Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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Almost every problem in the world would be dealt with meaningfully if we outlawed billionaires. (lemmy.ca)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Everytime I look at small problems or big global problems, if you follow the money trail, it all leads to some billionaire who is either working towards increasing their wealth or protecting their wealth from decreasing.

Everything from politics, climate change, workers rights, democratic government, technology, land rights, human rights can all be rendered down to people fighting another group of people who defend the rights of a billionaire to keep their wealth or to expand their control.

If humanity got rid of or outlawed the notion of any one individual owning far too much money than they could ever possibly spend in a lifetime, we could free up so much wealth and energy to do other things like save ourselves from climate change.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ah yes, the well known connection between "let's have a very high tax bracket for billionaires" and "let's literally go and murder rich people because I don't like them lol", you got me. Oh, and sanctioning criminal behavior with prison = psychopathy, got it.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Well, please elaborate then on exactly how you intend to make them obey you. It's literally you are saying do this and they are saying no and so you either have to walk away or you have to use force against them to make them agree with your point of view.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Of course force may need to be used when people act criminally. In case of tax evasion, that may be seizing the amount owed and/or imprisonment in severe cases.

Say someone steals from a store and the owner demands it back, but the thief says "nu-uh", what then? Is it morally permissible to use force to get your property back?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Of course force may need to be used when people act criminally. In case of tax evasion, that may be seizing the amount owed and/or imprisonment in severe cases.

Who is hurt by "tax evasion" If I choose not to pay my taxes, are you disabled or physically harmed in any way to where you cannot live your current lifestyle? I would argue the answer is no. If I do not pay my taxes, do you wake up in the middle of the night in mental anguish because of it? Again, I would argue the answer is no. So you think you have the right to demand that I give you money because you say so. And if I do not comply, you will throw me in a cage and/or kill me. Because apparently in order for me to live the longest I possibly can, I must obey you because you said so.

Say someone steals from a store and the owner demands it back, but the thief says "nu-uh", what then? Is it morally permissible to use force to get your property back?

Absolutely. Because you harmed them. You took something that was theirs. They spent part of their life earning the money to purchase that thing to put in their store to resell to you to make your life more convenient.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You absolutly harm the whole society if you dont pay taxes.. You use all the street and everything paid by taxes and then dont pay. Thats kind of harming.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If I don't pay my taxes, the government will just print the money anyway which they are already going to do whether I pay my taxes or not. The only thing taxes do is make the money printing a little bit less inflationary than it otherwise would have been.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago

Yeah thats kind of right. For me and you yes, but most billionaires don't pay as much as you. And with their money you could build schools, transportation and other nice stuff. If nobody would pay taxes, the government wouldnt print all the money for society. In no country where people dont pay taxes there is a good life...