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Billionaires are extremists (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Just a shower realisation... I never associated the two words before but it's so obviously true.

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[–] [S] 12 points 1 year ago (25 children)

Because they thought it was a rational goal when they turned millionaire (might have been born millionaire), and Elmo wants to be the first trillionaire

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (24 children)

    Ah ok, so you're just using the word "extremists" to mean someone that does something extreme. That makes more sense.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (23 children)

    You also have to take rather extreme measures in order to become a billionaire.

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  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago* (22 children)

    Sure, like on the business side and stuff.

    But wanting more money isn't really a religious or political position and you don't really need hold an extremist position to be able to become one, as the main stream political system already allows that.

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    Withholding that amount of resources from others when you have no need for them yourself is a political position.

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  • [+] -11 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    I don't see how it would be.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Really? You don't see how wealth distribution relates to politics?

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  • [+] -6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Of course I do, but that is not at all the question here.

    The question is whether or not individual billionaires are political extremists. And I don't see why they would need to be. I'm sure a lot are, but that's just a correlation.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Well, no, the comment I replied to was you saying how you don't see how a billionaire withholding resources they don't need from society is a political position. Which I found surprising, since distribution of resources is one of the primary concerns of politics.

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  • [–] -5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Well, no, the comment I replied to

    Ok ... but there is more context on the comments preceding that one.

    billionaire withholding resources they don’t need from society is a political position

    Well, they don't think they are withholding resources, probably think they are helping with investments, trickledown and bullshit. So it's literally not a political position they hold. It doesn't even make sense as one as all it does would paint yourself as the problem.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Ok … but there is more context on the comments preceding that one.

    I'm not responsible for the comments of others. I replied to something you stated directly where the previous context really doesn't make a difference. Particularly considering you are doubling down on that comment with

    Well, they don’t think they are withholding resources, probably think they are helping with investments, trickledown and bullshit. So it’s literally not a political position they hold. It doesn’t even make sense as one as all it does would paint yourself as the problem.

    Except if they believe more wealth should be distributed to them because they believe in trickle down economics... Uh, that's political.

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  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I’m not responsible for the comments of others.

    Well, if you are unwilling or unable to have conversations that are more than one comment deep, I guess ... bye.

    believe in trickle down economics… Uh, that’s political.

    Yes. But not extremist. It's been the main talking point of republicans for years ...

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    I never talked about political extremism. The entire breadth of our conversation was limited to how you didn't see how a billionaire thinking more wealth ought to be distributed to them was political. But that's a silly position and I think you see that in hindsight, so you are trying to widen the conversation to include the extremism angle, which I never commented on.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (11 children)

    No, nothing to do with business

    You have to be willing to make decisions to very deliberately fuck people over. To rapaciously take more than you could possibly justify with anything other than "I want to have more, when I already have plenty"

    That's not a healthy mind. It's someone driven, and totally comfortable with doing harm to get what they want

    Sounds pretty fucked to me.

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  • [–] -3 points 1 year ago (10 children)

    Yes, a lot of them are terrible are probably psychopaths or narcissists.

    But you can be all of that and not be an extremists.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    You don't think psychopaths are extreme?

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  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago* (8 children)

    extremist

    a person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent, or other extreme action.

    It doesn't matter if they are "extreme" or "rad" in some random aspect of their live. But they are not necessarily extremist.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (7 children)

    If you believe 10% of people should hold 90% of wealth, you have an extremist political position. Therefore all billionaires are political extremists.

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  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago* (6 children)

    That sure would be nice if it was true, but it isn't. The political views that enables this kind of wealth inequality is the main stream status-quo, so literally the opposite of political extremism.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (5 children)

    I dont agree, most people when asked would say that it is unfair and undesirable for such wealth inequality to exist.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (4 children)

    I'd guess, yes. But most people will still vote for the political parties that will enable more wealth inequality. It might be extremely stupid, but politically the policies are everything but extreme. They are the broad consensus that people still vote for.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    Eh, semantics I guess, but eg. Trump was elected and I think most would agree he's extreme.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Well yes, depending on semantics it's a very different question, so that's kind of important.

    And while certainly is an extremists, I don't think he his because of his fiscal policy or because he's rich. Except for him going crazy with the tariffs, it's mostly in line with what the republican party always did.

    I'd say he's a political extremist when it comes to ignoring the law, immigration/deportation and the use of the ICE/military (both inside the country and against random boats now).

    So yes, he is. But not because he's a billionaire (or rather millionaire).

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