What the fuck is wrong with rich people that they act confused when regular people hate their ostentatious displays of wealth?
Like, I don't care whether Bezos's wedding is as "respectful" of Venice or not, and I don't think people protesting care either. It's not about the disruption—protests will cause more disruption—it's about the audacity of Bezos to think people wouldn't pelt him with rotten eggs if they got the chance.
Read the room, people! Every display of your sickening wealth in the faces of people just trying to survive and live their lives is going to make people hate you *that* much more.
You think you can just laugh at suffering forever? You've got to be kidding. There are a LOT of us. There are only a few of you, and it's not even like you're particularly clever or anything.
If there was ever a time where it might be a good idea to *stop flaunting your wealth* I really think now is that time.
They won't, but I actually prefer that anyway. Go on, keep on angering people, keep on causing outrage. Keep going—I want to see where this ends.
The robber barons were just as filled with hubris and self-importance.
FDR wasn't a class traitor; he was their biggest ally. He recognized that the US was poised to do a communist revolution or a fascist takeover, and in the interest of maintaining as much of the status quo as he could he forcibly corrected the outrageous depredations of his own class.
Their resentment lingered until they could regain power in the late 1970s and start dismantling the system that protected them.
@johnzajac @artemis Mechanically this works but I don't feel like there's *necessarily* this level of conniving malice involved.
He could just as easily be someone who was acculturated and brainwashed to believe Capitalism is the only way forward, like most Americans, and these compromises were how he felt peace could be preserved.
@johnzajac @artemis I think it creates unnecessary friction though.
"These people are right about the economics but explicitly require me to believe my grandparents were Evil in order to participate."
We can arrive at the same practical actions and conclusions without requiring the assumption of intentions.
Artemis
John
Urzl