This is what happens when successive US governments fail to tackle inequality. While millions of people live in poverty, a handful grow unimaginably rich. Wealth begets wealth, and they acquire political power to match. It was inevitable that one of them – now the richest man on Earth – would launch what looks like a bid for world domination…

70 points

I liked that in ancient Roman Republic, the rich at least competed with each other by seeing who could provide the best stuff to the poor, like baths, arenas, temples, aqueducts, roadways, etc.

And if you weren’t helping, you’d be shamed and later on they could just kill you and take your money.

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37 points
Charity is a cold grey loveless thing. If a rich man wants to help the poor, he should pay his taxes gladly, not dole out money at a whim.

Clement Attlee

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4 points

This is what should be, at this point I’d take the Roman way though. Fucking hell I’d take Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller over the current oligarchs that seemingly want to cull us all

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1 point

“Charity is the drowning of justice in the craphole of mercy.” - Pestalozzi

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16 points

The modern rich are so uncreative, it’s quite sad.

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62 points

Considering he’s visibly losing it already, I should think so. I originally thought it was a midlife crisis but it’s been like 4 years.

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53 points
*

it’s been like 4 years.

I think it’s pretty obviously been more than that: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/03/media/elon-musk-testifies/index.html

On July 15, 2018, Musk tweeted “pedo guy” in reference to Vernon Unsworth

For the worlds richest man, and CEO of multiple companies to tweet like that, you’d have to be pretty far gone already.
Musk has probably “had issues” most of his life, but at this point he obviously lost control publicly, and was unable to contain it.

Musk is a spoiled brat who thinks his behavior has no consequences to him. This continues to be mostly true, so his behavior gets steadily worse, because he has no shame and no reason to believe he will be held accountable.

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23 points

God, I’m getting old. I could have passed a lie detector test saying the pedo guy incident was in the 2020s, at least.

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13 points
*

The Tesla model S came out in 2012. I just remember that when Musk made that tweet, I’d already identified Musk as a conman.
But I don’t remember anything in particular that stood out as much before that tweet. Except he had already failed on his promise on FSD, with little to show it was even close. I also remember identifying him as an introvert narcissist. Which is kind of an oxymoron, but nonetheless describes his public social conduct.

If you are old, do you remember Lee Iacocca (Chrysler)? Or Jack Tramiel (Commodore)?
Those were stellar businessmen and CEOs, that were geniuses without being narcissistic sociopaths.
Those were true role models. 😀

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13 points

You ever see a dude buy a sports car during a midlife crisis? That shit’s his baby for years. I’ve got a neighbor who’s been waxing his Miata for decades… Keeps it under a tarp and never drives it.

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3 points
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Meanwhile musk crashed his McLaren trying to impress Peter Thiel

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-spent-1-million-213715650.html?guccounter=1

Lacy asked Musk whether there was a parallel between the dramatic crash and how he builds companies. Musk’s response was, “I hope not. That could be awkward with a rocket launch.”

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25 points

Revoke his citizenship, deport him to South Africa, seize his companies, refuse all future visa applications.

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9 points

The richest, most inept, out-of-touch, needs to be put in his fucking place douche.

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6 points

It required a failed democracy for him to accumulate that much wealth in the first place. He’s a symptom that has become a cause.

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