this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
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Political Memes

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[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 58 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

"The billionaires said I could be one of them if I let them live, so I sacrificed the biosphere." - Millions of morons

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 18 points 2 weeks ago

it's more horrifying than that. they're fine with the boot on their neck as long as they can keep their boot on someone else. they don't think they're temporarily embarassed millionaires. they think the rich deserve to be rich, and the suffering deserve to suffer, and they'll vote based on making sure the suffering continue to be in pain

[–] droporain@lemmynsfw.com 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The funny part is the billionaire never even whispered that. They just go to it instinctively like maggots to rancid meat.

[–] rational_lib@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

It's kind of indirectly implied by what they say though. Think of the Elon Musk worship sphere, that basically argues if we just give him more money and vote for his politics, we're gonna have self-driving cars and travel to Mars whenever we want. Oh, and by the way, buy this cryptocurrency (that he happens to own a lot of) if you wanna profit from it all too. This can also be extended to other tech bros like Peter Thiel and Marc Andreesen.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Their wealth will trickle down and then we can save the environment! - Jordan Peterson (effectively)

[–] toaster@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Is wealth a euphemism for piss?

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Might as well be.

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Although I’m very anti billionaire, I would put capitalism there.

If suddenly all the billionaires magically disappear, the world will get morally lighter sure but in a decade you’ll have new ones.

[–] toaster@slrpnk.net 12 points 2 weeks ago

Bingo. There aren't simply a handful of uniquely shitty people who just happen to be uber rich and when they're gone all will be fixed. When our economic and political systems enable and encourage the existence of such people, another one will always fill the void until we reform or replace the root cause.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I just explained this to someone who claimed killing the UHC CEO was "self-defense" for all the people suffering from all the wrongs he was responsible for at UHC. As if CEOs aren't easily replaceable and as if the new CEO would significantly change things.

Yeah, the guy might have done it to get revenge, but if it was self-defense, it was the worst attempt at self-defense ever.

[–] snowens@discuss.online 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So were you ever or are you now in law enforcement, yes or no?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don’t know how you figured out that I am very much definitely a cop for sure, but you’ve ruined 38 years of hard police work!

[–] snowens@discuss.online 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Sergio@slrpnk.net 13 points 2 weeks ago

There is a large complex system of gears and pulleys constraining the lever-puller.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Inaccurate. There is no lever, and the billionaires should be at least on the tram if not driving it.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 6 points 2 weeks ago

Sounds like snowpiercer and in that case it's a mutiny

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Killing 2700 doesnt save the planet, thats the problem. For some reason complex solutions like tax and election finance reform are so far beyond the average person's intellectual capacity that they fall back on Unga Bunga big stick.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

With the 2700 owning all of the avenues to tax and election reform, seems like it's not likely that's going to be easier than the old unga bunga.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

But killing 2700 doesn't take away their avenues. It just makes 2700 more who are more defensive and hostile.

To put this into perspective, the Trump Admin has a combined networth of a MINIMUM of $540 Bn USD, and more than 50% voted for them. Do you understand? This isn't us versus 2700 people. It's us versus the majority of people.

There is no "Easy Way."

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yep, I sure do understand humanity is fucked. Here's hoping at least that majority gets bird flu.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What do you think happens to companies when a CEO dies suddenly- from murder or from another cause?

Because the answer is not that the company folds or that it suddenly puts people over profits. The answer is the company finds a new CEO who puts profit over people.

There is no shortage of people with MBAs.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do you think there are just 2700 CEOs and that that's what that number refers to?

But to answer your question, perhaps at some point the CEO taking over for the murdered one thinks deeper about business practices. Maybe even the merit of killing people for profit with your business practices is taught in MBA programs alongside the possibility or in some happy world likelihood of being punished accordingly for doing so.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's not how corporations work.

They are required to generate a profit for their shareholders. If they don't, the CEO can be removed by the shareholders and the board and replaced.

I get it. You want things to be easy. They aren't. There is not an easy way out of global capitalism that involves shooting a few people, sorry.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I want things to be better. But you know what - the fucking easier the better. Remove your tongue.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This does not make things easier. In any way. CEOs die suddenly all the time. It hasn't changed anything ever in terms of how corporations are legally required to operate.

You can kill a CEO a day and the legal issue does not change. They will not put people over profits just because people are dying. Why that isn't clear yet I don't know.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Laugh all you like. You will never see a corporation put people over profits. Never.

That is not how capitalism works no matter how much you might want it to. It doesn't work that way anywhere on the planet.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

... Who are you even responding to with this?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The person who said this:

Maybe they have since donated their account to you.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You saying "CEOs die suddenly all the time" to prove that nothing will change is idiotic. CEOs aren't murdered all the time and you have nothing to base your claim on. In any case, I see no harm in the path.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago

I see no harm in the path.

Who do you think is going to pay for all the security teams these companies hire? Because I'll give you a hint- not them.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 8 points 2 weeks ago

I guess it's 2699 now

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's hard because the lever doesn't say which way the trolley is going

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Spoiler alert: the lever doesn’t do anything.

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Problem is, while you can do as much homicide as you want, you cant easily undo the systems we have in place.

So many cars run on gasoline. Are you gonna ban them all effective immediately. Yea see how Covid lockdowns worked, people would just riot, if you tried this.

Not to mention, the entire powergrid of many countries, including the USA, runs mostly on fossil fuels.

All the planes that runs on fossil fuels? Are we also banning plane travel?

Cargo ships that run on fossil fuels? Can we even attempt to ban those?

And so much more.

My point is, not trying to be pessimistic, but it seems a bit late.

We can stop more damage, but the damage has been done.

The trolly problem happened like sometime before 1950. The person near the lever already made the decision, we are living in its aftermath.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The point is that we don't need to ban airplanes, just the people who are using private jets to fly every other day (that's below average for a billionaire).

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sure. Here's some data:

https://ourworldindata.org/global-aviation-emissions

We are at >1 billion tons of CO2 from airplanes.

And according to:

https://www.iflscience.com/private-jet-carbon-emissions-surge-by-46-percent-in-just-four-years-76695

We are at 15.6 million tons of CO2 from private jets.

How do you plan to get rid of the remaining 98.5% of emissions after banning private jets?

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 1 points 2 weeks ago

Billionaires also disproportionately invest in fossil fuels and their carbon footprint is the size of a small country. Once you include the mega yachts, their many compounds and all the other excesses encouraged by malignant wealth. It might not fully solve the problem, but the rest would be made easier without them owning the politicians, courts, and media.

[–] lugal@lemmy.world -1 points 2 weeks ago

There is no Economy B

[–] blazera@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago

If we get rid of all the billionaires, everyone will stop using gas vehicles and fossil fuel electricity.

[–] timestatic@feddit.org -5 points 2 weeks ago