SeeMeESP
Aram SinnreichWhat if we classified excessive wealth hoarding as a psychosocial pathology instead of celebrating it as evidence of inherent superiority
Louis Ingenthron@aram Yep, "power corrupts" is one of the few maxims that just never seems to find an exception... Even when you think you've found an exception, just wait until you see what comes out after that person's death.
Vincarsi@LouisIngenthron @aram actually, there are exceptions, they just don't get talked about because people who use power for good don't usually hoard so much that it necessitates other people go without. So you don't see them in the 1%. This has caused some experts to alter the maxim to "Power reveals" that is, when someone gets the power to do whatever they want, you see what they really want to do. People who genuinely want to help don't get the chance to accumulate wealth cause they give it away.
@LouisIngenthron @aram more like they don't work to consolidate the power they gain than full on rejection of it. The examples I saw were about certain heads of state who brought in radical egalitarian policies while paying themselves enough for a comfortable yet modest lifestyle. Though I guess you could make the argument that power is no longer powerful when it's shared. From another perspective though, that power can still be welded by the people though cooperative action.
Geeden_Of_Arden
Perspective@Vincarsi @LouisIngenthron @aram
Thanks for that post. It reminded me of a B or C grade sci-fi movie, probably from the '70s.
The chemist in the story had created a secret potion that gave him super strength. His arch nemesis stole it because he thought it would give him super strength as well.
Little did the villain know that the elixir made you more of what you already were - and it turned him into a weasel.
🍸Pooka🥕Boo🍸@aram I've been saying this for years...
British Tech Guru@aram but how do you define excessive? What if I wanted to save so that I get to water ski on a lake filled with vintage champagne?
miasmo@aram If we did that, it would improve society. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a really good Christmas. It won't happen because we are ruled by excessive wealth horders. They make the rules. They control the narrative.
Janne@aram The dragon syndrome.
MN@aram the hoarding of wealth, the hoarding of resources, is true gluttony
Maeri@aram this is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
Steve_L@mastodon@aram totaly agree that wealth hoarding is a majorly overlooked social issue! Nice to hear someone else talking about it.
Lot⁴⁹@aram Won't someone please just think of all the poor craftsmen and -women building yachts and private jets who would be put out of work?
David Cantrell 🏏@aram defining your political opponents as mentally ill has SUCH a great history. You're in the company of some great humanitarians there.
Mausmaki 🇧🇷🇻🇪@aram Oh no, do not do it! If you attribute it to "pathology", it is a disease, and if those people are diseased their responsibility for their acts will be diminished. No no, they are FULLY responsible for their misbehaviour - call it greed or whatever...
Michael Gartenberg
Beth Morgan@aram Exactly right. Do it with cats or porcelain dolls and you're on a reality show. Do it with money and you're on the cover of Forbes.
Ryan Makes, Dreamscaper@aram I'll bite. Who determines what's excessive?
Darwin Woodka@aram thanks for the list of pedantic commenters to block. ;^)
Toni M.
Cykonot@aram then your funding will be cut, and if it gets into a major magazine/review, the editor will get chewed out by some nepo-baby
Stargeezer Smith@aram
I've read of university studies that indicate that intelligence has little to do with wealth, but luck does. Being born into wealth the first and biggest luck. That gives one the ability to invest big, lose most of the time, and still hit it big here and there.
I've read of university studies that indicate that intelligence has little to do with wealth, but luck does. Being born into wealth the first and biggest luck. That gives one the ability to invest big, lose most of the time, and still hit it big here and there.
Moshe Zadka@aram what if we destigmitized mental health instead of using it as a political cudgel when we feel like it, though.
Peter Brown@aram any other primate found to be hoarding and not sharing with the pack would be seen as mentally abnormal. 
Jeff Zugale - Z Factory@aram just what I was thinking, yep. (I’m serious)
Enkiusz🇺🇦@aram we're getting there. Egotism, shopping addiction and workaholism are already recognized as mental health issues. It's not hard to connect the dots with obsessive wealth accumulation.
Matei Tomasevici@aram
Then they’ll just earn a lit of real estate and enterprises and tell you they’re investing in maintaining and developing the global economy.
Then they’ll just earn a lit of real estate and enterprises and tell you they’re investing in maintaining and developing the global economy.
Gabriel Pettier@aram we might need to agree on "excessive" first, after that it's easy. I agree that billionaires are just too much, but it's the line at millionaires? Under? Over? Depends on a lot of things. More always seem nice enough until you get there.
George Wüst@aram good point.
Grumble@aram Tired: "Eat the Rich"
Wired: "Treat the Rich"
Wired: "Treat the Rich"
@energiepirat@aram The wealthy would lock us up.