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Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

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Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#171
post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, wealthy people are not evil. But maybe it just happens that in order to become wealthy, people more often than not have to repeatedly choose wealth over generosity, exploit other people, take advantage of resources that less privileged ones pay for without explicit consent. Also, it often happens that people who are already wealthy and possess more than what they and their children would need for comfortab…

The idea that rich people got rich because they screwed other people over is quite common but also a made up generalization. It's an excuse that people who worry about their own socioeconomic status make to feel better about themselves. "I'm poor but at least I'm not evil like those rich people.". Instead of searching for reasons why rich people are evil, why not just be happy with your own life? You don't need to be…

>The idea that rich people got rich because they screwed other people over is quite common but also a made up generalization.

Many people are wealthy because they have exploited the labour of others, exactly as any other commodity might be exploited. I would say this is the biggest screw-over: this great capitalist machine.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#172
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm as far out left as they come, but I cringe at this "voting against their interests" argument. There are millions voting against their (economic) interests when they vote democratic as well.

Thank you. I find the "don't you know you're voting against your own interests" a pretty arrogant argument. How do you know they are voting against their interests?

Did you read the article I linked? That's how I know.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's nothing wrong with having aspirations per se. The issue is when these aspirations lead people to identify more with the upper class rather than their own class and voting against their own interests. For a very recent example, see the case of people who depended on the Affordable Care Act regretting voting for Trump. ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-voters-didnt-t... ) Also, you don't see somet…

I'm as far out left as they come, but I cringe at this "voting against their interests" argument. There are millions voting against their (economic) interests when they vote democratic as well.

I never said anything about it happening in one party only, it was just a singular example, so that's just presumption on your part.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#174

"Three Zuckerberg companies — Pilaa International LLC, Northshore Kalo LLC and High Flyer LLC — filed eight quiet title lawsuits Dec. 30 in state Circuit Court on Kauai." Hmm.. so the man who wants all of us to "open up" on his conglomerate of social networks - sometimes even if we don't want to [1] (it is not for him, you see, it is for this grand vision of connecting the world together) is troubled by a reduction o…

Zuckerberg is one of the biggest supporters of the whole "open borders, no nations" agenda meant to decrease the cost of labour and drive down wages and protections for workers and increase the influence large corporations have on laws and regulations. Yet Zuckerberg doesn't want any of this for himself, he wants his isolated compounds constructed with large walls. His legal movements obfuscated. His motivations kept in the shadows.

"They trust me, dumb fucks" - Zuck

These are the kinds of people that are "scared" of the populist uprising at Davos. They just don't get why people don't like them as they eat their $40 dollar hotdogs.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#175
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow thanks for sharing. I'm glad to see that an apocryphal quote can have a source backing it up empirically.

Would you rather have 0% ever thinking they'll be rich? That sounds like a terrible place to live.

That's a false dichotomy.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#176
post #130

This article makes me respect Bill Gates more. You never hear of him being involved in cringy stuff like this. Yes, it may be legal, but it definitely doesn't look good. Also, is it just me or is Zuck becoming rather paranoid about his privacy and security? (1) He apparently has SIXTEEN bodyguards at his house: http://pagesix.com/2016/02/14/mark-zuckerberg-has-16-bodygua... (2) He bought all the houses surrounding hi…

I work for an IT security company. It’s pretty normal for people in this space to tape their laptop camera and microphone.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#177
post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Identifying one edge case doesn't really prove an argument. Net wealth is not a perfect metric, but is probably the best one we have. You can be sure 95%+ of brain surgeons have paid off all their student debts and have a lot more wealth than a homeless guy, considering their median salary is $395k per year.

One edge case? Look at the debt levels in the US! There is a huge chunk of the population that has a negative net worth, mostly due to mortgage debt. Is it fair to say all those people are poorer than people in India who have a few dollars to their name?

Well, show me a perfect metric that doesn't have similar edge cases?

For example, income has its own issues -- a retiree can have little income but a big retirement fund to draw down.

In an ideal world, you'd probably measure something like current net wealth + discounted expected future earnings, and maybe use PPP instead of GDP, except now you're trying to measure two things accurately instead of one, and making guesses about the future too.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Identifying one edge case doesn't really prove an argument. Net wealth is not a perfect metric, but is probably the best one we have. You can be sure 95%+ of brain surgeons have paid off all their student debts and have a lot more wealth than a homeless guy, considering their median salary is $395k per year.

Those wealth statistics really are dodgy. Another edge case: you're earning so little that you don't save, but spend it all on food/housing/etc. Now your country's economy takes off and you suddenly earn 20% more. You're still spending it all, enjoying much better and healthier food. To those statistics, nothing changed. Net income is a much better metric than wealth.

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Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm as far out left as they come, but I cringe at this "voting against their interests" argument. There are millions voting against their (economic) interests when they vote democratic as well.

I never said anything about it happening in one party only, it was just a singular example, so that's just presumption on your part.

It seems like

> identify more with the upper class rather than their own class and voting against their own interests.

points pretty clearly at conservative blue-collar workers voting for republicans, no? Although I guess if someone were to actually believe that raising the minimum wage or curtailing payday loans is bad for the working class, then possibly...with enough bending...and some trickle-down, you could come to the opposite conclusion, yes.

Re: Facebook’s Zuckerberg sues to force land sales

#180
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. I find the "don't you know you're voting against your own interests" a pretty arrogant argument. How do you know they are voting against their interests?

Did you read the article I linked? That's how I know.

The article is an opinion piece. You know, someone's opinion, not fact.

I didn't see anything in that article that was definitive proof that blue collar workers are voting against their own interests.

If you give a tax break to the rich, how is that against your own interests? You still have the same money you did before.

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