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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#284251: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:16:21 AM

Addendum to [1]

Unless, of course, it's time to start lobbying. Then they'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just to avoid losing money.

There's a trope to describe that specific brand of stupidity, but I'm not sure which one.

i'm tired, my friend
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284252: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:19:48 AM

There's nothing stupid about spending $100,000 today in order to knock 4% off your $1,000,000 income's tax rate for the next eight years.

"Spend money to make money" and all that.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:21:07 AM

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PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#284253: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:22:32 AM

Considering it's probably less expensive to improve working conditions in all your stores so you get make higher profits later...

i'm tired, my friend
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#284254: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:26:14 AM

If the problem was simply "Flint had no money" then just giving it to them would have been a solution.

But the problem was "Money could have been acquired but wasn't because the officials didn't give a crap".

Still doesn't mean being a billionaires is not inherently a exploitative existance.

"You can reply to this Message!"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284255: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:27:14 AM

Frankly, that sounds like, "I don't approve of him because he didn't fund my charity instead."

Also, SOME of the objections to the existence of billionaires comes in large part from Insane Troll Logic in some respects because there's a lot of people who seem to act as if they have Scrooge McDuck Money Bins. I don't think a lot of Americans really understand how economics works with determining a person's wealth because the vast majority of an individual's wealth is usually in non-liquid assets like stock.

The fact he gave 4 billion dollars in stock that is healthy to these causes is a great thing but the healthy part of the stock is a thing that means it's almost impossible to normally give away this sort of wealth.

A lot of wealth basically IS the functioning of a healthy company.

And yes, throwing money at many projects flat out doesn't work without care because take a look at Kentucky (which is my go to Evil Is Petty) were the state successfully raised 200 million dollars for the state lottery to improve education.

The Usual Suspects (GOP) then lowered the education budget by, I shit you not, 200 million dollars. You need infrastructural changes to things like Flint and less evil politicians. It's not up to billionaires to fix Flint or East Chicago, it's the people whose jobs are not to make the problem worse.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:35:03 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#284256: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:40:16 AM

We previously had a discussion about the DNC's decision to not have a specific climate debate, I don't remember the thread consensus but I believe there were a few people unhappy about the decision to not have debate specifically for Climate Change.

With that in mind, I have some news that should please ya'll. The DNC is considering whether or not to have a specific Climate Debate.

I didn't fault them for not having one but I'm happy they've changed their mind, all the same, I think it's clear at this point that there's no way that Climate Change as an issue can be properly addressed in a normal debate. So I'm in favor for it.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#284257: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:44:51 AM

The thing is they can get devalue their stock, make the company more ethical and less profitable, their stock will loose value but the people working there will gain money, that’d be a huge charitable contribution.

Now there is an obvious problem there, there are laws preventing even majority stock holders from doing that, they are legally required to but profit before ethics.

I’m not sure it’s actually possible to run a business 100% ethically, on some level you’re always exploiting someone, often your employees, but when not them it’s often contractors, if not them than it’s often the use of unethical suppliers, or simply suppliers who use unethical suppliers.

Now in the end we just kinda accept that that’s the way it is for most businesses, in the end a single individual can’t really change the entire system, or even just the bits of the system that connect to their business. But it becomes much harder to just brush aside when it’s being done by billionaires who try and tout themselves as morally righteous.

Edited by Silasw on Jul 2nd 2019 at 5:47:04 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284258: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:51:51 AM

The Scrooge McDuck Money Bins exist. They're called Offshore Tax Havens, and they're used to straight up hide wealth from the U.S.

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AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#284259: Jul 2nd 2019 at 10:52:23 AM

[up][up][up] If I recall, there was no thread consensus.

This is heartening news, though the downside is we'll likely have to slog through more of Hickenlooper's "Why don't we just be nice to fossil fuel companies?" rhetoric.

Either way, we need to at least be talking about climate change, existential threat that it is, so hopefully they choose to do one.

Edited by AzurePaladin on Jul 2nd 2019 at 1:53:02 PM

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284260: Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:01:54 AM

I admit my own socialism comes from the perspective that capitalism's problems are not the system of labor itself but its lack of regulation (that may be impossible to fix as resources are placed in the hands of those who will encourage their benefit from them above other considerations) rather than the system itself. Because capitalism does have one major benefit and that is the production of wealth. Capitalism is not a cherry pie but a cherry pie machine.

The issue is figuring out how to get everyone a cherry pie rather than starting with the premise everyone should only get one, which is two very different issues even if there's no reason Warren Buffett should have 100 cherry pies (and yet, he's the guy who owns the cherry pie factory—does giving it to the workers automatically lead to the best production of cherry pie for all vs. Buffett who is the cherry pie savante).

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:02:38 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284261: Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:03:23 AM

When there are a finite number of cherry pies, then one person having too many prevents others from getting one.

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CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284262: Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:04:58 AM

Exactly my point.

Capitalism means there doesn't have to be.

Acting like there is and making economics based on the concept of limited cherry pies versus making more is an unhealthy economic model IMHO.

Which is essentially why credit is awesome.

Because credit divorced economics from "real" wealth and allowed the pie to flow.

And now I sound like a Syndicate Technomage running a bakery.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:06:06 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284263: Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:07:36 AM

"Just make more pies" caused the economic collapse of Germany, leading directly into the rise of the Nazi Party.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284264: Jul 2nd 2019 at 11:09:27 AM

That is saying pies are money versus wealth.

And if you need an example, making more pies is why Malthusian ethics is wrong and there's food for all the people in the world.

Hashtag Thanos Was Wrong.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284266: Jul 2nd 2019 at 12:00:14 PM

So Trump just escalated another trade conflict, by putting billions worth of tariffs on Europe, because only the US is allowed to subsidize the aerospace industry?

This ride is getting tiresome, and the only way it stops is if Trump gets turfed by a Democrat who generally accepts the foreign policy and trade consensus.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#284267: Jul 2nd 2019 at 12:43:20 PM

Did he actually do it or is he just threatening them again?

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PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#284269: Jul 2nd 2019 at 1:22:07 PM

I'll be surprised if he doesn't go through with it.

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ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284270: Jul 2nd 2019 at 2:03:10 PM

So a new Quinnipiac poll shows Harris in a dead heat with Biden, at 20% and 22%, respectively.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284271: Jul 2nd 2019 at 2:04:43 PM

If nothing else, I think we can assume that this primary will be interesting. Especially once the dozen or so resume padders drop out and leave the relevant people to actually focus on politics.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#284272: Jul 2nd 2019 at 2:08:29 PM

Of all the people who would step up to challenge Biden, I did not think it would be Harris, but I'm quite impressed.

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tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#284274: Jul 2nd 2019 at 2:18:28 PM

"lost"

Withheld maybe?

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CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284275: Jul 2nd 2019 at 3:07:37 PM

No wonder agencies are terrified that Trump will lose office. They've all joined thoroughly into the New World Order to the point of criminality. They seem to have forgotten it was not going to continue.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

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