You’re three bad months away from being homeless.
You will never be three good months away from being a billionaire.
How do we stop people from defending billionares and trillion dollar companies?
Submitted 2 weeks ago by LarryBetraitor@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Comments
MushuChupacabra@piefed.world 2 weeks ago
Greg@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I think I could become a billionaire if I started off as a trillionaire
DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Naaah. If you were a trillionaire, you’d have activated the cheat code to be wealthy for at least 4 generations, and who cares about your great-grandkids really?
SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Platforms like twitter and facebook (and many “news” companies) brainwash their users, mostly by providing multiple different lies. Users pick whichever lie appeals to them the most, and they pretend they have found the truth.
To combat this, we need to emphasize the importance of thinking critically and verifying claims.
State the facts. Correct their misconceptions. Emphasize that billionaires are intentionally killing us all; lazy thinkers might reconsider if there is a possibility their life is at stake. I’m not saying threaten them, but we are all threatened by human greed.
The people you’re talking to might not listen, but someone else might. Sometimes it just takes repetition to get through to someone, hearing the same clear message from multiple different sources.
Crackhappy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Education. But you can clearly see the defects of the last 40 years of defunding and deriding education.
godsammitdam@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Education is the best way
Exactly why Reagan defunded higher education and every republican administration has dismantled public education.
“Our biggest fear is an educated proletariat.” Not my words, but those of the Reagan administration.
LordMayor@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
You have to convince them that they won’t someday be billionaires themselves. And, convince them they don’t want to be billionaires.
GolfFoxtrotLima@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Yeah, well said. Too many people are delusional
Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 2 weeks ago
Shame. Cultural norms and taboos are reproduced through shame.
Look down on them. Call them bootlickers. Be clear that you think you’re better than them. Make jokes at their expense. Roll your eyes. Leave them out of things.
That’s how a culture exercises soft power against manners we think are unacceptable.
Equinox1289@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Advocate for stakeholder socialist policies like worker and consumer coöps that would render billionaires impossible.
andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
This. Arguing with people online is – with all due respect – a complete waste of time if your goal is to change the world.
Ignore the people who have dumb opinions. It isn’t as though if you win 500 arguments Elon Musk donates all his money to Socialism.
Go join a tenant’s union or a mutual aid society. Go build the alternative world that doesn’t transfer all our money upward.
(Also, though, if you do this long enough there will likely be a revolution. But that part comes after you feed and shelter enough people that it begins to become a threat to capital. It’s downstream. Either way, don’t bother trying to persuade strangers on the internet,)
MidsizedSedan@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That site that showed how rich bezos is
bstix@feddit.dk 2 weeks ago
Be vocal about it. Not just online. Word of mouth is much stronger than a thousand online posts.
Posting about it on the fediverse does jack shit, because we already agree. Posting on Facebook or shitter where the boot lockers are also does jack shit, because the algorithm will sort your opinion out of where it needs to be, and it’s cost free for them to post their angry indoctrinated talking points.
However there’s absolutely nothing Zuckerberg or Musk can do to stop you from expressing your opinion to your family and friends in real life.
I’m fucking done with avoiding topics of politics out of politeness at family gatherings. I have absolutely no desire to cozy up in unspoken agreements of class war or racism or fascism.
I speak up, and so should you. Keep in mind that you need to repeat a point at least 3 times before they even begin thinking about it themselves. And that’s what you want: Them to start thinking. They will come to right conclusion if they just start thinking.
FearMeAndDecay@literature.cafe 2 weeks ago
You have to instill class consciousness in them, which is extremely difficult to do, especially in the usa bc our public education system in many places lies and says that this is a meritocracy when it’s not. So people believe that if they just work hard and do what they’re told then they’ll get rich. And when that obviously doesn’t happen, the republican party points towards whatever minority group they’ve selected for that election cycle and says “it’s their fault”
Like I said, actually getting people to understand that they have more in common with the poorest, queerest, immigrant than they do with a white cishet billionaire is really difficult, but the best way to do it is to redirect the conversation from minority groups to the actual problem. For example, if someone complains that immigrants are stealing their jobs then don’t start with a denial or disagreeing with them. Say, “you’re right. Companies hiring undocumented immigrants for less than or just minimum wage does depress wages for Americans. Companies that do this should be adequately punished and we should streamline our process for getting documents for undocumented immigrants. That way companies can’t take advantage of them or depress the wages of americans either.” Some people won’t listen bc they don’t want to learn, but if you keep trying eventually some people will listen and learn
Also try to get them to understand just how much money a trillion or even a billion dollars is
Nomad@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Mostly independent media. Throw in a ban on advertising if you are already at it. Probably not realistic, maybe just much harsher rules on obvious lies and political influencing campaigns in media. Much harsher prosecution.
Malica@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Explain to them exactly how much a billion dollars is, so they understand
DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
How much do you want to invest in ammo and a solid backing wall?
actionjbone@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
It’s easy! Simply eliminate all people.
Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
And how do we that?
It’s simple, we kill The Batman.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
If they’re being paid off you can’t stop them. You have to stop the billionaires first, then the payoff money stops flowing and all of a sudden the arrogant and petty petit bourgeoisie are on their own desperately trying to convince you that they were on your side all along.
betelplouf@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Education, help your community, try to help people around you getting out of their job thoughts and doing something they actually like, meet new people
GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
That’s the fun part. You don’t. It’s human nature, at least for neurotypical hominids to submit to confident icons, even when that confidence is unearned and grounded in hubris, not competence. Wealth makes people very confident, even about things they don’t actually understand. You’re not going to educate them into abandoning millions of years of human instinct. What you can do is make people angry enough at the current crop of billionaires they’re ready to put them up against the wall tell them you have a way to keep terrible people from getting that obscenely wealthy again, and then do it… with the knock on effect of making that level of obscene wealth disparity systemically impossible for anyone. That’s going to make people angry too though, you’re probably going to end up crucified for it, because you know, it’s a country of temporarily embarrassed billionaires.
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
“Defending” when accused of what? The question is somewhat meaningless without knowing that.
LarryBetraitor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I just hate the idea of someone defending a billionare or trillion dollar company for any reason. There is no legitamite reason for them to even exist, since there’s no way to obtain THAT MUCH ammount of money without unethical deeds. And anytime you criticize them on ANYTHING, people will still do mental gymnastics to defend these evildoers to act like unpaid PR.
Example: “So what if shipping isn’t ACTUALLY free? They HAVE to bake shipping costs into the actual product in order to make a profit!”
Like, congradulations! You are correct! What did that acomplish for you? Other than the fact that you succesfully defended false advertising and ripping people off and terrible customer service in general. Why even care that they make more profit to begin with?!
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
I just hate the idea of someone defending a billionare or trillion dollar company for any reason.
Then you have a very simplistic worldview. There are many disputes where different large companies are adversarial to each other, so if you have an opinion about them at all, you need to defend one of them.
For example occasionally media companies will try to get laws passed in various countries to make social media platforms pay for linking to journalistic. A stupid and nonsensical idea for many reasons, but by calling it that, I may have just “defended” Meta?
SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 2 weeks ago
Don't bother answering a purposely daft question.
CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Take control of the media.
People don’t like to admit it and they hate it when you say it usually, but TBH if you put something on blast on the news, most people will go along with it even if it’s fairly crazy. Or at least, enough people to get what you want done.
There’s a reason why oligarchs almost always buy some sort of media network once they get to a certain point of wealth.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
you would have to stop all the MSM from airing news in a certain way, like no tabloid/opinion pieces.
LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Puch them square in the jaw
jumping_redditor@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
stop comparing them to people with reasonable retirement savings and actually make good points instead of bullshit “evil” and “facism”
AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Guns and ammo. Voting isn’t sufficient. Peaceful protest isn’t sufficient unless you can organize a national strike - which won’t happen.
AskewLord@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
You don’t. If you can’t handle someone having different opinions/ideas than you, you’re the fascist.
DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
There are times when there are objectively bad opinions. For instance - and very on-topic, showing support for a conglomerate that is actively acting against your best interests.
plyth@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
More power, more reputation. People automatically flock to trillion dollar companies.
If you want to stop people you have to stop it for all companies. You have to make brands less important.
frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
Stop letting them participate in society. Shun the fuck out of them.
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Ridicule.
o0evillusion0o@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Kill them all.
laranis@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
While technically this solves the problem it doesn’t prevent new idiots from being made. That takes much harder, structural changes including education and new policy guard rails.
Jax@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
That takes much harder, structural changes including education and new policy guard rails.
Tell me how we get there when the people who support Trump are required to go along with this?
impairedimperator@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
This is impossible.
Jax@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Oh I think you could get conservatives to inject just about anything if a liberal tells them not to do it.
lmdnw@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
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Stop allowing cuts to education and stop advancing kids who can’t comprehend the material for that grade. The world will always need ditch diggers. Telling a future ditch digger that they’re smart enough to graduate when they can’t read and/or comprehend at their grade level, if at all, is doing that child and society as a whole a disservice. Not only does it set up that child to then become an arrogant adult, but it deprives society of the documentation, or lack thereof, that this person is not, and should not be, considered any sort of authority on anything other than ditch digging.
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Understand that some people are actually evil and don’t deserve to live.
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sunsofold@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I sound like a broken record but, BAN ADVERTISING. Along with all the pretty well established secondary bad effects of advertising, the most basic direct effect of it is lying to people. If people weren’t deluged daily with lies about how they should think of this or that company, they wouldn’t be so readily deluded into thinking of a company like a person with a positive effect on their world.
potato_lemon@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
This. ☝🏻 We gotta ban advertising.
squirrel@cake.kobel.fyi 2 weeks ago
This. ☝🏻 We gotta ban advertising.
jumping_redditor@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
only if it’s actually banned and not allowing loopholes for “the government” and “public good”
hanrahan@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
im. ok with the government advertising there’s an election coming up on date x, or be sure to get your vaccination etc but any political party advertising , their party policy platform can be on the government website but all commercial advertising should be banned.
Rothe@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
But this is kind of circular logic. We need to convince people to stop defending trillionaires in order to be able to ban advertising or make any meaningful change at all.
sunsofold@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
No, we just have to outnumber or overpower the fools who defend them. We don’t need 100% agreement, just enough to get a ban in place.