trek32A conservative billionaire had some things to say
hypnotoadTook a meeting with him to figure this out?
I could vaguely understand the allure of Trump the first time around (outside of the racist anti-immigrant stuff). There was actually something slightly refreshing in the first Primary debate he had against other Republicans that year (2016), when he was still just a joke. He was saying things that politicians in general don’t normally say, he wasn’t following “the script”. It only took him opening his mouth and his stupid policies after that though for that feeling to turn to disgust, but for a brief shining moment it seemed like he might’ve been a semi-positive influence that could’ve shaken up US politics for the better. Instead, he’s just shown himself to be the absolute worst person possible for the position.
And considering how the average person doesn't pay that much attention and often needs to see the person in action, it's why I don't fault people for voting for him in 2016
After that, however, there was no excuse
I also wanted a non politician to take the presidency, but when it turned out it was Trump who would get the nomination in for 2016 my reaction was
I’m about to throw a word salad out here about how I can sympathize (never thought I would say that) with Trump supporters in a sense. Hopefully someone chimes in and can challenge a couple of my views here, because i think they could probably be honed a bit, or explained further, but…
It’s very easy to blame his allure all on racism, all on stupidity, all on nationalism, because certainly Trump espouses all of that. But his populism is also due largely to working-class people seeing (rightly) the Democratic party as corrupt. They see people like Gates and Soros, Hollywood elites like Clooney hanging out with Pelosi and, understandably, get upset seeing all these ultra rich people walking in and out of the private/public sector. They see political dynasties like the Clintons and the Obamas and Bidens as antithetical to the idea that anyone can serve their country in politics, and rightly so. Even Harris – it was essentially “her turn” for the nomination – and they see that as undemocratic and bullshit, which – can I blame them?
Now, where they go wrong (and, ironically, where hardcore Democrats also go wrong) is thinking that their party isn’t also participating in the same bullshit. Trump isn’t anti-establishment, he’s literally a billionaire property magnate. He is part of the ruling class in America that consists of landlords, bankers, and company shareholders. Both parties would uphold our current system of rule by the few, and back up that rule with the monopolization of violence by the police.
This isn’t to say the two parties are completely the same. In terms of willingness to uphold capitalism (ultimately the extraction of money from labor), the military-industrial complex (see, Palestinian genocide), and American hegemony internationally (again, genocide), and police violence, they are similar. But then you also have Republicans trying to ban books, surveil women’s bodies, control what people do in the bedroom, or medical care they receive, espouse various forms of hate, etc. So I do see them as worse, but think you’d be hard pressed to find a person in the US, democrat or republican, who didn’t agree with the statement that “all politicians are corrupt.” It’s just the nature of our political system, which has essentially legalized bribery.
Being able to say to my conservative-ass family, “Yeah, dude, Obama bombed Syria and bailed out the banks – I feel what you’re saying,” gives us that little bit of common ground to start a conversation about the drastic change that needs to happen in the US.
Hilary Clinton, ok sure I guess, but how are the Biden’s and Obama’s political dynasties? That’s just one guy in politics.
In those cases, maybe dynasties isn’t the right word – although I do sort of see Michelle Obama as a bit of a politician, herself, even though she hasn’t held office. She at least has more power than, say, you or me. Still, I’m more thinking about Obama and Biden in the sense that I am thinking of Biden and Kamala – it was sort of Joe Biden’s turn. Conservatives see that sorta stuff – they rightly see these people as elites, and it gives them more reason to think the Democratic party is corrupt. The reality is it would be difficult to find a politician who isn’t corrupt in a system that has legalized bribery and has necessitated the solicitation of those bribes by our “leaders.”
Do you understand what the word “dynasty” means? It isn’t “famous family”. Definitely not “famous because dad got elected to high office”.
Hey, no need to be rude. I’m using the word colloquially, not in the technical sense. Besides, in another comment I admitted maybe dynasty wasn’t the right word, at least for Obamas and Biden. It’s more appropriate (though, you’re right in that it is still not technically accurate) for people like the Clintons and Bushes.
Stop trying to make me like Trump, it won’t work
God I hate the circle jerking of Mike Cuban. There is no “good one.” His PR team is working OT to paint this completely BS image. Fuck him.
OrbituaryAbsolutely came here to say this. There are no ethical, innocent, or good billionaires. None. You cannot make that much money without disregarding or hurting people.
We need to stop blocking for and idolizing these fucks.
Taylor Swift
You think she's ethical, innocent, or good? Yikes. She works hard to present a non-offensive to either side persona, that doesn't make her ethical, innocent, or good.
Sounds like you think all people are terrible. What a sad way to go through life. I feel sorry for you
Oh, no! She’s not perfect! Throw her in the volcano!
Yep as expected you're just trolling. What a sad way to go through life. I feel sorry for you
Lol I don’t even think they’re being a troll. I think they think they’ll gain something from licking billionaire ass.
Ah, everyone who disagrees with you is a troll. Nice reductive way to simplify your meager existence
cygnusWow a random blogger has an opinion? You automatically win the argument, congrats.
There was more than one link in my comment. Also, that's just a sampling of the search results; you're sure to find more compelling stuff out there if you put more effort into looking than I did.
#1 and #3 are random blogs. #2 is a student publication so barely one notch above “random blogger”, but anyway if the best criticism one can levy at Swift is her use of a private plane, she must be more ethical than I thought. Can you imagine the clusterfuck if she traveled commercial? Airports are already a disaster as it is, without being bottlenecked by paparazzi and screeching elder millennial wine moms. She’s doing us all a public service by avoiding that situation.
Why are you blocking for billionaires? Ask yourself this along with asking yourself how it helps you to do so. Swift is no different to Bezos or Cuban. They just have different PR.
Afaik… Swift is a musician first and foremost. She might be the wealthiest musician on the planet - but i find it hard to equate the scale of her “evildoings” to people like Bezos or the average oil company.
Welcome to Lemmy. You should know there is ackshually zero nuance in anything in the world - everything is either 100% good or 100% bad.
I will always fight this “think about the poor airports!” bullshit. There are hundreds and thousands of famous people that fly without causing the apocalypse. You should be asking yourself why are people being manipulated and their emotions extorted that they have to swoon over Swift. This shit doesn’t come out of a bubble, it’s a planned hype-up to produce sales. Any sane person seeing people actually lose their shit over their presence should be concerned for the impact they’re causing. None of this is sane or normal human behavior, idol worship is dangerous and causes extremism (link). It’s funny that celebrities are “so connected” with their fans through social media but instead you get a fancy poster that’s talking directly to you! Not a real human being who can be a piece of shit at times like the rest of us, not allowed to see the actual person behind the veil.
I’m not sure what it was about my post that led you to believe I condone that behaviour. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but it is a thing.
At what point does someone stop being a victim of their “social status” and become responsible for their actions? Billions in profit? Polluting thousands of times over a normal citizen? “She’s doing us a public service”, is this celebrity boot licking?
You’re suggesting it’s Swift’s fault that grown-ass adults are incapable of not going feral in her presence?
Billionaire evil is a sliding scale from normal rich guy evil to comic book villain evil. He’s less bad than his peers, even if the stuff he does (like the cost plus drugs thing) are maybe just for PR.
We eat him later than others. But we do eat him.
People can agree with specific things he says without idolizing him.
There are no ethical, innocent, or good billionaires. None.
Costco is a company that is famous both for how it treats its customers, and how it treats its employees. Its founder, who was its CEO until a few years ago, is a billionaire.
The creator of Minecraft sold the explosively-popular game he created to Microsoft, for $2 billion, making him a billionaire.
Your black and white thinking is as out of place as black and white TV is. The nuance-allergic are disgusting.
And you thinking that these entities are innocent just because they started out doing a thing is myopic. You seem to be the one unable to see nuance. Truly. Or you misunderstand its meaning, because Costco is definitely not innocent.
I live near the headquarters. They’re an awful employer and exploit their staff, prevent upward movement of talented folk. My close friend is a highly talented developer for them and has been passed up for raises and promotions multiple times for less talented people in the org. Furthermore, he felt his race played into these decisions.
I can’t understand for one moment why people block for or make excuses for billionaires. You’re never gonna get anything from it. Everyone on this side of the divide is on the same team in that match up.
news.bloomberglaw.com/…/judge-tosses-costco-wareh…
Judge Tosses Costco Warehouse Worker’s Hostile Environment Suit
Costco was victorious against a Black employee’s hostile work environment and race bias claims after he failed to show the harassment he complained of was racially motivated and failed to show Costco should be liable for the behavior of a man that didn’t work for the company, a federal judge said.
You seem to be the one unable to see nuance.
Yeah, I’m not the one who declared that every single person who has more than X wealth is evil, lmao.
Anyone can cherry-pick a few incidents here and there, any business large enough will have them, but aggregate data is more honest:
Its employee turnover rate of 8% is less than one seventh of the [60%] average for retailers.
Clearly their workers are MUCH happier there than just about anywhere else in the same industry.
Lessons from Costco on Sustainable Growth
Few companies succeed in growing at a sustainable rate over time. The reason is that leaders give in to the temptation to grow in ways that overlook the customer or they grow more quickly than their organizational capabilities allow. But the leaders of a handful of companies, including Costco and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, never forget that businesses are complex systems whose elements are interconnected. That gives them the discipline to reject temptations to grow faster than their organizations can sustain.
That’s not what nuance means. I’m done with this. You’re choosing to misunderstand or just cannot do so.
I’ll pretend I’m surprised you avoided addressing that single digit turnover rate, lol.
You’re choosing to generalize people based on their net worth, and choosing to cherry pick data points to support a narrative about Costco easily debunked by looking at aggregate data.
Keep blocking for them, pal. I’m sure you’ll get your billions one day.
/ignored.
You’re projecting your unwillingness to defend what doesn’t confirm your biases. Some of us care about what’s accurate more than what props up a pet narrative.
All I did was state a fact that you can’t deal with. That’s the bottom line. Cope and seethe.
Cost Plus Drugs is a real thing, not a PR statement, that’s saved many people a fuckton of money, and I’m one of them. And not only that, it set a fantastic example of cost transparency for others to follow.
“Completely BS”? Definitely not.
It all sounds well and good but I have a hard time swallowing any Billionaire advocating for ethics.
I wonder if there’s any value to considering the point he makes on its own merits.
And billionaires are also bad.
That was the part before the “but”…
Compared to the other Uber wealthy, he at least seems to have some sort of a code of ethics from what i can see, which is obviously limited. He’s still in it to make money (obviously), but his actions seem to suggest that he won’t go to the extreme of hurting everyone else just for money.
I started liking Mark more when he opened cost plus drugs. It’s a pretty decent endeavor to try to reduce pharmaceutical costs for the consumer
Mark seems like the best of the Sharks. This is a very low bar, but there you go
General rule of thumb is that if you posted a comment, even if Lemmy tries to tell you it failed it probably went through so don’t try and recomment
Mark seems like the best of the Sharks. This is a very low bar, but there you go
I don’t. My instance seems to do this on its own for some reason.
Mark seems like the best of the Sharks. This is a very low bar, but there you go
Mark seems like the best of the Sharks. This is a very low bar, but there you go
Mark seems like the best of the Sharks. This is a very low bar, but there you go
They’re all pretty shitty, but Cuban is at least one of the less shitty ones. His work on reduced cost pharmaceuticals has been life-changing for some people, and is a really nice break for big pharma constantly trying to fuck you as hard as they can.
Yeah he’s probably dying in the revolution, but towards the end. Assholes like Musk or Shkreli are far, far worse.
I’m staying neutral. I want to like him, but the last rich as fuck guy I thought was funny and was going to change the world for the better turned into one the biggest assholes on the planet.
Musk (assuming that’s who you’re referring to) was never funny. He was always a fucking loser with the level of humour of an edgy, dumb, tryhard teenager. Almost everything about him is a lie, he just managed to keep it under wraps while his PR machine painted him as a quirky genius.
Musk is a Supervillain. I knew that right from the start.
explodicleNah super villains are cool and successful. Musk is somehow the world’s richest man and still a loser whose kid hates him.
So… modern day Spectre
zarkanianstill a loser whose kid hates him.
Just one? He has 12 of them. Because he thinks the world is under-populated. I wish I was making that up.