Global elite told at London’s Savoy hotel of real risk of ‘civil disruption’ if more is not done to help struggling millions
    •  randy   ( @randy@lemmy.ca ) English
      5•1 year ago

      You aren’t wrong, but ultimately actions matter more than reasons. I’d rather have someone acting decent out of fear rather than acting indecent.

      •  Hot Saucerman   ( @dingus@lemmy.ml ) English
        3•1 year ago

        Bullshit. This is how Christianity works. People fear damnation for their darkest impulses and they don’t hold back because they’ve become a better human and realize why those are dark impulses, they hold back and don’t do it because they’re afraid of sky-daddy.

        I’ve literally had one of these fucking freaks approach a philosophy group I was part of at a local coffee shop. It became creepily more and more apparent, as he kept referring to scenarios like rape and murder, that really the only thing holding him back was fear of Holy retribution. He basically admitted that if he were to become an atheist like us that “nothing would stop him.”

        It was eye opening and fucking disturbing, so no, I don’t agree at all that “ultimately actions matter more than reasons.”

  •  archpaladin1   ( @archpaladin1@lemmy.sdf.org ) English
    8•1 year ago

    She said many rich people wanted to set up their own educational or health foundations without checking whether there was a need or an existing charity or government-funded programme working to address the issue.

    When the rich only think about charity as a means to further their own name, it’s no wonder nothing ever really gets fixed.

    •  AllonzeeLV   ( @AllonzeeLV@vlemmy.net ) English
      4•1 year ago

      Its worse than that. A corporation starts a charity or gives 100k to one. Real nice right? Nope.

      They will:

      1. use that to decrease their tax burden, robbing the commons of their share of taxes to repair the infrastructure their semi-trucks and businesses disproportionately use and tear up, the public educated, pre-literate workforce they have access to, and then…

      2. they ADVERTISE how noble they are, spending millions upon millions in ad buys to tell you what how awesome they are for donating that 100k. They use the guise of what is supposed to be giving with no expectation of return, ie “charity,” as a marketing strategy, and then…

      3. They use such initiatives as lobbying tools to explain why their industry doesn’t need to be taxed to institutionally, societally address the issue that is currently subject to the transient whims of charity.

      There is nothing a publically traded corporation does that isn’t done out of greed, that isn’t calculated to provide more return than dispursment. Nothing.

      Charity with any expectation of return, beyond a warm fuzzy feeling inside, isn’t charity at all, but there is a word for it: a transaction.

  •  Purpureo   ( @Purpureo@lemmy.ca ) English
    5•1 year ago

    Having studied history, I am increasingly convinced that nothing brings about violent revolution like an incompetent ruling class mismanaging difficult times. Revolutions are also pretty unpleasant things through which to live though, so hopefully the times will get easier or the ruling classes more competent.

  •  Corvus Nyx   ( @CorvusNyx@beehaw.org ) English
    1•1 year ago

    Our laws and our governments are failing us. Poverty is rampant: education is expensive, housing is expensive. Our planet is slowly becoming irreparably harmed within our lifetimes thanks to climate change driven by the appetites of the rich. Greed is driving inflation of basic necessities. Greed and sheer arrogance is wrecking many of our distractions, like streaming video (Netflix’s subscription nonsense, and YouTube’s 3 strikes against ad blocking), social media (Reddit), and so much more. LGBTQ+, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, PoC, women, among many others, are being dehumanized as wedge issues for the political right for their and the rich’s personal gain.

    If pitchforks and torches come out - they’re well earned.