The Truth about Billionaires

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I see, I will look into that more.
I dont actually think Elon Musk is undeserving of his money as such, and from interviews I've seen he does seem to care about the future of our world.
I was just trying to put simply into words how much money these elites really have because it's hard to comprehend.

a reply to: generik
Thank you for this comment, very eye opening and a excellent point.
Seeing as you seem to know much more than me on this subject do you have any guesses as to what could be done differently so we no longer have to live in a economical world of fake reality? Genuine question.

a reply to: generik

Your post reminds me of a comparison I saw of how many Americans the Trump family have helped financially, compared to how many families the Biden family has helped financially. Billionaires pay our salaries. Politicians take our salaries.

originally posted by: CptGreenTea
a reply to: reachingnirvana

I agree. But its also the mentality many people have. Get rich or die trying. Sacrifice all values to be rich. Everyone pooling all their money for one person to get lucky (the lottery).

No one deserves to be a billionaire. They live in a society, and we as a society can say, "hey it is unhealthy for our society to hoard that much wealth".

Yet, we don't, and often times hold billionaires as heroes. Most billionaires are very smart entrepreneurs. However, being rich and smart doesn't make one unselfish and caring about the society that made them rich.

It does feel wrong that the top 1% hoard so much wealth and we just accept it because "capatalism".

You are a socialist.

a reply to: reachingnirvana

It's like trying to wrap your head around the size of the galaxy, it's a number so high that us normal people cant even comprehend it. It should be illegal for people to be sat on so much wealth, it sickens us yet we still contribute to the system.

'Yeah capitalism isn't perfect it's simply the best humanity can offer'.

Not the exact quote word for word but the message is exact,

Churchill

Everything else completely sucks and can never be sustained.

So be humble and of good cheer with what you got. I do that
by not complaining for the things of this world. Because this
is not where I belong.

a reply to: Randyvine2
True point.

But I never said I was unhappy with what I've got, people in the west have more than enough. It's the people everywhere else that suffer which saddens me.
I dont believe that humanity's only two options are capitalism or socialism. I dont believe that our world has to be only about economical inflation.

originally posted by: reachingnirvana
But I never said the answer to end world hunger was to divide the money up equally, I meant it as an example that there is enough money in this world to solve all of the planets problems if invested properly.

That wouldn't be fair either, as the people getting the money would include many that do not need it but are not facing poverty.

So for example making clean drinking water available to everyone instead of each billionaire owning their own private jet lol

Some of those things, like clean drinking water, are even relatively cheap if done locally instead of making a huge water cleaning plant.

originally posted by: Randyvine2
'Yeah capitalism isn't perfect it's simply the best humanity can offer'.

Not the exact quote word for word but the message is exact,

Churchill

The real quote is:
"Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried".

a reply to: reachingnirvana

But I never said I was unhappy with what I've got, people in the west have more than enough. It's the people everywhere else that suffer which saddens me.
I dont believe that humanity's only two options are capitalism or socialism. I dont believe that our world has to be only about economical inflation.

I don't believe humanity is limited to two choices either. There certainly is another
choice as I thought I made that clear? It is by far the wisest choice because it looks
to the future with hope. The only other choice has nothing to do with this man
made world that was not meant to be. This world lacks guidance that obviously
can only come from an intelligence so far beyond our own. That it's capable of
creating everything that makes up the universe. From microscopic intelligent
machines that house a language specified. To the largest celestial body that burns
even time itself to a mere vapor of the past. I choose a new Heaven and a new Earth.
To hell with a New World I choose the Kingdom of God. Because the other two
choices leave no choice.

a reply to: ArMaP

There is no way I could've come close to that of the top.

Thank you sir.

a reply to: reachingnirvana

If you want to understand why the system of financial servitude exists in America, start with looking into the 16th amendment and the first federal income tax. Look into the creation of the federal reserve. Also look into the Buttonwood Tree agreement i think that was in 1817. I mean also additional information would be the US ditching the gold standard, etc. Also doesn't hurt to learn something about BIS the bank of international settlements, the IMF and world bank.

a reply to: reachingnirvana

Brilliantly concise and devastating numbers. Maths we can all do with a calculator (I need a calculator), but who bothers to do this? And when you see these numbers it’s genuinely mind blowing.

Many here are reacting in defence of capitalism and ‘the American dream’ of it being possible to become one of these billionaires… imho the word naivety was born from such blind optimism. The con that if you support the 1% in their outlandish exploitation of the 99% then you’ll be in with a chance… probably more chance of winning the lottery, yet many of those same supporters won’t play the lottery because the chances are so slim.

Moreover they’ve been brainwashed (imo) into a assuming it’s a binary choice; either support the 1% or lose your chance to be one. But what if we put limits on wealth; after a certain point - a million perhaps, it goes into the system to enrich the 99%. Oh, wait a mo! Isn’t that called Tax? And there’s the big problem - the American dream - the dream of all 99%ers around the world is rigged with offshore, or Swiss accounts hiding money and ensuring the billionaires never pay their taxes.

Sorry, gone off on one there. Point is that we surely need more financial equilibrium and resolutely supporting the notion of individual super riches prevents that happening and only really affords the 1% protection from having to share the goodies.

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: carewemust

1461 dollars, if I'm not mistaken.

I wouldn't mind getting my share.

So you spend the day on a Internet forum , maybe watch some TV while these billionaires create companies and jobs and fund many of the innovations you use daily, and you expect them to give it all up so you can have a grand to spend on a new phone? A new phone made by billionaires. There’s a flaw in your logic somewhere I feel.

originally posted by: Chalcedony
a reply to: reachingnirvana

If you want to understand why the system of financial servitude exists in America, start with looking into the 16th amendment and the first federal income tax. Look into the creation of the federal reserve. Also look into the Buttonwood Tree agreement i think that was in 1817. I mean also additional information would be the US ditching the gold standard, etc. Also doesn't hurt to learn something about BIS the bank of international settlements, the IMF and world bank.

You're deep!

For a 22 year-old college graduate, would you say he/she should ignore the current system, or to join and capitalize off the current system?

originally posted by: doorhandle

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: carewemust

1461 dollars, if I'm not mistaken.

I wouldn't mind getting my share.

So you spend the day on a Internet forum , maybe watch some TV while these billionaires create companies and jobs and fund many of the innovations you use daily, and you expect them to give it all up so you can have a grand to spend on a new phone? A new phone made by billionaires. There’s a flaw in your logic somewhere I feel.

Good point!

But maybe if the billionaires shared that cash, then teachers could be paid more, attracting far better talent, making all schools as good as the elite private pay-schools.

Also, everyone could afford to send their kids to a great school that pays teachers properly to get a great education.

Then with that great education the likes of ArMaP and the rest of us would indeed have as much to contribute to society as you say the billionaires currently do.

In fact i'd suggest that with the billionaire's hoarded cash funding better education, living standards and care for all we'd have far, far more productive citizens. Far greater innovation than mobile phones designed primarily to increase the wealth of the 1%. We'd probably have less dissatisfaction, deprivation and the crime that goes with that. A better world!

originally posted by: doorhandle
So you spend the day on a Internet forum , maybe watch some TV while these billionaires create companies and jobs and fund many of the innovations you use daily, and you expect them to give it all up so you can have a grand to spend on a new phone? A new phone made by billionaires. There’s a flaw in your logic somewhere I feel.

No flaw in my logic, as my logic is nothing like you wrote.

First, I don't spend the days on an Internet forum, I work an average of 10 hours each day.
Second, you don't know what (if any) "innovations" I use every day.
Third, I don't expect a thing.
Fourth, I hate phones, the one I use is a company phone that my boss told me use.
Fifth, the world average is that 50% of jobs are on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while the other 50% work on big enterprises. On average, in most countries the workforce from the SMEs is between 50% and 66%, so it's more likely that an SME will create jobs. As SMEs are more than 80% (99.9% in some countries) of all existing enterprises in a country, it's also more likely that an SME will start than big enterprise.

PS: if someone was going to distribute money would you pass it or would you accept it?