this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2025
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Elaborate and explain

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 2 points 43 minutes ago

Assuming the 8b were all of the same mind, they would win. But we all know there are quite a few that the billionaires could buy to fight for them

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago

Depends on the situation.

If we were all put into an arena with zero weaponry, the 8 billion. Under no circumstances would the 3000 win because the 8 billion would most likely end up murdering them, even if by accident.

Under the current world conditions, not looking good.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Tje billionaires are winning now and the reasons are obvious.

The 8 billion are unable to think clearly, identify problems and organize. The billionaires are focused on their goals and super influential. They're able to buy loyality of the key less fortunate people and enforce loyality of others. They can also buy media to influence thinking of the masses.

If it was just about numbers, the billionaires would lose. But it's not.

[–] DeathToUS@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Don't put us on the same list with the rest of the world and 8 billion pretty much win.

[–] Emil_Zatopek1982@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Just stop believing that those 3000 are billionaires. If 8 billion people say "No, you are not rich" those fuckers become poor. Money is a religion.

[–] Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Except that doesn't stop the exchange of goods and services.

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 3 points 3 hours ago

I'd want to say "8 billion people", but right now 3000 billionaires lead on.

After all, they maintain their position by masterfully playing people off each other and setting things up to be on top. They have all the resources to extend their influence.

If 8 billion people could turn billionaires voices off for anything larger than a day, then yeah, 8 billion all the way, and 3000 will run out FAST.

But the latter know this, and will never let this happen. We should.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 17 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I belive the billionaires is currently winning

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

But only because the other 8 billion let them

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago
[–] xzot746@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Over 1 million Russians killed and how many tens of thousands in Gaza. 3000 would be quite easy compared to the innocent.

Yes markets would be in shit but so what, take their wealth and distribute it. The entire financial system is made out of thin air now, everyone will be all worried to justify why not to do it but we need to do it for our civilization to grow beyond having the Poor's do all the work for the greedy pigs.

The entire system needs to change and they won't go easy, it will be tough and bloody.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 hours ago

The hard part isnt the toppeling of the system, it is creating a stable new one, economicly and politicly. Think about the millions of indoctrinated people in all corners of the world that are fuled by hate towards a none existing enemy. Getting those in, will be hard. Especially if they are deep into conspiricy

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world 0 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

The likelihood we would have to have commanders with armies we could do an entire war with artillery, tank, infantry and air bombardment with jets they would be dead in days.

[–] DarkSpectrum@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

With modern drones and AI tech?

[–] mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I was just yesterday talking to someone about how AI drones, specifically exactly AI drones, will be a pivotal piece of technology in a way I think even beyond nukes in some sense. With a decent AI drone swarm, it's not hard to imagine a SINGLE person dominating an entire population. The dictator's purest dream - none of those pesky military generals getting uppity.

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[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The most successful method the wealthy have used to subvert social movements is infiltration. When a drone swarm can do that, then drone swarms will be what I worry about.

[–] mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 5 hours ago

homer patting Bart on the shoulder meme

The most successful method so far!

[–] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 17 hours ago

8 billion temporarily embarrassed millionaires.

[–] vane@lemmy.world 9 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

3000 billionaires because you can't convince everybody to ditch school. You can't change people. Pharaoh, Hammurabi. Those are thousands of years of genetic obedience.

[–] mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 5 hours ago

I don't know if I like assuming that obedience is a genetically heritable trait. I've heard racists use this assumption to argue that racially Chinese people are more likely to be sneaky servile backstabbers because that's what their genetics are selected for due to their political past.

Controversial statement incoming: I also don't want to preemptively rule out the possibility of obedience, or anything else, being genetically heritable - even if it could lead to these uncomfortable conclusions. I think scientific studies should be done about such things to answer the questions of whether these personality traits are heritable, come what may of that knowledge. But to my relief, from the studies I've seen, personality traits heritability is on very shaky ground in most cases.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

Don't worry, the entire system is collapsing from mismanagement.

[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 22 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Billionaires, because we are too dumb to not fall for their tricks

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[–] killabeezio@lemmy.zip 1 points 12 hours ago

Cash me outside

[–] breecher@sh.itjust.works 18 points 22 hours ago

Unfortunately that is not how the figures really are. Way too many of those 8 billions will willingly simp and fight the rest of us in the name of those billionaires.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (4 children)

Ok, let’s look at this…

IF billionaires were removed from the picture, what would be the result?

There would be investment assets in various holding entities that would then be what, up for grabs? Sold off? Put in probate? Trillions in stock alone would suddenly be ownerless. How would that affect the market and the regular person’s investments?

Multiple BoD positions and CEO positions opening up. How would those be compensated? Just make more people rich?

Material possessions originally worth absurd sums now up for grabs to nobody who could realistically afford to use or maintain them (yachts, palatial homes, etc). Manufacturers of luxury goods would vanish (stupidly expensive watches, clothes, cars).

How would you prevent some other greedy, power-hungry f_cks from taking up the reins and putting us right back where we started? There is no point in civilization’s history where greedy f_cks haven’t existed, so how do you prevent their grubby fingers from tipping the scales right back in favor of piling all the money and power in their corner?

What are the unintended consequences?

(This is NOT an argument implying we should keep billionaires, just asking realistically and pragmatically what the result would be should they no longer exist)

[–] thatcrow@ttrpg.network 2 points 7 hours ago

The correct answer is to redistribute their wealth.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 9 points 18 hours ago

Trillions in stock alone would suddenly be ownerless

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_ownership

[–] Lag@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago

The same removal mechanism will need to keep new rich people from getting too rich. In general everything could stay the same in terms of assets if they are divided more equally. Even a billion dollar yacht could be divided and rented out. Who's paying for a billion dollar yacht vacation when there is no ultra rich? Divide that shit again into 500 admissions for a boat party until it doesn't make sense to upkeep.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

The same issues arise whenever billionaires pass from old age or sickness. The world will be fine.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

I have no doubt the world will be fine, but the hypothetical we're discussing isn't just one or two rich bastards knocking off a year with their legal estate already taken care of in a will...we're suggesting more direct action assisting their departure en masse - which isn't going to happen without a lot of other upheaval causing all kinds of economic turmoil that we're ignoring for the sake of this argument.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 17 hours ago

What are we measuring. Like just a braw? A unanimouse revolution?

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 185 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The billionaires are already winning, with no signs of that changing.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 97 points 1 day ago (4 children)

That’s because—for many reasons—there are way too many non-billionaires on team billionaire.

[–] SkaraBrae@lemmy.world 76 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I worked with a guy that proudly proclaimed that he voted for the right because they looked after the rich.

He was not rich, but he purchased lottery tickets weekly and stated he'd rather get screwed while poor than pay more tax if he, some day, became rich.

And that was the day I realised that we're fucked.

[–] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 day ago (3 children)
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It's not the billionaires but the antisocial, amoral whores who will sell their souls for money and do their bidding that are the problem (police, army, etc.), and those who would quietly acquiesce. And of those there are way too many in some societies for change to be easy/possible.

[–] rowinxavier@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

All evidence points to a regime change (in the physics sense, not the political) being the necessary condition for things to go from our current state to something new.

We currently have people paying poorer people a very small amount of their own net worth to protect the wealthy person's status and position. This is similar to how kings and queens paid the army and policing forces to control the peasants.

Before the French Revolution I am sure it seemed impossible that the peasants would revolt, but the years leading up to the revolution things were getting worse and worse for the average peasant. There is a tipping point where the average person does not think the current system is delivering on the promise that of you do what you are told you can have a good life. I think we are approaching that point now.

If the rich try to hire someone and underpay them for security, stiff contractors for services, flaunt laws and generally behave obnoxiously at some point people will have had enough. Whether that ends with guillotine action or people just divesting from those systems depends on how much freedom people think they have.

If people thought they could go and homestead, live off the land, and get by without the massive companies these billionaires own then they would have that outlet and choose that peaceful option. The fact that we have taxation creates a pressure to pay in currency which demands earning in that currency. Same with paying rent, you have to earn money simply to live. No amount of growing all of your food gets rid of your financial obligations, so there is no out from the system. If that system is unreasonable it begins to feel less like participation and more like coercive control. Wage slavery is not the same as slavery, but both involve coercion and require the legal system to support them. Both lead to revolutions. Both lead to violence.

I guess the billionaires have to decide if they really want to paint that big a target on their backs by flaunting their wealth. At this point I think they feel untouchable.

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[–] ileftreddit@piefed.social 30 points 1 day ago (10 children)

It’s funny cause no one seems to realize that the billionaires are human beings. They have a house, they shit, they piss, they bleed, etc. And yet, everyone is somehow convinced that becoming a billionaire makes you somehow invulnerable.

[–] DicJacobus@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Its not that. Its the fact that these people hsve entire services dedicated to protecting their lifestyle and security.

And the public security is also geared to disproportionately protect them as well.

Short answer. The elite have private security of their own. And they are allied with rich politicians who control the police and military. They've got a shitload of guns at their disposal.

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

Yet they can still be taken out by a 3D printed gun on a nice morning walk to the office.

You're not wrong, but if Luigi taught us anything its that they're not as impermeable as they like to appear. It just might take a few martyrs on our end.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 day ago (2 children)

An individual with a net worth of “just” $1b can afford to spend upwards of $50m per year on privacy and security, all while continuing to live a lavish lifestyle of excess and see their net worth continue to grow.

That’s more than the annual US household income being spent on a daily basis.

Now consider that the top 10 billionaires have more than 140x that amount.

Yes, they are made of flesh & blood, and are susceptible to all of the same maladies as you or I — but especially post Luigi, they are shoring up their defences to the point that even a motivated individual would have just as much chance of becoming a billionaire as they are to getting to one.

I would hope to be proven wrong, and to see a true working class uprising against them in my lifetime - but alas, I think they are too effective at keeping us arguing against ourselves to ever pose a serious risk to their hegemony.

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