So....
Some gut feelings...
1) All people are not born equal... but they should be
2) Capitalism is pretty effective in getting capital to go where it will increase wealth.
3) Capitalism is blind to where capital `should' go, it goes where it increases wealth
4) Economic Power is Political Power is Philosophical Power
5) Political Power should not be hereditary, but neither should economic power
6) Most conflict is caused by inflexible dogma
5 comments:
1. this is a great injustice.
5. perhaps broadly, though I think this oversimplifies, and I'm not sure what philosophical power is.
I think 20th century america saw, probably the biggest decoupling of political and economic power in history.
The thing is... the power of the head of a modern day corporate which spans the globe is probably more extensive than that of many kings of the past. Well, at least if that leader is also the primary shareholder, e.g. Gates, Branson, Jobs.
We may be moving in the direction of a decoupling of that power, but we are still far to dependent on luck of the draw in terms of who our parents are and where we are born.
I don't disagree with your second paragraph, but I very much disagree with your first.
Though I should probably ask what you mean by power. the fact the I'm willing to do humiliating things for $10 000 000 doesn't mean he has power over me. I think Bill Gates has relatively little power, very much less than many, or most, politicians.
so. whaddaya mean by power????
I will have to expand on that I guess...
To me, power means caoacity to get the things you want done.
If Bill Gates wants to get rid of malaria in the next 10 years, he doesn't have to convince anyone. He has the resources to attempt that goal. A politician would have to convince everyone that that is more important than a number of other goals.
If Bill decides he wants to build a huge statue of himself he can.
If Bill wants to go anywhere in the world on a fancy jet he can. No one can question whether said expense is justified. If he thinks its fine, it's fine.
Yes, even he can't do illegal stuff, but if he wants to do something and it is legal... Go Bill Go.
Politicians need buy in.
thats fine.
We disagree on what power means.
politicians need to convince people to give them power, but they then have it in the sense that I mean, and in a sense that bill doesn't.
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