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Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World?
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That's great and all, but wouldn't it have been better if Gates had been taxed appropriately in the first place and then all citizens (at least theoretically, anyway) could have had a say in how that was allocated?
Relying on billionaires to allocate resources for public solutions seems more likely to just fund whatever billionaires care about, maybe not what is needed most, and definitely not toward anything which might pose a challenge to their status.
(Anand Giridharadas' <em>Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World</em> covers the subject quite well)
Definitely agree with you on the comment that using never is...almost never a good strategy.
Nonetheless I imagine what this overzealous individual is speaking to is a fairly legitimate point regarding how billionaires are highly invested in preserving the status quo. Much of their philanthropy, while coming from a good place (probably where I disagree with Oxytokin), serves to make society think that the current system will look out for the least fortunate when that is really not true. Significant reforms would be needed to do that properly, including but not limited to a return to very high marginal tax rates for extremely high earners.
The book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World speaks to this.
Rich people don't need to donate more to charity. That's inherently undemocratic, at least if they're doing it while paying a lower effective tax rate than the rest of us. They need to pay a disproportionate amount of actual taxes that are then spent on policies and programs we all democratically decide are worthwhile.
Again, I'll recommend Winners Take All.
>There's a popular misconception that all this wealth spread out would make much of a difference.
That's just utterly, completely wrong. You're the one with the misconception.
Wealth on the whole in America has continued to expand over the last few decades, but the lion's share of that wealth has gone to the very very rich. And those in the top 1% generally live years longer on average than those in the lower percentages. The mega-rich can pay for much better education for their children. Nearly every metric for quality of life has increased for the mega-rich as income inequality has worsened in America, and nearly all those metrics have stagnated or declined for everyone else.
Read Winners Take All to dispel this idea that the super rich hoarding all the wealth gains doesn't make any difference in society.
> My idea of fixing the government is minimizing it.
do me a favor and give this book a read. You may find it insightful or just bullshit, but I found it the former. Some societal problems just cannot be solved without government IMO and cannot be fixed with charitable giving.
It would make me very happy to hear you read it and to hear your thoughts on it, even if your thoughts don't end up in line with my own.
Spot fucking on! Check out Winners Take All, which speaks directly to this. Rich shitbags donate millions while the government they bought off cuts their taxes to the tunes of billions. Then the shitbags turn around and express concern that Universal Health Care will bankrupt the country.
It's just a game to these pricks, and we're the pawns.
I haven't read it yet, but this book sounds like it may be similar to what you're looking for. Winners Take All - link goes to the book on Amazon UK. I think I may pick up a copy myself!
If you read his book the basic premise is that right now there is a big focus on philanthropy when instead there should be a focus on fixing the broken system that allows a small group of people to accumulate massive wealth at the expense of 99% of others.
But using their philanthropy they are able to persuade the masses to keep the current system. How else can a democratic system exist where the top 5% own 66% of the wealth (United States).
The richest Americans would easily be defeated in a vote if the remaining population could get their act together.
Thanks for posting this. I've been so desensitised by the waves of TED-worthy solutionism way of thinking. Locally, the Yale-NUS kids are especially notorious for such ideas because THIS is the way they gain prestige among their circles. Doesn't matter if the ideas actually work, just need that notch on their CV and they're ready to ride it all the way to an upper management level in McKinsey.
Unfortunately, this will be the norm among the upper-middle and upper classes for a long time to come. Here are some books for those interested to learn more.
To Solve Everything, Click Here
Not to say that people shouldn't strive for social change, etc. But real change requires real grind and understanding. The people doing so aren't usually in the media limelight either.
"Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World " perhaps? I've not read the book but I've seen him speak on it and I recall the commentary on BE being one of interest.
A more dated by broad topic book might be "The Occupy Handbook"
OP I have a book for you to check out. https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249
Winners Take All, The Elite Charade of Changing the World. A great summary of how the wealthy create the very problems that the "good wealthy people" seek to solve.
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249
This is an excellent read on this type of behaviour:
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249
I recommend Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World on this subject.
This reminds me of the book "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World" by Anand Giridharadas.
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249
Our government programs are neglected and actively under attack by plutocrats from both major political parties. Our social funding/programs/government institutions have gone to shit under neoliberal ideology that dominates our policy in america today.
There's an entire book written on the topic if you would be so inclined: https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249
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