• IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    22 days ago

    It’s what I don’t understand about the ultra rich … a billionaire has enough money to live comfortably for one lifetime, and they would only use a fraction of their wealth to do it … yet they want to acquire even more wealth, as much as possible and it any wealth they do achieve is only accelerated because it means they can gain more faster.

    It’s like finding a mountain of sugar, you eat it and it makes you feel great and you can eat as much of it as you like, you’ll never be able to eat all of it, even if you tried … but no matter what anyone says, you still want more sugar.

    When you describe this scenario with money, its a normal conversation … if you said anyone wants a billion of something … like a billion collector cards, a billion cats, a billion motorcycles, a billion sandwiches, you’re considered nuts … but if you want a billion dollars, that’s perfectly normal

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
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      21 days ago

      Addiction

      Literal money addiction.

      Ever known anyone with a proper hard drug addiction? Them fuckers will do anything to get their fix. So will the rich. But their addiction just gives them more and more power to practice their addiction.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        21 days ago

        I do know a lot about addictions and addict … I’m a recovered alcoholic myself … over 30 years sobriety now.

        And I have heard of these people described as addicts suffering from an addiction. One of the first signs of addiction is in how your addiction negatively affects your life … the other signs include how your addiction negatively affects the lives of others around you.

        So why don’t we treat excessive, unnecessary and wasteful wealth and power as an addiction that severely affects society. We treat alcoholism and drug addiction with great shame … but if we collect, consume and horde endless wealth while it negatively affects our lives and the lives of millions of people -> that is perfectly normal and acceptable.

        • Dasus@lemmy.world
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          21 days ago

          So why don’t we treat excessive, unnecessary and wasteful wealth and power as an addiction that severely affects society

          Because the money addicts also happen to have all the power.

          D’you know what the first thing a drunk says when you call him a drunk? “I’m not a drunk”, while getting visibly upset and often violent.

          The money addicts have all the money and all the power. And they all support each other in their delusions. And it’s not just some random delusion, it’s a global paradigm. So it’s kinda hard to point out their delusions when theyre shared by billions of wannabe rich people.

          Even when we’re literally destroying the only planet known to support life.

          • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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            21 days ago

            I suppose it’s like the saying in treatment and recovery …

            “usually the last person to find out a person is an alcoholic … is the alcoholic”

            • Dasus@lemmy.world
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              21 days ago

              But in this case, the alcoholic’s alcoholism is being evaluated by other drunks.

              “Wha…? A fifth to s-s-start your day ish chompletely… hick nhormal.”

              “Aghreed.”

    • slazer2au@lemmy.worldM
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      21 days ago

      What’s even stupider is any billionaire doesn’t even have a billion in liquid capital, the vast majority of their networth is in shares from the companies they own and it’s in their interest to not dump a bunch of stock.

      • BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        21 days ago

        Yup and they get money not on dividends but loans with the expectation the loans appreciate, then pay it off gradually with their liquid capital they earn through dividends then. So being that wealthy is precipitated upon infinite growth essentially.

    • Lemmayng@lemmy.world
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      22 days ago

      “It’s like finding a mountain of sugar, you eat it and it makes you feel great and you can eat as much of it as you like, you’ll never be able to eat all of it, even if you tried … but no matter what anyone says, you still want more sugar.”

      Holy shit, this is a damn good metaphor! Hats off to you, mate!

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        22 days ago

        I was just commenting on the fly … but my favourite comparison is in using bananas … it would be like owning a mountain of bananas the size of Mount Everest, and telling everyone that they can’t touch the mountain or eat any of it … while the owner could never possibly ever be able to eat the whole mountain.

    • Batman@lemmy.world
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      22 days ago

      in my mind these people are working with a mutually assured destruction model. they are all constantly fucking with each other financially, it’s impossible not to with how much they own to not buy things from each other occasionally at the expense of another.

      so I’m a billionaire imagining me practivslly giving my assets away in an auction. there are now a team of billionaires who can do literally whatever they want to me and there is literally no where on earth that can protect me. for a penance they could have me executed without consequences and I’ve given them each motive.

    • ORbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      22 days ago

      It’s like finding a mountain of sugar, you eat it and it makes you feel great and you can eat as much of it as you like, you’ll never be able to eat all of it, even if you tried … but no matter what anyone says, you still want more sugar.

      This is the weirdest analogy ever. Why sugar specifically? Why not just, you know… food?

    • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
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      22 days ago

      I don’t remember who said it, but I’m pretty sure the wealthy admitted themselves that they are in competition with each other on how much their net worth is. It is purely just trying to one-up each other. I’m not saying I’m wealthy but I kinda get why they do it.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        22 days ago

        I really don’t care if people want to compete with each other … but when your activities start affecting the lives of millions of people, causing them death, early death, unstable lives, hunger, pain, misery, then it becomes a problem on insanity causing untold misery … you can have your competition with others as long as it doesn’t involve anyone else