this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
1016 points (97.7% liked)

World News

38987 readers
1953 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] bostonbananarama@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Except that the money flowing to the top 1% are the result of politics. The tax cuts which funnel money out of the public coffers and into billionaires' pockets also require cuts to services, like education. Polarization is what's required to motivate voters to continue to vote against their own interests. They're very much connected.

[–] Pontishmonti@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Everything is connected if you look deep enough. People who drive rolling coal cars and hate “the libs” are responsible for their action. Choosing an ideology, watching propaganda, immersing oneself in hate are all actions. Sure, billionaires are having an outsized impact on the world. That’s power. In general - power does corrupt. We, the people, have to take responsibility for our actions, not expect billionaires to stop growing and exercising their influence. It’s easy to blame “the billionaires” for making someone a shitty person.

[–] emeralddawn45@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Except the billionaires are the ones lobbying for cuts to education, buying up all the housing, lobbying against increasing minimum wage keeping people desperate, buying up all the media and turning it into propaganda, are responsible for dumping chemicals that impact growth and development in our water system, etc. Etc. Every failing in our society has billionaires behind it. Yes people are responsible for their actions, but just like you would blame Kim Jong Un for the beliefs of one of his brainwashed citizens rather than blame them, you should also be blaming billionaires and oil execs for people 'rolling coal to piss off the libs'. They've been just as thoroughly brainwashed and propagandised, and just as intentionally.

[–] Pontishmonti@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No, I wouldn’t solely blame Kim Jong Un if a soldier from NK kills a member of my family. The ultimate goal of a totalitarian regime is to convince people that they are powerless, that they need a leader to guide them. This takes away all agency and responsibility (where it matters).

Don’t fall into the same trap. Everyone is an individual, everyone can and should learn. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their life (excluding situations where people are physically constrained by an abuser).

Blaming the “billionaires” is a fruitless endeavor. Do you think if we get rid of billionaires we will automatically live in a just society? There will always be people with more power, billionaires or not.

Worldwide, I am in the 1%. You are most likely too. For a lower class family in Pakistan you are a billionaire.

[–] emeralddawn45@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Pontishmonti@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The highest data point referenced in the article you link to is Monaco with $12.4M. Not sure where you are getting the $30M number.

Anyway, as I said, globally you and I most likely are in the 1%. Not in the US, a very wealthy country.

Edit: here is an interesting data point for you: Kenya is listed last on that graph with just $20K. Do you know how wealthy Kenya is overall? It’s at the 59th place globally. Out of 173 countries.

So yes, you and the majority of people posturing in these comments are the 1% globally. Enjoy this realization, fellow onepercenter.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)