Heads up, Musk! If we add up all the worlds 3,000 billionaires, and confiscated EVERY dollar, it still wouldn’t pay off the national debt.

Photo above – Ah-nold appeared in 6 Terminator films and videogames. Now they’re paying off - he's a billionaire. “I don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear, And I will not stop, ever, until you are dead . . . ”

I feel like such a fool. All those evenings after work, sitting at home, watching re-runs of “Seinfeld”. Who knew I was making Jerry a billionaire with residuals from those old shows? I would have spent my time listening to Bruce Springsteen on Spotify. Wait . . . he just become a billionaire too? (See link below). Evidently the path to wealth is (A) do something popular in your thirties, and (B) collect royalties on that stuff for-evah!!! Springsteen, Seinfeld, and Schwarzenegger are all in their 70’s.

Collectively, the 3,000 billionaires on Forbes list are worth $16 Trillion. That sounds like a lot, until you compare it to the national debt of $37 Trillion. Left leaning economists tell us that America’s $37 trillion national debt doesn’t matter. Then they pivot and scream that these billionaires are obscenely wealthy and should be taxed into penury. Which is it, guys? Please get your story straight.

How did these 3,000 actors, singers, professional athletes, and CEOs on corporate hamster wheels get there? Not by spending twice as much each year as they receive in income. Which is how the US government operates. In fact . . . it’s right there in the constitution, isn’t it? Spend twice as much as you collect in taxes every year? It’s not? Please google this and double check while I continue my rant.

In case you were wondering, Elon Musk is still the world's richest guy. Even after all those losses on X/Twitter, Tesla stock price cratering, and failed efforts to colonize Mars with his 14 baby mommas. At least Elon came by his billions honestly. Most people I meet use Twitter, aspire to own a Tesla, and probably belong on Mars.

In fact, 8 of the 10 richest Forbes guys are icons of American exceptionalism: Zuckerberg, Bezos, Steve Ballmer, Larry Page. Quit your bitchin’ if you ever had a Facebook profile. Ordered something from Amazon (like a Firestick). Or installed Windows on your PC and then googled something. You’re part of the problem. Turn off your iPhone or PC right now, if you want to bring those smirking rich bastards down a notch or two.

I’m not happy that the Man from Mars who’s eatin’ cars (Elon Musk) is apparently running the US government. Trump should have told us this was his plan, before the election. In fact, I’ve frequently suggested that BOTH parties’ candidates should name their cabinets in advance, during the campaign. So that we can crowdsource all the stupid things they’ve said and done. Or they can flip the bird to the candidate because they’re already billionaires and don’t want to put their wealth in a blind trust to avoid a conflict of interest. Something that apparently never came up in discussions with Musk. Telsa Cybertrucks are being modded for a tryout as military vehicles. Hey . . . that could be worth billions too, right? All he needs to do is make them fireproof. They’re already bulletproof-ish.

Congrats to the 288 NEW billionaires who made the list. Condolences to those who dropped off, because they decided to spend some money and enjoy life. At least the tax man won’t get it, and you’re having some fun in your golden years. Cher and Madonna – stop spending billions on plastic surgery, though. It’s irrelevant at your age.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Jerry Seinfeld, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Springsteen all new billionaires

Forbes Real Time Billionaires List - The World's Richest People

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Captain · 61-69, M

"Most people I meet use Twitter, aspire to own a Tesla, and probably belong on Mars" - priceless - but I do think the rich should have to spend their millions otherwise trickle down economics doesnt work and there are a lot of very poor Americans in the richest country in the world, probably poorer and a higher percentage than poor Brits. I was having a chat earlier with some guys and it made me realise, and I stand by this, Switzerland has the best ideas - national service for all - and use it to create infrastructure and do civil work when wars are a bit slack, stricter inheritance rules to promote equality of opportunity, and proper nationally owned infrastructure. Not socialist or free enterprise but a system that gives everyone the same start and skill sets that fits them all to contribute to society. The richest country in the world having poverty is not a good thing. Now you can have a go at me for being a limey socialist - but I will be genuinely interested in your views. Best Regards. M

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Captain trickle down economics has obvious flaws. but compared to a soviet style economy, or living in the a 3rd world kleptocracy where government officials own or control everything, democracy and capitalism has a certain charm.

if we want to improve the earnings of the typical worker, it's tough hill to climb. we need to do things like . . .

1 - have high school graduates who read and write at more than a 5th grade level.

2 - have a 95% graduation rate. not 50-60% like in the inner cities

3 - end gang recruitment of teens. once you've gone to prison, you're pretty much unemployable for anything except manual labor or working an restaurant kitchen.

4 - discourage/diminish/end narcotics use. Even alcohol abuse is a huge impediment to keeping a decent job.

5 - end all personal income taxes (state and federal) for those earning less than the poverty level for their state/region.

Captain · 61-69, M

@SusanInFlorida I think I agree with all of those.
In the UK we've had some success with eduction in tragetting inner cities, and guess what - now the underperfomers are rural white males - all discrimination is bad - positive or negative.

Introduce the Swiss model of compulsary national service, but have national service include infrastructure improvements, and civil work currently subcontracted, and working in services like health and welfare. At the end of national service everyone should have skills devleoped in trades valuable to the community and be able to work.
Presumablely this would go someway to keeping gangs off the street because they'd all be in uniform and then in a useful job.
Myabe if its done correctly it would reduce drug use because the earlier years drug offenders would be under supervision ( in oractise it may work th eofther way around)
And the last one means have wealth taxes and increase the tax on rich people so poor people got more benefit.

The wage differential where a fooballer earns millions a year, the median minimum wage is £37k outside London and £47k inside London and the minimum wage is £24k year after 21 and the minimum pension per year is £3k per year or £12k per year depending on your nat insurance payments it isnt going to create a fair society is it ? A few have an immense amount more than the many. Governments are populated by the rich and lobbied by the rich and promoted by the rich, and the poor support the rich which is crazy but where we are.

I think AI could be used to solve this problem to some extent. Skilled jobs could be seriously deskilled. The barrier to that is skilled workers will push against such changes.

I think there is a housing issue as well in that peole who could be working effectively in industries are buy to let landlords when social housing could meet these needs and they could be doing somethign more productinve for the community with their skills. The other factor here is house builders dont want to build houses cheaply when they can get more money of they perpetuate the housing shortages by reducing supply. Supply and demand price driven economics does not give everyone a home and is a barrier to social mobility.

But for the super rich who have more money than they will ever be able to spend it has to come down to a wealth tax. Unpopular as it sounds there is no point in the most talented and succesful people not somehow contrubributing the most proportionallly to society and although billioanaires cannot fund a country, there is an odd taper where the mid range skilled workers pay the most tax whilst the richest and the poorest pay less. Some high profile rich people give it back anyway, but many don't and that money has no velocity. It is the velocity of money that fuels living standards, not the supply, and to get the velocity of money up requires a wealth tax. Massively unpopular but if I was worng, more and more countries would not be seriously looking at it,

Im not a politican or an expert in economics but I can see that young people like my son (22) and old people like me cannot get jobs, cannot afford housing, and are wasted resouces. Meanwhile 30-40 year old top earners are probably over working - why - because they know if they dont they wont get a chance to again. Thats where I think the financial part of this equation is broken.

Doint tell me youve all got different opinions and Im wrong. Im not going to defent this view. You asked for this view. Ive given it - and I have to say reluctantly - becuase I know all sort of people will be annoyed with me - but my focus is always on the greater good.

Best Regards

M

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