• GiuseppeAndTheYeti@midwest.social
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    9 days ago

    Look, I’m fully aware that this won’t sit well with the billionaires are horrifying monsters that not only should be slain but should be strung up in the town square and be given the blood eagle…BUT if you’re going to make the argument that traffic fines or any other monetary penalties should be a percentage of your net wealth or yearly income, then you have to acknowledge that giving away half of your lifetime earnings is a tremendous act of good will.

    Now–there is a difference between me giving up $5000 of my roughly $11,000 in liquidity. We still have around $40,000 in student loan debt and $120k in a 25 year mortgage while we make about $100k per year. And these billionaires could still buy a second house in Cabo with a helipad using what is remaining, but it is SOMETHING. If they truly are “spurning” their billionaire status they should start with giving away half their fortune and continue to give away half their yearly income on top of that, but I won’t totally disregard the contribution that they’ve already made. Unless they’re republican. Then I’m nearly certain that money is going exactly where it shouldn’t.

    • NewNewAccount@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      And these billionaires could still buy a second house in Cabo with a helipad using what is remaining

      Important to remember just how much a billion dollars is. Even a billionaire who has only $500m after giving away half would be able to buy a dozen of those properties. A multi-billionaire could potentially buy hundreds of similar properties with money left over. A billion dollars is a TREMENDOUS amount of money.

      • DancingBear@midwest.social
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        8 days ago

        A hundred million dollars is 10% of one billion.

        $100,000,000 is only ten percent of a billion dollars.

        I personally, am a kind of guy who likes to walk around with ten thousand dollars cold hard cash. But I always keep it in my dirty socks so they will be sure to get foot fungus when they rob me.

        And my feet get real sweaty, too.

        Haha!

        I line my socks with fake two dollar bills from the monthly potluck Alesha or whatever her name is always brings. I bring stuff sometimes, too.