Billionaire Baloney

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Billionaire-Baloney-by-Tom-Aiken-100821-939.html

"I'm not a paranoid deranged millionaire, goddamnit. I'm a billionaire." - Howard Hughes

Warren Buffet, in conjunction with Bill Gates and a host of their billionaire familiars, recently announced, with what he must have felt amounted to deity-like largesse in this under-funded era, that he and the other party/parties aforementioned were hereby forking over half of their empires to charity come last call.

The announcement was made with embarrassingly calculated humility as the demi-gods preened and posed for the cameras. But there was an undercurrent to the proclamation, an ill wind, the unexpected promise of gifts pleading the question "What are they afraid of?"

Think about it: the whole situation almost feels like a joke -- Q: "How do you know you're growing up?" A: "The school bully tries to buy you off." These guys aren't stupid, you know -- it's all too obvious slight-of-hand upping the ante (as it were) now that we're surreptitiously sharpening our pitchforks. Somebody like Ted Turner made his fortune sniffing at the horizon... and these days the horizon smells decidedly Gaulish.

So they're going to bribe us, huh? Well, sorta.


First of all, each individual involved has enough money to cover the lifetime expenses of any given generation residing in any given small city near you. That established, you've got to bet all the disposition of funds and/or properties crap has been hammered out way in advance. These characters aren't called billionaires for nothing.

Okay, so far, so suspicious, right? Then, like a light bulb popping vibrant over your (self-reference here) decidedly numb skull, you realize these clowns are going to get full tax deductions on these "gifts," essentially cranking it downwards so the balance sheet reads more like they covered their real tax burden last year, and that's about it.


More at the link ---

[TreasonousBastard]

1. This tired bullshit starts to get really old after a while...

Yes, there ARE rich people in the world-- always were and always will be. Get used to it. Some of them are idle rich whose ancestors were smart enough or evil enough to make a few bucks, and some of them are smart enough or evil enough to make a few on their own.

Now, hate Microsoft as much as you want to, but just because Gates was a lot smarter than you or me and made tons of money he can't do anything right? Sounds a lot like sour grapes.

Warren Buffet's a bad guy now? Him too? Seems like last week he was one of those paragons showing us how the rich should behave. But, I guess he's just another useless rich scumbag who won't write me a check because I need a new car.

Yeah, Andrew Carnegie was one of the biggest scumbags in history the way he handled his employees-- and he believed they were inferior because they weren't smart or motivated enough to make him work for them. But, so what? He's dead, his employees are dead, and we have a lot of libraries.

But, hey, whether it's Jim Fisk, Steve Jobs, or Michael Jordan, the rich are automatically guilty for being rich and everything they do is suspect.

[aquart]

2. An apologist for the rich.

Michael Jordan earned his money. There was genuine sweat involved in his wealth accumulation.

But Jim Fisk......was clever enough to buy judges to rule in his favor through the greedy offices of Boss Tweed. You might not want to use Jim Fisk as your example. He was a crook to his eyeballs.

Warren Buffet isn't a bad guy. He KNOWS he's too rich. He KNOWS he's undertaxed. He's said so. This giving spree is a pointed statement that he has more than he will ever need or want.

Bill Gates, however, is the antiChrist and you would know that if you were in the industry. He never gave away a dime until he was publicly shamed for his spectacular lack of donations. Then he set up his foundation which is pouring millions in PRIVATIZING AMERICAN SCHOOLS. This man is insufficiently taxed.

Why you think people who gamed the system should be allowed to keep every dime they stole, well, that's between you and Mammon. They used the laws of this nation and you believe they have no obligation to keep this nation whole and well? Bloodsucking parasites, in other words. There is only one proper thing to do with parasites. Before they bleed you dead.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. What apologist? They exist, that's all, I made no value judgment. But...

why does Jordan "earn" his money while Gates doesn't? A good rebounder is worth more than a guy who pretty much invented an industry and put a few hundred thousand people to work? BTW, Gates was roundly trashed by guys like Ellison for giving money away. As antichrists go, I'd put Ellison a few steps ahead of Gates.

I threw Fisk in there specifically BECAUSE he was one of the worst in an age ruled by crooks. You missed my point that "the rich" are not simply a homogenous blend. Some earned it, some stole it, some lucked out and inherited it.

I don't for a minute think anyone who gamed the system should keep there ill-gotten gains, but sometimes they do, and there's nothing we can do about it. Whining about it doesn't help. And, who defines "gaming the system"? Making big money often means taking big risks and being creative-- are you going to decide where to draw the line between legitimate risk and fraud?

[Donnachaidh]

3. Did you READ the article?

Wealth worship in this country has pretty much allowed them to write their own ticket regarding taxes. But the idiots who think they are *just guys* can't be told otherwise. :eyes:

[mike r]

4. Good article

Tom Aiken lives in Austin, where Michael Dell recently became very charitable with his $175-million Dell Children's Medical Center.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Yes I read it and it was a long whine about how they gave the money away just...

to avoid taxes.

I agree that they are not taxed enough, but attacking them for what they give away is absurd and has nothing serious to do with taxation.

[Hannah Bell]

14. they don't "give" anything they don't expect to get back in triplicate.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Yes I read it and it was a long whine about how they gave the money away just...

to avoid taxes.

I agree that they are not taxed enough, but attacking them for what they give away is absurd and has nothing serious to do with taxation.

[w4rma]

5. America used to be under the thumb of Kings and Barons and Lords, too. (nt)

[Greyhound]

7. And they had their defenders then as well.

They are the dimwits that kept the door open for the re-birth of the parasites.

"And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance?" - TJ

[Hannah Bell]

9. the rich *are* guilty. gates & buffet are corrupt sons-of-bitches, & their "charity" is a fraud.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. *sigh*

[Hannah Bell]

13. *sigh* yourself. sucker every minute.

[Froward69]

6. The "Christmas sprit"

works wonders between Christmas day and Jan 1.

as if a "donation" is not given by Jan 1 then taxes become due Apr 15.

I always roll my eyes at the sudden influx of funds during that time... some charity workers call it the Christmas spirit I think of it as a tax dodge.

especially the ones who "donate" to their OWN charities on Dec 29. only to draw a paycheck for more on Jan 1.