This is what happens when successive US governments fail to tackle inequality. While millions of people live in poverty, a handful grow unimaginably rich. Wealth begets wealth, and they acquire political power to match. It was inevitable that one of them – now the richest man on Earth – would launch what looks like a bid for world domination…
I liked that in ancient Roman Republic, the rich at least competed with each other by seeing who could provide the best stuff to the poor, like baths, arenas, temples, aqueducts, roadways, etc.
And if you weren’t helping, you’d be shamed and later on they could just kill you and take your money.
The modern rich are so uncreative, it’s quite sad.
Charity is a cold grey loveless thing. If a rich man wants to help the poor, he should pay his taxes gladly, not dole out money at a whim.– Clement Attlee
This is what should be, at this point I’d take the Roman way though. Fucking hell I’d take Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller over the current oligarchs that seemingly want to cull us all
“Charity is the drowning of justice in the craphole of mercy.” - Pestalozzi