Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 12 of 56
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    61,259
    Blog Entries
    4

    Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Just a general question for discussion's sake.

    I think it is an interesting topic. I'm not suggesting the socialist utopia that the AOC's and Bernie Sanders's of the world would have us jump headfirst into, but I do wonder if there should be something (what it is, I dont know) to stop these mega corporations that just keep gobbling up the market space, gobbling up other companies, etc.

    Just some interesting perspectives:
    Warren Buffett started working in the late 1950's and he is currently worth $101.1 billion. But, it took him practically his entire life to reach this point of wealth.
    Bill Gates is worth $127 billion, but he started his career in 1975 and it took him 20-30 years before he really became what he currently is (wealth wise).

    Then you look at someone like Jeff Bezos who started Amazon in the late-90's and became a billionaire after a few years in 1999. He's now arguably the wealthiest person in the world at $177 billion.

    I don't fault free market capitalism because literally anyone with a good idea and ambition can make some serious loot in this country, but at some point you do kind of look at these folks at the very tip top of earning power and go "do you really need all that?" And I get it...who the hell are we to tell someone else that they don't need something...or they've had enough.

    That said, I think the strongest argument for intervention with a lot of these folks isn't necessarily the money they earn, but the power they buy with government. That's the thing I believe most "average" citizens have an issue with. If they couldn't buy access and power into the government, I don't think it would be as big of an issue.

    I would be curious to hear what BuryRaven and some of those folks have to say on this topic.
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    21,926
    Blog Entries
    1

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Corpatism and socialism aren't that different.





  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    61,259
    Blog Entries
    4

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by NCRAVEN View Post
    Corpatism and socialism aren't that different.
    I would tend to agree. The few dictate the options for the many. They remove options that don't inherently boost their own gains and interests.
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  4. #4

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    When corporations get large enough that they are worth more than the GDP of entire countries and become defacto Governments that can control elections and free speech, than yes, they should be broken up.

    In the case of social media companies and companies that own vast amounts of cloud computing environments, I believe they should be treated like utilities and critical infrastructure.

    I am usually decidedly against Government regulation and taxation but its better than handing over control of our rights to a few unelected people like Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey.

    Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk





  5. #5

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Can we stop them? I think it’s too late.
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it’s funny how this pandemic worked out so well for the Waltons, Gates, Bezos and Zuch, and so poorly for almost everyone else on the planet.
    Did they just seize control of the planet?
    Maybe “The man who sold the world” is some Wuhan virologist that was bribed to let a virus escape.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





  6. #6

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by wickedsolo View Post
    Just a general question for discussion's sake.

    I think it is an interesting topic. I'm not suggesting the socialist utopia that the AOC's and Bernie Sanders's of the world would have us jump headfirst into, but I do wonder if there should be something (what it is, I dont know) to stop these mega corporations that just keep gobbling up the market space, gobbling up other companies, etc.

    Just some interesting perspectives:
    Warren Buffett started working in the late 1950's and he is currently worth $101.1 billion. But, it took him practically his entire life to reach this point of wealth.
    Bill Gates is worth $127 billion, but he started his career in 1975 and it took him 20-30 years before he really became what he currently is (wealth wise).

    Then you look at someone like Jeff Bezos who started Amazon in the late-90's and became a billionaire after a few years in 1999. He's now arguably the wealthiest person in the world at $177 billion.

    I don't fault free market capitalism because literally anyone with a good idea and ambition can make some serious loot in this country, but at some point you do kind of look at these folks at the very tip top of earning power and go "do you really need all that?" And I get it...who the hell are we to tell someone else that they don't need something...or they've had enough.

    That said, I think the strongest argument for intervention with a lot of these folks isn't necessarily the money they earn, but the power they buy with government. That's the thing I believe most "average" citizens have an issue with. If they couldn't buy access and power into the government, I don't think it would be as big of an issue.

    I would be curious to hear what BuryRaven and some of those folks have to say on this topic.
    As long as you are cool giving up half of your stuff. Because someone is going to look at you. And your stuff. And say you have too much. Your house is too big. Your car is too nice. It isn’t fair.





  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Bridgeville,DE
    Posts
    14,592

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by jonboy79 View Post
    Can we stop them? I think it’s too late.
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it’s funny how this pandemic worked out so well for the Waltons, Gates, Bezos and Zuch, and so poorly for almost everyone else on the planet.
    Did they just seize control of the planet?
    Maybe “The man who sold the world” is some Wuhan virologist that was bribed to let a virus escape.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Winner! End thread


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    61,259
    Blog Entries
    4

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vlad the lad View Post
    As long as you are cool giving up half of your stuff. Because someone is going to look at you. And your stuff. And say you have too much. Your house is too big. Your car is too nice. It isn’t fair.
    There are always going to be people with envy who look at others and see someone that has “too much”.

    What I’m referring to are the people and corporations that have amassed so much wealth and economic power that they have effectively become a government in and of themselves and they have created a monopoly with the federal government to influence public policy, economic policies, trade policies, and so on.

    If that wasn’t happening, it wouldn’t matter so much that there are people worth 177 billion. But the fact that they are using that wealth and power to influence public policies by buying off government officials…I don’t know. I think there is an argument to be made that those things should be broken up.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    61,259
    Blog Entries
    4

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by jonboy79 View Post
    Can we stop them? I think it’s too late.
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it’s funny how this pandemic worked out so well for the Waltons, Gates, Bezos and Zuch, and so poorly for almost everyone else on the planet.
    Did they just seize control of the planet?
    Maybe “The man who sold the world” is some Wuhan virologist that was bribed to let a virus escape.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I don’t think it’s a conspiracy so much as just positioning themselves to capitalize on any global event or catastrophe.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  10. #10

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vlad the lad View Post
    As long as you are cool giving up half of your stuff. Because someone is going to look at you. And your stuff. And say you have too much. Your house is too big. Your car is too nice. It isn’t fair.
    Yeah. I dont understand how people get sucked into ideas they would never foist on the common man, but target it towards the wealthy and suddenly people are willing to give it traction





  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    61,259
    Blog Entries
    4

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by blah3 View Post
    Yeah. I dont understand how people get sucked into ideas they would never foist on the common man, but target it towards the wealthy and suddenly people are willing to give it traction
    So, you're ok with the amount of power and influence some of these massive corporations and multi-multi-multi billionaires have?

    As I've said previously, I don't begrudge these guys whatsoever. If I could make a billion dollars, I'd certainly do it - who wouldn't? However, where I think a lot of people start to cast uneasy glances are when you see public and economic policy being generated time and time again that are pretty obviously influenced by these power brokers.
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  12. #12

    Re: Should Corporate Wealth Get Broken Up?

    Quote Originally Posted by blah3 View Post
    Yeah. I dont understand how people get sucked into ideas they would never foist on the common man, but target it towards the wealthy and suddenly people are willing to give it traction
    It’s the “pay their fair share” argument the media convinces them makes sense.
    The reality is, that it is the bottom half of the country not paying their fair share….


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Link To Mobile Site
var infolinks_pid = 3297965; var infolinks_wsid = 0; //—->