Total billionaire wealth in the EU reached €2.4 trillion by late November, exceeding Italy's entire GDP of €2.2 trillion and approaching France's €2.9 trillion economy, a new Oxfam report found.
    • Digit@lemmy.wtfEnglish
      4·
      1 day ago

      “Ferengi labourers don’t want to stop the exploitation; they want to find a way to become the exploiters.”

    • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.worldEnglish
      52·
      2 days ago

      I have seen comments like this thousands of times, but I’ve never seen a single example of anyone genuinely expressing this sentiment.

      • monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 days ago

        I don’t think they verbalize it in the same way. But you will hear them saying they don’t want to raise taxes, thinking it will affect them with their low income. Taxes can be targeted at the ultra-wealthy, but low-information people have been made to believe they will be taxed.

        The ultra-wealthy have made a significant investment into making the sentiment that taxes are bad be overinflated. They also have successfully invested to make a lot of taxes specifically target the middle and lower classes.

        • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.worldEnglish
          25·
          2 days ago

          But you will hear them saying they don’t want to raise taxes, thinking it will affect them with their low income.

          You presume to know what they’re thinking, you mean. Have you never considered the possibility that they’re simply adhering to the point of view that you shouldn’t have to pay over and over for the ‘privilege’ of continuing to own what you own?

          Taxes can be targeted at the ultra-wealthy, but low-information people have been made to believe they will be taxed.

          You assume they believe that because they’re ignorant. But what if they just know their history? The income tax started with the exact same promise, a tax targeting only the wealthy, but somehow, we all have to pay it now, too.

          The populace has every reason to be skeptical of taxes ‘targeting’ only the wealthiest among us.

          • monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            1 day ago

            You assume they believe that because they’re ignorant. But what if they just know their history? The income tax started with [the exact same promise](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/the-income-tax-in-1913-a-way-to-soak-the-rich), a tax targeting only the wealthy, but *somehow*, we all have to pay it now, too.

            I addressed that as well. The wealthy have invested a lot in pushing taxes down to the lower and middle classes. They also have invested a lot to push their agenda.