@rbreich if something is free, you’re the product

@rbreich while being gleefully cheered on by all mainstream legacy media platforms.

@rbreich trickle down disasters

@rbreich And to think... they could've been Batman. lol

@rbreich Robert - I think you attribute too much weight to the impact of billionaires in GDP and Productivity. They really can't tear society down, even if they are a net negative (which is not likely). The bigger issue is lack of investment to compete with the newer capitalist economies. China's investment is both bigger and more productive than US. Fundamentals count. Economist vs Politician view

@rbreich
Until we start ignoring the daily articles of these egotistical mega-rich, they'll continue to dominate the narrative. Politicians and billionaires feed on us in many ways.

@rbreich They want a return to lords, and serfs. If you’re not a billionaire, then you’re probably a serf.

@rbreich Seems to me Bezos is not getting a fair review there. I get that you don't like him personally. But he stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, has donated a lot of money to charity by comparison to other billionaires, is funding necessary space and climate industry development and philanthropy, just gave Dolly Parton 100 mill for her choice of charity use, and recently committed to donating most of his wealth in his lifetime. He was bad but seems to be becoming better - same as Gates. Being wealthy is not always evil - bring greedy is and that does not require wealth. A good way for me to measure who I align with (socially further left than most), is to see who donates to HRC, who donates to Democrats, and who donates to Republicans. If they donate equally to both parties that nullifies. If they donate to HRC and Democrats and not Republicans, I generally align with them. If they run a company, I check HRC indexes to find truths.

@rbreich Well to be honest I really hope that no one expected "the billionaires to save us" :-)
If Musk indeed runs Twitter into the ground - well - here we all are on Masto.
I'm not saying these issues are unimportant - au contraire. But it's up to all of us to "save us", not the billionaires :-)

@rbreich sure glad I am not a billionaire.

@rbreich It seems as though the "rules" are stacked against society. Perhaps its time to change the game and maybe add a bit of fire to it.

@rbreich yup. If they weren't so determined to destroy our social safety nets in order to line their own pockets, their "philanthropy".wouldn't be needed.

@rbreich Have you seen this?

@rbreich
Increasingly feels as though #billionaires are recreating #feudalism , without acknowledging that workers are “essential” even for their own survival.

@rbreich You've read Douglas Rushkoff's new book, of course. @Rushkoff

@rbreich I don't think the issue is the existence of billionaires. Rather, I think the system allows the wrong people to become billionaires. Musk wouldn't have become as rich as he is if the SEC did its job. SBF wouldn't have become rich if crypto was better regulated.

@rbreich Perfectly stated. What is the remedy to protect us? This can't go on if we are to have a democracy.

@rbreich So is the answer to make it a lot more painful to be a billionaire and increase personal and business accessible capital? Should insurance companies be reformed on capital holdings?

@rbreich Okay, so what is going to be done about it? We all buy into the idea that our votes matter, but when it comes to Congress, apparently their brilliant ideas stop when the enter the Congressional building in D.C.. We can state facts, and complain, until the cows come home, but until something is actually done to correct the situation (properly), all we can do is vote, and deal with it. Not much of an option there.

@rbreich There is no need for billionaires

@rbreich Yes, they are fucking stupid. No book smarts, and no street smarts, just pure luck. Pure fucking luck. Give me their money and I will show the world how to use it properly.

@rbreich DARK MONEY BILLIONAIRES have created a SHADOW GOVERNMENT to control our country. They're a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION spreading hate dividing Americans.

@rbreich Please don’t forget that people are making the decisions to support corporations. They’re making the decision to buy crypto. Nobody’s arms are being twisted. We can’t have any kind of real change until people stop supporting the oligarchs of America.

@rbreich I think it is still to early to say that Elon is running twitter to the ground.

@rbreich as predicted on #COG #whiletherestofusdie

@rbreich oligarchy the word is oligarchy.. 🤦‍♀️😑 when will people learn.

@rbreich I've always said there is no such thing as an ethical billionaire. You have to steal from someone in order to accumulate that much money. Usually it is them stealing from their workers by not paying them the true value of their work. Abolish billionaires!

@rbreich But government stepping in to clean up the mess seems to be off the table.
The Europeans are not wrong when they claim that the US (companies) are profiteering off the Ukrainean war. Although there was a whisper that Biden felt that should stop, I haven't heard anything more than that. It is really running out already bad reputation in Europe even further into the ground.

@rbreich billionaire loose all empathy for human life

@rbreich Oligarchs are not our friends.