I disagree that the “billionaire narrative is ass” because it does help to unite people in the moment, however you’re right that billionaires are a symptom and not the cause.
The issue is not just the capitalist system in the west, it’s the fact that the overarching system of the world is capitalist, and capitalism operates by rewarding maximization of profit (by means of exploitation) with concentration of power.
So while the billionaires are a symptom rather than a cause, demonizing them helps to turn working class people – a lot of whom lack the education or context to understand the systemic issues creating billionaires – against the concept of concentration of power as reward.
In what way does the working class benefit from the anti-billionaire narrative, assuming that we live in an imaginary world where their goals are realized and reforms are put into place (which have no chance of happening in our world)? Who benefits from this if not nation states arming themselves for upcoming imperialist war or medium sized capitalists absorbing the company splits?
This narrative isn’t even being spearheaded by “the working class”, but progressive bourgeois standing to gain for it via either opportunism or the aforementioned capital absorption/takeover. Workers aren’t some goycattle that you need to tell who the enemy is and bam, you suddenly have class consciousness, that’s how the world works only in fiction.
My answer is in my initial comment and I don’t wish to elaborate, I am not emotionally attached to this opinion enough to defend it further.
I believe you have good reason to think that narrative is ass, I just disagree with you (for personal, idealist/optimist reasons that likely won’t change your mind), and I’m okay with that as I don’t think you believing that is causing any issues.
I disagree that the “billionaire narrative is ass” because it does help to unite people in the moment, however you’re right that billionaires are a symptom and not the cause.
The issue is not just the capitalist system in the west, it’s the fact that the overarching system of the world is capitalist, and capitalism operates by rewarding maximization of profit (by means of exploitation) with concentration of power.
So while the billionaires are a symptom rather than a cause, demonizing them helps to turn working class people – a lot of whom lack the education or context to understand the systemic issues creating billionaires – against the concept of concentration of power as reward.
At least, in my opinion, anyway.
In what way does the working class benefit from the anti-billionaire narrative, assuming that we live in an imaginary world where their goals are realized and reforms are put into place (which have no chance of happening in our world)? Who benefits from this if not nation states arming themselves for upcoming imperialist war or medium sized capitalists absorbing the company splits?
This narrative isn’t even being spearheaded by “the working class”, but progressive bourgeois standing to gain for it via either opportunism or the aforementioned capital absorption/takeover. Workers aren’t some goycattle that you need to tell who the enemy is and bam, you suddenly have class consciousness, that’s how the world works only in fiction.
My answer is in my initial comment and I don’t wish to elaborate, I am not emotionally attached to this opinion enough to defend it further.
I believe you have good reason to think that narrative is ass, I just disagree with you (for personal, idealist/optimist reasons that likely won’t change your mind), and I’m okay with that as I don’t think you believing that is causing any issues.