Being a nice guy isn't enough to change the fundamental nature of what it means to be a billionaire. It's about the structure of capitalist society, not the personal failings of individuals.

This myth of the evil rich people is an enjoyable fantasy. But it’s bullshit. Sure, lots will be cunts, but some will be decent people. The idea that somehow a small bunch of evil people are to blame is... laughable.

It's not about "evil", although I do think that billionaires as a class have more than their fair share of cunts. But even if they were all angels in their personal lives, it wouldn't make a difference to the inherently exploitative role they play. Do you not wonder how it is that an ordinary mortal can acquire power and wealth beyond the dreams of an overwhelming majority of humans who ever lived? They didn't make all that wealth themselves. It came from the blood, sweat and tears of ordinary folks like you and me. You could work 24/7 for millennia while earning a ridiculous hourly rate, and you wouldn't even come close to getting as much money as they have. There's no way that they're billions of times more productive than the rest of us; they're human for a start.

 

[MickiQ]

That's exactly the point IMO. Being a nice guy isn't enough to change the fundamental nature of what it means to be a billionaire. It's about the structure of capitalist society, not the personal failings of individuals.



It's not about "evil", although I do think that billionaires as a class have more than their fair share of cunts. But even if they were all angels in their personal lives, it wouldn't make a difference to the inherently exploitative role they play. Do you not wonder how it is that an ordinary mortal can acquire power and wealth beyond the dreams of an overwhelming majority of humans who ever lived? They didn't make all that wealth themselves. It came from the blood, sweat and tears of ordinary folks like you and me. You could work 24/7 for millennia while earning a ridiculous hourly rate, and you wouldn't even come close to getting as much money as they have. There's no way that they're billions of times more productive than the rest of us; they're human for a start.

Pretty much this really, Gates actually seems to be a decent enough chap himself. He donates more to helping eradicate diseases on a worldwide scale than most Govts do but asking whether a single individual should be in a position to make such decisions without accountability is a legitimate question.

 

[Edie]

Pretty much this really, Gates actually seems to be a decent enough chap himself. He donates more to helping eradicate diseases on a worldwide scale than most Govts do but asking whether a single individual should be in a position to make such decisions without accountability is a legitimate question.

Absolutely. And we agree NoXion its just a daft thread title.

 

[redsquirrel]

This myth of the evil rich people is an enjoyable fantasy. But it’s bullshit. Sure, lots will be cunts, but some will be decent people. The idea that somehow a small bunch of evil people are to blame is... laughable.

That's what my post was saying. That "[the piece] does blow up the idea that the issue is a moral problem", i.e. that the problem "with billionaires" is structural (capitalism) NOT moral.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

There's a central contradiction to the idea of philanthropy. 'Duchy Originals' always remind me of it. They say that the profits go to charity. Did it never occur to them just to pay their workers more money instead?

 

[yield]

Elite philanthropy mainly self-serving
The Academic Times. March 26, 2021

Many people mistakenly view elite philanthropy as a benign force for good rather than an avenue for the super-wealthy to translate economic capital into social and cultural capital, according to the researchers. Elite philanthropy, the study argues, is transactional, as there are also material benefits in addition to the cultural capital.

Where wealthy elites donate their money is shaped by where they can have the most influence on a local, national and international level, researchers said; maintaining their "field of power," which allows them to use their business ties to influence the political sphere, is also a motivating factor in their philanthropy.

 

[yield]

Bezos, Musk top Forbes' record-setting billionaire list

April 6 (Reuters) - Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year, the media company said on Tuesday.

The ranks of the ultra-wealthy are expanding after a year in which the coronavirus pandemic upended world economies and threatened the livelihoods of people across the globe.

This year's billionaires are worth a combined $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion last year, Forbes said.

"The very, very rich got very, very richer," said Forbes' Chief Content Officer Randall Lane, in an interview with Reuters Video News.

 

[gosub]

All billionaires are evil?

Not so sure - I view the likes of Bezos in different light to someone like Elon Musk.

Only dealt with one billionaire who was genuinely a decent bloke... Most of the others I've had to deal with fret about mo ey too much. It's a trait that helps becoming a billionaire but makes them mistible to deal with

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Anyone catch this doc about Michel Cohen the fraudulent art dealer

It's a fascinating story of someone addicted to money and his subsequent downfall. He hurt alot of people in his descent and to what end???

 

[yield]

Bill Gates says no to sharing vaccine formulas with global poor to end pandemic
Health advocates blast Microsoft billionaire for saying patent protections on life-saving vaccines must remain
April 26, 2021 Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

Bill Gates, one of the world's richest men and most powerful philanthropists, was the target of criticism from social justice campaigners on Sunday after arguing that lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccine technology and sharing recipes with the world to foster a massive ramp up in manufacturing and distribution — despite a growing international call to do exactly that — is a bad idea.

Directly asked during an interview with Sky News if he thought it "would be helpful" to have vaccine recipes be shared, Gates quickly answered: "No."

Asked to explain why not, Gates — whose massive fortune as founder of Microsoft relies largely on intellectual property laws that turned his software innovations into tens of billions of dollars in personal wealth — said: "Well, there's only so many vaccine factories in the world and people are very serious about the safety of vaccines. And so moving something that had never been done — moving a vaccine, say, from a [Johnson & Johnson] factory into a factory in India — it's novel — it's only because of our grants and expertise that that can happen at all."

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Asked to explain why not, Gates — whose massive fortune as founder of Microsoft relies largely on intellectual property laws that turned his software innovations into tens of billions of dollars in personal wealth — said: "Well, there's only so many vaccine factories in the world and people are very serious about the safety of vaccines. And so moving something that had never been done — moving a vaccine, say, from a [Johnson & Johnson] factory into a factory in India — it's novel — it's only because of our grants and expertise that that can happen at all."

That makes no sense. India is a vaccine manufacturing hub. Its not like they're lacking the knowledge, technology, or the equipment to make the transition.

Not only that, but a lot of governments contributed to the research, including India. They have squatter's rights if nothing else.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Bill Gates says no to sharing vaccine formulas with global poor to end pandemic
Health advocates blast Microsoft billionaire for saying patent protections on life-saving vaccines must remain
April 26, 2021 Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

I mean he's just gifting ammunition to the vaccines = bill gates' evil scheme conspironaut fruitcakes here. On top of that the fucking cheek of him claiming all the credit for vaccination programs. Arsehole.

 

[SpookyFrank]

That makes no sense. India is a vaccine manufacturing hub. Its not like they're lacking the knowledge, technology, or the equipment to make the transition.

Smells pretty racist to me. These people can't just be expected to do this stuff without us coming in and giving them instructions.

Not clear on how intellectual property works with vaccines anyway. Do AstraZeneca have the rights to 'their' vaccine, despite not having developed it themselves?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Bill Gates says no to sharing vaccine formulas with global poor to end pandemic
Health advocates blast Microsoft billionaire for saying patent protections on life-saving vaccines must remain
April 26, 2021 Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

As I have been banging on about for years, Gates’ priority is protecting IP rights, to the extent that his foundation gives away billions of dollars worth of medicine but he will never countenance allowing poor countries to ignore patents and produce their own, that way lies the downfall of IP rights and therefore his business...

 

[magneze]

What's to stop India just ignoring the patent rights? I mean, who is going to sue them at this stage? Not going to happen is it.

 

[NoXion]

What's to stop India just ignoring the patent rights? I mean, who is going to sue them at this stage? Not going to happen is it.

You'd think a country like India would be more than willing to adopt the same relaxed attitude to IP rights as China...

 

[MickiQ]

What's to stop India just ignoring the patent rights? I mean, who is going to sue them at this stage? Not going to happen is it.

It would trigger a trade war with the US, the Indian economy (which is now roughly the size of the UK's) is only about a fifth the size of China's (thus a tenth the size of the US's) and India is far more dependent on the US for access to research and high tech. This particularly applies to access to more modern weaponry, India is buying lots of fancy weapons from Europe as it squares up to China and Pakistan and almost all of them will include US tech and thus are subject to US export restrictions.

 

[SpookyFrank]

What's to stop India just ignoring the patent rights? I mean, who is going to sue them at this stage? Not going to happen is it.

Also there is a homegrown Indian vaccine IIRC, which kind of torpedoes Gates' 'poor helpless idiot foreigners' narrative.

 

[magneze]

It would trigger a trade war with the US, the Indian economy (which is now roughly the size of the UK's) is only about a fifth the size of China's (thus a tenth the size of the US's) and India is far more dependent on the US for access to research and high tech. This particularly applies to access to more modern weaponry, India is buying lots of fancy weapons from Europe as it squares up to China and Pakistan and almost all of them will include US tech and thus are subject to US export restrictions.

Wouldn't happen. Emergency temporary suspension of vaccine patents. Done.

 

[MickiQ]

Wouldn't happen. Emergency temporary suspension of vaccine patents. Done.

I totally agree with you that vaccine patents (indeed all pharmaceutical patents) should be binned. However I can't imagine that your idea hasn't been suggested and likely discarded for the reasons I suggested.
Remember that the US is currently threatening targeted sanctions at the UK for threatening to impose additional taxes on US tech companies including everyone's favourite worst employer of the month.
Not defending it but all governments are willing to accept a certain number of deaths amongst the population in pursuit of policy objectives especially foreign ones that's kind of how real wars work.

 

[yield]

Humanity does not need Bill Gates
04 May 2021
On everything from climate change to global health, the billionaire tycoon is a study in shamelessness.

Why is Bill Gates rich? Why is he now in a position to make so many consequential decisions about public health and education? His towering cash hoard derives mainly from co-founding Microsoft the software giant, and then serving as its longtime CEO. Microsoft’s big break came in 1980, when it was awarded the contract to produce an operating system for IBM’s first mass-marketed personal computers. IBM is known as an obsolete has-been today, but at the time it was the gold standard for corporate information technology.

Notably, Microsoft was a tiny startup at the time it was hired by IBM to develop its operating system, and histories of the industry note that it’s unclear how it was chosen for such an incredibly lucrative opportunity. Born William H. Gates III, the future CEO came from a wealthy and prominent family, his father the president of the state bar and his mother, Mary, a member of the University of Washington’s governing Board of Regents.

They counted Washington’s Republican governor as a family friend. Mary Gates also sat on the board of the United Way, the prominent charity, along with John Opel, then-chairman of IBM. The New York Times noted that there is circumstantial evidence suggesting the Gates’ family’s pre-existing connection with the IBM chairman helped secure young William III the big break that would lead to his fortune.

CNBC says that “Mary saw an opportunity to help her son’s fledgling company by speaking with Opel,” after which Opel is said to have “mentioned Mrs. Gates to other I.B.M. executives.” At the time, IBM had been “considering many software companies,” but after Mary Gates’ intervention, IBM “took a chance by hiring Microsoft, then a small software firm.”

Thus, CNBC says, Mary Gates may have been “instrumental in a deal that helped propel Microsoft into the big leagues.” It is notable that often, when you examine billionaires’ backgrounds, you find that their “self-made” success stories—even if they include a certain amount of “hard work” and innovation—were made possible by unearned privileges that meant they were not competing on an even playing field.

 

[Logan^B]

You'll all hate me but Lachlan Murdoch is a alright guy, met him at a ski resort in Canada years ago.

I was staying at a hostel he wasn't. Still gave me time of day.

I could go on but you all wouldn't believe it

 

[strung out]

I don't believe you.

 

[Badgers]

 

[flypanam]

 

[TomUS]

The idea that all billionaires are evil is nonsense. The idea that all people in any classification are evil is nonsense, unless the classifications are Nazis or Communists and even then it's still nonsense.

 

[yield]

Meet MacKenzie Scott, Our New Good Billionaire
The Nation. July 9, 2021
With Bill Gates in disgrace, oligarchy's apologists have been pushing Scott as a replacement. But is Jeff Bezos's ex-wife really an improvement?

But this adulation has itself overlooked the contradictions in her philanthropic giving, which seems far more similar to than different from that of her fellow billionaires: larded with tax benefits, based on ill-gotten gains, wholly undemocratic, and unlikely to ever threaten MacKenzie Scott’s grip on the top echelons of the super-wealthy.

And if we removed the rose-colored lenses from our glasses, we might even see Scott’s philanthropy as self-serving at times—like her decision to give large sums of money to buttress the wealthy, professional class of advisers, consultants, and media outlets that advance and defend the special interests of Big Philanthropy.

Two of these recipients—the United Philanthropy Forum and Independent Sector—are currently using their political weight to oppose an effort by Congress to impose new accountability and transparency requirements on charitable giving.

Such opposition aligns closely with Scott’s own efforts to avoid checks and balances. During her short tenure as a philanthropist, Scott has refused to disclose the most basic information about her donations, like how much money she gives to each recipient, or how she decides who are worthy claimants of her charity. She also doesn’t take questions from journalists or engage with outside criticism. Even though Scott receives significant tax benefits from her charity, the public apparently is not allowed to scrutinize her philanthropic giving.

 

[yield]

Peter Thiel Gamed Silicon Valley, Donald Trump, and Democracy to Make Billions, Tax-Free
Bloomberg 15/09/2021

The ambitions of these men have often gone hand in hand with Thiel’s extremist libertarian political project: a reorganization of civilization that would shift power from traditional institutions—e.g., mainstream media, democratically elected legislatures—toward startups and the billionaires who control them. Thiel secretly funded the lawsuit that destroyed Gawker Media in 2016.

He has also made the case for his political vision in college lectures, in speeches, and in his book Zero to One, which recounts his own personal journey from corporate law washout to dot-com billionaire. The success manual argues that monopolies are good, monarchies efficient, and tech founders godlike. It has sold around 3 million copies worldwide.

For the young people who buy his books, watch and rewatch his talks, and write social media odes to his genius, Thiel is like Ayn Rand crossed with one of her fictional characters. He’s a libertarian philosopher and a builder—Howard Roark with a YouTube following. His most avid acolytes become Thiel Fellows, accepting $100,000 to drop out of school; others take jobs within his circle of advisers, whom he supports financially and who promote and defend him and his ideas.

Michael Bloomberg also a billionaire.

 

[Ming]

This is my favorite evil billionaire. Instrumental in getting Trump elected, Brexit and general far right shenanigans.

Robert Mercer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org