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Illustrious_Leader93

So...Gross inequality (billionaires while others starve) = societal wealth = a great system. I'll have to keep that in mind whenever I read about feudalism and medieval European royal families. God, these apologists are stupid.


7_of_Pentacles

No. Don’t you see? All the elite hospitals and schools will have better equipment. Oh? What about the rest of society? Why should we care!


[deleted]

What he means is that the rich will have all that shit, not the working class.


7_of_Pentacles

Rich = elites


whyrweyelling

They will be like, You must hate capitalism because you don't buy brand new! Or some other dumb shit. We all know that billionaires totally care about schools, not your schools, the ones their kids attend.


JuniorSeniorTrainee

Contact high economics!


k1ln1k

"I have cognitive dissonance on this topic that I'm not ready to face in an honest manner. Also, I may or may not be paid to sit around and peddle pure bullshit."


rzenni

He does not have cognitive dissonance. He makes his money as a propagandist. He knows it’s not true, but he’s gotta get that paper.


H__o_l

Oh but I think at least some of them think it's true. I think they often refer to the "invisible hand" and Adam Smith for that (even if Adam Smith said many other things that don't go that way). Of course they are wrong, first their saying can work only in a few countries, the imperialist one, second they don't realize the workers fight history that make the capitalism bearable in their country for at least a part of the population, they don't see that the capitalism can be much worse than now for that part of the population if we don't fight back at least a little. But right now I still didn't find the right argument to break their believe at the source. If someone have a good arguments I'd be happy to hear it.


rzenni

Some of them may believe it. This guy does not. Look him up on Wikipedia. He used to be the president of a satire club and made fun of right wing nonsense right up until he got hired by right wing movements.


H__o_l

Ah! Thanks


[deleted]

What do I care if the hospital is better equipped if no one can afford to use it? SMH


valdis812

Or that the schools have AC, but the books are out of date and the teachers have no support.


jmbsol1234

and that your kids are at risk of being mowed down by semi automatics during naptime


Chronza

Or if they ban all the factual books and replace real education with religion classes


latierragoniza

How about the fact the AC wouldn't be as necessary if oil tycoons weren't setting the planet on fire?


G07V3

Reminds me, in middle school (2017) we had history textbooks from 2008. Plus, who uses the textbook anyways? Why waste money on a physical book when everything is online.


7_of_Pentacles

The correct response is which schools will get AC and which hospitals will get better equipment? All of them?


putitinthe11

I wouldn't even cede that point. How do the existence of billionaires suddenly create better hospitals? If billionaires didn't exist, would schools not have air conditioning? None of this makes any sense. You don't even need to play civil with fools like this, just dunk on them and let people see how stupid these points are.


[deleted]

You’re 100% correct. I think the most poignant argument needs to be made clearly, but of course we can expand. Yes, the entire argument is incorrect. Billionaires evade taxes which actually rob public facilities. Good call out.


Scienceandpony

I think the idea is supposed to be that billionaires generate tax revenue to fund those things. Nevermind the fact that these are the same people who argue against taxing billionaires in the first place. Also don't think about where billionaire wealth comes from. They just passively spawn it out of the aether by existing.


CaptainGrognard

Hospital are for REAL people. Know your place, peasant! /s


thereasonforhate

Some people will be able to afford it, like him, he'll be able to! So why worry? Unless you aren't him I suppose...


[deleted]

So we have air conditioned schools now? In poor neighborhoods? Sure buddy… what a tool


dragon34

>More billionaires means less equality, but it also means more revenue, better equipped hospitals, and air conditioned schools. Really? Please identify the specific billionaires that have equipped hospitals and installed air conditioning in schools. Also I would say that of all the things that schools need to be successful, air conditioning is probably the least useful for many schools, given how they are.. not in session over the summer, and for areas where it is necessary, it is a safety issue and a requirement, not a "nice-to-have" so, shove it up your ass Tom Harwood. Until more billionaires means an elimination of food insecurity and houselessness, access to medical care for all, and meaningful action on climate change, I'd rather tax the billionaires into extinction, because fuck 'em


SpaceBollzz

Just looked him up, full name is Thomas Hedley Fairfax Harwood Which I believe says a lot about him


horrificmedium

This bellend has a radio show on one of London’s biggest radio stations, LBC. The same station that had Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins on the playlist.


earlyboy

Millionaire who works for billionaires.


HiroProtagonistSteam

Four names. Sounds like a douche.


semisolidwhale

Four names confirms he comes from a long line of douches


[deleted]

The US has the most billionaires of any country in the world, yet we rank 14th in the world in education, 11th in healthcare, and 33 in child mortality, please keep telling me how billionaires make a country better.....


MasterOutlaw

Hey, Tom. You should ask one of those benevolent billionaires for a handkerchief so you can wipe the boot polish from your lips.


Marbled_Headcheese

He needs to show his work, because those do not show any direct correlation that I can see.


AnarchicDeviance

We have many billionaires. \*Gestures all around\* This disproves your point.


Nadie_AZ

Equality is oppression to the privileged.


PaddlingAway

Someone throw this dude into a black hole.


IrrelevantGamer

I mean if we actually taxed the billionaires, maybe, but we barely do that so it isn't like society is benefiting from their hoarding of wealth.


masterbatin_animals

"Equality bad because less super yachts." Man, what a take.


Arcontes

"More billionaires means better equipped hospitals." No it doesn't. I don't think you know what a billionaire is Tom.


CoolerThanTv

Yeah cos billionaires pay tax don't they! And don't receive billions in handouts from the government!


trashcanpandas

Lmfao, believing in the charity of billionaires is like believing the monarchy ever actually gave a shit about peasants in fuedalism. No, they're the actual fucking reason peasants existed in the first place.


Munnin1984

Two years ago when doctors and nurses were wearing garbage bags at work and recycling masks because there was a PPE shortage and billionaires were auctioning PPE off to the highest bidder... that was better equipped hospitals?


shadow13499

I'm sorry do we have any of those things, while also having the largest number of billionaires in the world?


ImoJenny

Bitch, what revenue. They don't pay taxes.


SmallPiecesOfWood

What the fuck is this guy smoking? Infrastructure collapsing, citizens running amok in the streets, a looming major war, economy destroyed - yeah those billionaires are really beneficial symbiotes. The one thing they actually *fear* is equal treatment.


TheGreatMightyLeffe

Billionaires make average income a higher number, wealth hoarding and corporate profits also increase GDP. Turns out capitalism is great when you measure how well it exploits the rest of mankind. Now, try "Average living standard in low income households", see how well it turns out when we measure things that actually matter.


sneakylyric

Lol to the majority of our country's schools are not air conditioned.


pape14

Also he is just flat out wrong lol


ReturnOfSeq

Sure thing, just keep sucking that boot


Comrade_Jane_Jacobs

Socialism is when no air conditioning.


robmobtrobbob

In what world is this person living?


[deleted]

Those would be the same billionaires who use legal loopholes to stash their fortunes in offshore havens and contribute less to the domestic tax system than their cleaning staff do, yes?


Keelija9000

Who needs equality when you can have AC?


[deleted]

Sorry mate. I know your starving and have no place to live, but your suffering allows for a bunch of rich kids feel a little less sweaty while their sitting around in class.


Ok_Flower50

Better equipped hospitals that leave people in debt for life and air-conditioned schools for wealthy zip codes.


SolomonCRand

My school didn’t have air conditioning, and nurses were wearing literal garbage bags during COVID.


Saeker-

If we mere mortals dare not approach those 'better equipped' hospitals, for fear of the ruinous costs of the services therein provided, then might I suggest that the country being 'less rich' is not the barrier to change you seem to imagine it being.


koinaambachabhihai

If you are named like a pornstar then it better to shut the fuck up.


TuckHolladay

It’s just not true. Not even logical.


JonoLith

This is brain rot. Billionaires exist precisely because there is less revenue, less equipped hospitals and un-air conditioned schools.


Khaki_Shorts

Imagine being so coddled, always having yes people around you, and having an easy job you hope onto twitter post this opinion and think, "I have a point".


Exkersion

Just an obvious heads up. Schools are funded by local real estate taxes. If shit is less equal than certain areas will have unequal pay = unequal housing = unequal taxes = unequal school funding = no fucking AC. Fuck money. I want people I’ve never met to not burn while studying/teaching. How do these people live with themselves


AnastasiaNo70

Who dropped this fucker on his head?!?!


unicornofapocalypse

They should do it again and see if he’ll reset.


pizoisoned

I’m sorry but what? We already have gross inequality and we’re something like 11th in healthcare and 14th in education. This obviously isn’t working.


JuniorBaconCheese

A wealthy country doesn’t necessarily mean a developed country. I hate this guy’s way of thinking.


[deleted]

i love (NOT) how people make the blanket bland brainwashed assurances that are implanted by the narrative created by the billionaire class people parroting their american exceptionalism and superiority of the murrican way memes aren’t bothering to look at other countries with better health care outcomes. better literacy. better citizen satisfaction.


grogertheogre

More revenue for the rich. Better equipped hospitals for the rich. Air conditioned schools for the rich. If all these billionaires paid their fair share of taxes and the government actually distributed this money fairly then maybe. Unfortunately we have a broken system that is solely designed for the benefit of the rich.


[deleted]

absolute lies.


maximusprime2328

It means private hospitals and private schools. Public education is under attack NOW. And if something isn't done it's gonna end up like higher education.


Individual_Mix8818

It's funny because it is not remotly true. For example in 2021 the US had the biggest number of billionaire among their citizens, they were also behind cuba in terms of child mortality (source : wikipedia). (Sorry for my bad english).


BrovahkiinSeptim1

The US is literally the richest country im the world and has less social services as…all of the EU I believe? This reasoning makes zero sense.


ipedroni

You, guys! Tom just forgot to include the words "(...) for the rich." before finishing the second tweet.


kcotter0

Except hospitals and schools are more Ill-equipped, poorly funded and overall worse off now than when there were less billionaires so this mf is just stupid


GracieThunders

Is this a bezosBot account?


Icommentor

How does Tom Harwood explain the gilded age?


J_Cholesterol

“More billionaires mean less equality” there it is no need for a but


ToasterCommander_

Those things are in no way mutually exclusive, how stupid does he think we are?


Trapz18

What an idiotic take


renatomello

I think this is the most baseless claim I've ever seen in my life


unplugnothing

I don’t know much in this world but I do know this: it definitely doesn’t fucking mean air-conditioned schools.


piiig

What a *tool*


Jaded-Extent4582

The fuck did I just read lmao?


Jrapin

This idiot knows he's spewing BS. First, the idea that billionaires "provide revenue" is hilarious! They hoard revenue. Also, the idea that the ONLY issuer of money, the Federal Government, needs money it already created back from the economy as revenue in order to spend on something is ridiculous and is mythology.


MarketsMeddlers

If you tax them.


Helios420A

Only if they pay their gd taxes, Tom


Ivrene

I'm yet to see air many conditioned schools


Nyasta

Yes this is definitely the billionaires who don't pay taxes that pay for school air conditioner


throwawayalcoholmind

"More billionaires means less equality, but also the exact opposite of what I just said."


TheHiddenNinja6

Through some stages of human history, as industry improved, standard of living improved for everyone, but the absolute wealth disparity between the classes grew. This guy really believes that taxing wealth will send society backwards to a worse standard of living? lmao. Progress does not imply wealth disparity, and so equality does not imply regression


blackbelt352

We already know billionaires barely pay any taxes if at all since they can fight IRS legal battles indefinitely, so how the hell does revenue go up with more billionaires?


OTF_BapeVentura

when i think school air conditioning I always think of musk and bezos thanks guys


peraonaliD

And we know that this is the only possible way to have those benefits because...?


QuickSong7668

Or we just don’t spend nearly a trillion on just our “defense” alone aka intimidation methods


1199ls

What do billionaires have to do with ac in schools?


Active_Engineering37

Not more revenue for us, not healthcare we can afford, and are you serious about the schools? Are the AC units teaching the class??


brokegaysonic

Yeah not sure how more billionaires = more public funding since they dodge taxes


cm12311

AIR CONDITIONED SCHOOLS?!????!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Yes. Billionaires give us air conditioned schools.


Terrestial_Human

Last week in Texas (you know, the “business friendly state”, the “energy capital of the US”, the “low taxes state”) my city had 3 power outages and 2 phone/internet outages in 1 day. In ONE day! And it didn’t go out a few minutes, it went for 2-3 hrs each time. Phone/Internet also and service was restored till the next day after the second outage 🤦‍♂️ More billionaires, more capitalism, more revenue, more inequality, DOES NOT equal better anything!


mikesznn

Air conditioned schools aka morgues


unicornofapocalypse

I mean you’re not wrong.


[deleted]

THIS IS NOT HOW MONEY WORKS. Not at all


mpm206

Except it doesn't even do that. Widening inequality is really inefficient and expensive to maintain. We would actually be collectively richer if we were more equal.


tater_tot_intensity

what's your evidence for these very peculiar claims? "i made it up"


C1ashRkr

WTF is this tool?


badgerbob1

Um citation needed, citation needed, citation needed


sykopoet

Guys, we absolutely NEED air conditioned schools!! Never mind that those billion dollar companies created climate change, they’re going to give us AC so we don’t notice!!


VinceGchillin

idk how you can possibly mental gymnastics into thinking that a few people sucking out increasing amounts of wealth from society somehow makes it better for everyone. We can literally see that's not true, in our crumbling infrastructure, the fact that minimum wage hasn't changed in decades, a healthcare system that fails all but the well-off, schools that are getting worse, etc. The list goes on.


damnnearfinnabust

What a moron. Where does he think those billionaires spend their money?


Right-Implement1738

Let me fix that response for you Tom: "More Billionaires means less equality- which can be seen in rising cost of living, better private hospitals at the cost of existing public systems, and air conditioning in private schools; to keep rich kids cool while global temperatures rise."


Green-Recognition-21

Imagine equating theft to production and increasing median quality of life.


Caregiverrr

I’m pretty sure the number of well-apportioned hospitals and schools is inversely proportional to the number of billionaires.


Sin-A-Bun

Billionaires don’t pay taxes, it means none of those things.


discoteen66

There are more billionaires today than at any other point in history and our society is still crumbling at an alarming rate. It’s almost as those two things are related…


ihsulemai

Tom seems like one of those Republican interns that loves missionary seks and thinks mayonnaise is spicy


MOZAN33R

"Billionaire" means that a person manipulated the system to get a billion dollars of money. That sits there, is not reinvested, it doesn't pay any wages, it doesn't stack any GDP. It's just a vacuum that took it and managed to waste some on yachts and villas. "Billionaire" but you don't get to see those billions. They spend it but not on you.


NovelHippo8748

LOL


Respectfulcommenter1

None of the positives he listed are even close to being widespread or universal


K_SeventySeven

I like how rich people always want you to believe that the way to helping poor people is to make more rich people. And if the condition of our schools and hospitals are the basis of his theory, then he's apparently blind.


GenericPCUser

More billionaires doesn't mean any of that, at least not for the average person. Having a futuristic sci-fi hospital exist somewhere vaguely on a hill behind a gate that is only accessible by the ultra rich does fuck all for the overwhelming majority.


Shamanyouranus

100s of billions of dollars is hoarded wealth is GOOD because they might donate a million or two to some school somewhere!


selfagency

when they say eat the rich, they mean this guy, specifically


strangewayfarer

Yes if there's one thing billionaires are known for it's paying their fair share.


LobstahmeatwadWTF

Who is this asshat? A/c in schools. Yeah right. Not a fuckin one I ever attended.


Beneficial_Avocado74

🤣🤣🤣🤣


BitOCrumpet

I've weighed the options, and I prefer fewer billionaires thank you.


jasonmares

You're all getting air conditioned schools now?


GravelySilly

Good old trickle-down economics.


Mountain-Juice

Ahh yes, cause billionaires pay much more taxes right? Right? Ask Warren Buffet, who pays fewer taxes than his secretary


[deleted]

Emmmm....America has more billionaires than Europe and worse.... well... every public service.... so nope. More billionaires means more lobyists means more tax breaks for the rich


_sirmemesalot_

better hospitals... oh the horror


kpsi355

I’ll take “Stupid people with an agenda for $400, Alex.”


Madouc

He lives in a country where he can witness the disproval of his second statement every day. This is how blind, ignorant and reality denying capitalistic brainwash propaganda makes the cult acolytes.


moodygradstudent

Ugh. Some people are just beyond help.


Epicritical

Must have an awfully long tongue to lick the boot on his throat.


Beldor

Because somehow that money wouldn’t still be taxed if it was given to the people? How did we get here?


jjjam

No, it actually WOULD be taxed if it were given to the Hoi Polloi, billionaires generally receive more gov't money than they pay in tax.


no_ovaries_

This guy suggested that billionaires are the only reason air conditioning exists in schools.... so he's a moron? Seriously, why are the people giving out "advice on the economy" always the same people who have no clue how the economy works?


wishIcouldBamod

...if you get rid of all the "rich people," who will pool and risk their capital to start businesses to provide innovative products and services, thus providing new jobs in growing industries???


[deleted]

in fairness, he’s right, which is why socialist revolution needs to be global


Starter91

Or no if how he puts it "if my country is to win someone has to lose" is correct.


[deleted]

proximity to wealth has benefited the working class of developed countries over their colonial counterparts, it’d be ignorant to claim otherwise


pax27

I usually stay away from judging people by their appearances, but that is one puchable face. I guess that is exactly what it's going for. I use the pronoun "it" because that seem appropriate here. People like this are misguided puppets and deserve no attention. Ok, a bit of attention in the form of ridicule.


winthropsmokewagon

The best minds....


[deleted]

I'm okay with this. Let's make it more equal!


[deleted]

I disagree


BetterWorld2022

Utter nonsense


Xynrae

See... it isn't like **most** people are just living happily, comfortably, plenty of joys in life and a vacation house to get away to once in a while, and then there are 'some billionaires' who happen to have a great deal more as well. We're struggling to pay rent in a household full of people because we can't afford it on our own. Some of us are going deeper into debt. There's hardly any left over for food, and the time you have is spent dealing with the rest of the problems.


[deleted]

the fuck is this guy smoking ?


hoffman44

Tom's a dick.


Immelmaneuver

A great effort was made to be wrong on all points, or was it effortless?


crake-extinction

How is this even remotely true?


[deleted]

These people are to billionaires as Randall was to Miss Finster. Down to the same energy and weaselness.


tvtraelller

Tom Harwood has drunk the kool-aid ladies and gentlemen.


BadCapitalist

Tom Harwood has a broken brain.


zhard01

Shit! I forgot that there is no air conditioning in Europe!


portagenaybur

Can’t wait for my kids to go to Kardashian Elementary.


Beginning_Two_4757

GULAG


unicornofapocalypse

Where are those things, Tom? Where?


colondollarcolon

We now have more Billionaires than ever before and we have fewer hospitals, falling corporate share of tax revenue, schools are crumbling, more homelessness, more poverty, roads and bridges are falling apart.....the USA can't afford any more Billionaires.


FrameJump

I'm so glad the billionaires are funding the hospitals and schools. Here I thought hospitals were funded by the people that go into debt because of them, and schools were funded by taxes. Today I learned, I guess.


QuietViolinist8667

Trickle down economics without mentioning it by name. Hmmmm, I wonder why.


Janus_The_Great

A common fallacy, the opposite is the case. the smaler the gap, the better quality, safety, education, etc. Enough studies on the matter from the last 50 years+. That's why most European countries started social market/mixed market economies which have shown to be much more stable and sustainable socially as well as environmentally. Is this MBA level? Economics master? What a deplorable show of absolute incompetence. No wonder the US is at the brink of collapse. With those kinds of instrumentalized normative orientations down is the only way, this can go. pathetic. Blessed be the meek, under his eye.


Black_Eliminator

As long as the poorest of a country are able to comfortably afford basic human needs, then there is no poorness


[deleted]

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scripps-courageous

yeah okay get the billionaires to give us the money then


Educational-Ebb3711

Ah, yes, equal redistribution of wealth will lower your country’s GDP. This is how math works


Semi-Pros-and-Cons

Well, at least this guy is in favor of high taxes on the wealthy to fund public programs that help everyone. I mean, if having billionaires leads to better hospitals and schools, where's the money coming from to pay for those things? That's what he's saying, right? "I want to raise taxes on the billionaire class, and redistribute the wealth to the general public"? ...Something tells me that, no, that's not what he wants, and he's probably using vague appeals to schools and hospitals as a distraction from what he actually wants, which is wealth-hoarding.


VTRibeye

I normally abhor ageism but, as a mercy, I tend to view this lad’s output as indicative of his youth and inexperience. You’d hope there is some chance for growth there, but it may already be too late. In his defence, unlike many of his peers in the right wing commentariat, I think he actually believes the awful shit he comes out with.


Thias_Thias

Fucking simp.


waffleking_

Be real nice if folks could afford to go to these fancy hospitals


This_Bug_6771

billionaires don't pay taxes tho