I think it is an innate quality with these people. It is revealed to the world when they first make their F/U money from some tech venture of dubious value, such as PayPal. From this point on they no longer consider themselves citizens of the world with any obligations to others. If their "success" is compounded by drive, good luck and more often than not, millions of dollars of taxpayer funded loans (which of course they never acknowledge or credit), they psychologically don superhero garb and elevate themselves to a superhuman level, where they believe their worldview should necessarily hold sway. It's sad, because these people actually have the means to improve the human condition, but they are too tied up in their griftiosity to feel any sense of obligation to others. It's like they regress to being teenagers, where everything is so clear and they have all the answers
Who is more immoral here? Is it the sociopathic uber-rich, or the rest of us rabble who eventually tire of their unchecked and psychotic greed and solve the problem in a most direct and blunt fashion? Most of the people I run into think the time for Bastille Day 2.0 has arrived. If we were suddenly rid of the ballpark figure fifty-odd criminal oligarchs, the world would have a real shot at getting back to some measure of sanity.
The other thing that strikes me about this insane stampede, is the parallels with the 20th Century nuclear arms race. If we follow the way of the hyperscalers and venture capitalists, in the name of staying ahead of the Chinese, we will waste our collective resources, despoil the environment, create suffering among working people and in 20 years, end up wondering what it was all for.
When Bush/Cheney gave tax breaks to U.S. Corporations for outsourcing their labor, China had re-tooled their industry and took many high paying, high technology jobs from the United States of America. China is also buying up our fossil fuel resources to fuel their own transition to renewable resources development as has been the case with coal from Appalachia.
Trillionaires like Muskrat,use their wealth,influence and power to perpetuate and preserve a system that brought them their riches...at our expense & misfortune.
Climate catastrophes be damned...The oil,coal& gas industries elected Trumpolini and will not be restrained...by his administration.
Microplastic in your body and in everything we eat practically...called a hoax and not addressed.
The only thing sacred in this America is perpetuating& increasing corporate power and $$$
profits....The public be damned.
To end this nightmare scenario,people need to be educated(immigrants are powerless& not a threat whereas Trump & his toady GOP Trumpkins are democracy's enemies).
And most important,our citizens can't be indifferent,they need to vote because Trump & gang know that's the only way their scheme will be undone.Hence,their efforts at voter suppression.
Vote as if this is your last opportunity because it may be your last chance at a free fair election.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
— Frédéric Bastiat
I'm not sure if the quote above answers your question about billionaires being jerks, Mr Hightower, but I think it's relevant.
My bookshelves are loaded with the wisdom of hundreds of authors over the centuries. Those books are on my shelves because I chose to put them there. If the inventors of AI wish to permeate our society with the dubious output of their gadgetry, let the AI machines WRITE BOOKS! Human wisdom will decide whether they belong in our public or private libraries, or in the trash.
I think it is an innate quality with these people. It is revealed to the world when they first make their F/U money from some tech venture of dubious value, such as PayPal. From this point on they no longer consider themselves citizens of the world with any obligations to others. If their "success" is compounded by drive, good luck and more often than not, millions of dollars of taxpayer funded loans (which of course they never acknowledge or credit), they psychologically don superhero garb and elevate themselves to a superhuman level, where they believe their worldview should necessarily hold sway. It's sad, because these people actually have the means to improve the human condition, but they are too tied up in their griftiosity to feel any sense of obligation to others. It's like they regress to being teenagers, where everything is so clear and they have all the answers
We need to constantly remind them that there are many more of us and their money only has the value that we allow it to have .
Look at what happened to the Confederate money after the Civil War ended in the U.S.A.
Exempt Warren Buffett from this list of miscreants.
I hope that if we get a democratic congress in the upcoming elections, then legal restraints on sociopathic oligarchs is a distict possibility.
Who is more immoral here? Is it the sociopathic uber-rich, or the rest of us rabble who eventually tire of their unchecked and psychotic greed and solve the problem in a most direct and blunt fashion? Most of the people I run into think the time for Bastille Day 2.0 has arrived. If we were suddenly rid of the ballpark figure fifty-odd criminal oligarchs, the world would have a real shot at getting back to some measure of sanity.
The other thing that strikes me about this insane stampede, is the parallels with the 20th Century nuclear arms race. If we follow the way of the hyperscalers and venture capitalists, in the name of staying ahead of the Chinese, we will waste our collective resources, despoil the environment, create suffering among working people and in 20 years, end up wondering what it was all for.
I am already wondering what it's all for and why is the U.S. Constitution not enough to stop these criminal oath breakers in office?
When Bush/Cheney gave tax breaks to U.S. Corporations for outsourcing their labor, China had re-tooled their industry and took many high paying, high technology jobs from the United States of America. China is also buying up our fossil fuel resources to fuel their own transition to renewable resources development as has been the case with coal from Appalachia.
I believe the answer to your first question is "yes".
Too right, Jim! I hope the monster they have created will turn on them
Trillionaires like Muskrat,use their wealth,influence and power to perpetuate and preserve a system that brought them their riches...at our expense & misfortune.
Climate catastrophes be damned...The oil,coal& gas industries elected Trumpolini and will not be restrained...by his administration.
Microplastic in your body and in everything we eat practically...called a hoax and not addressed.
The only thing sacred in this America is perpetuating& increasing corporate power and $$$
profits....The public be damned.
To end this nightmare scenario,people need to be educated(immigrants are powerless& not a threat whereas Trump & his toady GOP Trumpkins are democracy's enemies).
And most important,our citizens can't be indifferent,they need to vote because Trump & gang know that's the only way their scheme will be undone.Hence,their efforts at voter suppression.
Vote as if this is your last opportunity because it may be your last chance at a free fair election.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
— Frédéric Bastiat
I'm not sure if the quote above answers your question about billionaires being jerks, Mr Hightower, but I think it's relevant.
Truly excellent post, Mr. Hightower!
My bookshelves are loaded with the wisdom of hundreds of authors over the centuries. Those books are on my shelves because I chose to put them there. If the inventors of AI wish to permeate our society with the dubious output of their gadgetry, let the AI machines WRITE BOOKS! Human wisdom will decide whether they belong in our public or private libraries, or in the trash.
And these idiots live where regular folks don’t, so no chance for “accidental” fire to burn them out!