At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
What if we outlawed billionaires?
I mean, if you think about it, really, they do more damage than good. They exacerbate income inequality. And, in a sense, it's like a disease. They're basically hoarders. They hoard money rather than doing something with it. Just a thought...
Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
If they became billionaires, they would have to do the Carnegie Law...once you make your money you must give it all away and not to other greedy buggers but to places like animal shelters, saving the endangered species. People in hunger and, yes, climate control and garbage plus educating the people who throw waste. In fact, if any of these people ever showed themselves as big game hunters, they would be forced to care for the animals. If anyone showed their nose up to a starving person, they must work in that area for a minimum of a year. They can't have any of the creature comforts at that time either. In fact, I would look at the people who even make millions like Beyonce and the kardassiasses and if they can afford these mega homes and flaunt such wealth they must give that money they were going to spend on such lavish places and give it away. When Carnegie became older and had made his millions, he decided to give the money away and looked towards the arts which I think is, also, magnanimous.
ReplyDeleteOooh, that's an idea...
DeleteOn the flip side, what would be the incentive to build a big business that supplied things people needed and employed hundred of thousands if not more? We've had no private space travel on the horizon. No Tesla cars. And technically, no government. (Be nice if ours didn't waste all our tax dollars though.)
ReplyDeleteThe world would be a much better place. I think people being able to make just under a billion dollar business is incentive enough.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question to ponder.
ReplyDeleteIt fit B.
DeleteSome billionaires have done good things with their money. Didn't Bill Gates start a lot of foundations?
ReplyDeletebetty
I would say not if they have lot of charitable foundations!
ReplyDeleteI do think of Andrew Carnegie (the library benefactor) and Bill Gates, just to name two people - and yes, even Warren Buffett. It's what they do with their money that counts. I am not totally against billionaires, at least self-made ones. The next generation can be a different story, if they aren't raised right.
ReplyDeleteA modification of the outlaw, then? Perhaps the money couldn't be inherited? (Of course, they'd find a loophole for that...)
DeleteThat was basically what happened in the Bolshevik revolution, although it was more implied, I believe. There is always someone who will hoard power, wealth, resources, etc. Greed is a disease that manifests itself in many forms. Clear the Clutter to Avoid Burnout
ReplyDeleteAnd the French Revolution to a lesser extent.
DeleteHow in the world would you do that? Like maybe if it had been place for years and years I could see it working, but I don't know how you would even start to put a law like that in place. And then what? The billionaires move to another country? This is a super complicated question.
ReplyDeleteIt is. And I didn't specify, so you get to play with the question as you will.
DeleteHAHA....I would have nothing to worry about !!!!!
ReplyDeleteMe neither.
DeleteCouldn't disagree with you more. And once you outlaw billionaires *eye roll* then it's the millionaires. Then it's the next down the line. No one is entitled to anyone elses earned money.
ReplyDeleteI guess that is why there are taxes. But, coming to think of it, it's not a good solution to hoarding because the tax goes to the government and there is no control on what the government does with our money.
ReplyDeleteMay be there should a rule that beyond a limit, a part of the income should necessarily go to a charity or a well-recognized group that works for people who really need help.
Oooh, that would be nice. Hard to legislate, though.
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