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Posted (edited)

What's the point of being the richest man in the world if you're still going to be a groveling pussy?

What is it about Donald Trump that turns the people in his orbit into craven, spineless jellyfish?

Edited by Storm the Field
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Posted
1 minute ago, Storm the Field said:

What's the point of being the richest man in the world if you're still going to be a groveling pussy?

There is no point.  At the end of the day, Musk has an inferiority complex - Trump should be scared of him because Musk has the money and the means to change up Congress next year and put Dems in charge and get Trump investigated, but instead Musk is scared of Trump.

It's fucking pathetic.

And it really makes me wonder about the black eye.

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Posted
What's the point of being the richest man in the world if you're still going to be a groveling pussy?
What is it about Donald Trump that turns the people in his orbit into craven, spineless jellyfish?

Kompromat
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Posted
1 hour ago, Storm the Field said:

What's the point of being the richest man in the world if you're still going to be a groveling pussy?

What is it about Donald Trump that turns the people in his orbit into craven, spineless jellyfish?

Titans of Industry | Board Game | BoardGameGeek

 

That is them holding their balls up as a sacrifice to Trump.

They are pussies, they missed the script of what it means to be the richest men in the world.
Look back at the history of the US - Andrew Carnegie, Leland Stanford, Cornelius Vanderbilt, JD Rockefeller - these guys didn't just have a shit ton of money, they have their names on schools, philanthropy, centers for the arts, etc. They understood that they needed to give back, not just hoard it all.

The modern billionaire is just about getting theirs and the plebians can get fucked.

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Posted
6 minutes ago, royiv said:

So much this. While I think no one person should have the kind of wealth that Musk does, I do think about what a miserable human you must be to hoard it. If I had access to that kind of wealth, I think the most fun part would be surrounding myself with super smart people working together with me to figure out tough problems that could be solved by giving away money and then operationalizing those solutions. I can’t think of anything more satisfying than improving humankind by throwing money and smart people at a problem. Even then, I could live beyond my wildest dreams.

The problem is, being the kind of human being who is genuinely altruistic with a goal of improving humanity as a whole and being the kind of human who can and does play the sort of game necessary to accumulate unspeakable wealth are pretty close to mutually exclusive propositions.

Good and altruistic humans generally don't accumulate hundreds of billions.

Evil, narcissist, psychopathic, sociopathic shitheels do.

You and I would follow the same path.  But because we're that sort of person, we never did and never would accumulate that sort of wealth.  Shit, I've had several chances to behave merely unscrupulously and profit from it.....can't do it.  Ethics and a conscience are a bitch when it comes to wealth creation.  Fortunately for Elon, he is not burdened with those things.

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Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

The problem is, being the kind of human being who is genuinely altruistic with a goal of improving humanity as a whole and being the kind of human who can and does play the sort of game necessary to accumulate unspeakable wealth are pretty close to mutually exclusive propositions.

Good and altruistic humans generally don't accumulate hundreds of billions.

Evil, narcissist, psychopathic, sociopathic shitheels do.

You and I would follow the same path.  But because we're that sort of person, we never did and never would accumulate that sort of wealth.  Shit, I've had several chances to behave merely unscrupulously and profit from it.....can't do it.  Ethics and a conscience are a bitch when it comes to wealth creation.  Fortunately for Elon, he is not burdened with those things.

 

One aspect of the past was the social pressure that the economic elite exerted on one another to engage in charitable works with their wealth, i.e., noblesse oblige. It seems that went away at some point, likely when marginal tax rates were really high after WW2, and the expectation didn't return during the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s.

Edit: Instead, we got Robin fucking Leach and "Greed is Good."

Edited by bolverk
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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

The problem is, being the kind of human being who is genuinely altruistic with a goal of improving humanity as a whole and being the kind of human who can and does play the sort of game necessary to accumulate unspeakable wealth are pretty close to mutually exclusive propositions.

Good and altruistic humans generally don't accumulate hundreds of billions.

Evil, narcissist, psychopathic, sociopathic shitheels do.

You and I would follow the same path.  But because we're that sort of person, we never did and never would accumulate that sort of wealth.  Shit, I've had several chances to behave merely unscrupulously and profit from it.....can't do it.  Ethics and a conscience are a bitch when it comes to wealth creation.  Fortunately for Elon, he is not burdened with those things.

I don't totally agree with this. Rockefeller's worth in today's funds is likely right there with Musk. He founded Universities (U of Chicago), Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University). Built Rockefeller Center (Radio City Music Hall). He was doing something right.

Maybe it is what @bolverk said - but there used to be a generation that did right by the people.

Edited by Captain Ron
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Posted
1 hour ago, Captain Ron said:

Look back at the history of the US - Andrew Carnegie, Leland Stanford, Cornelius Vanderbilt, JD Rockefeller - these guys didn't just have a shit ton of money, they have their names on schools, philanthropy, centers for the arts, etc. They understood that they needed to give back, not just hoard it all.

 

I've been reading a book about 1890s by HW Brands (hook' em!) and these rich ass mofos owned the presidents, not the other way around. They didn't grovel at the feet of McKinley or Cleveland,  or act like simps, they barged in the Oval and dropped their nuts on the table when they needed something. 

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Posted
14 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

I don't totally agree with this. Rockefeller's worth in today's funds is likely right there with Musk. He founded Universities (U of Chicago), Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University). Built Rockefeller Center (Radio City Music Hall). He was doing something right.

Rockerfeller also accomplished those lofty industrial achievements on the backs of an ironclad monopoly. His exploitation of government via regulatory capture was what held the door open for his monopoly to flourish.

2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I've been reading a book about 1890s by HW Brands (hook' em!) and these rich ass mofos owned the presidents, not the other way around. They didn't grovel at the feet of McKinley or Cleveland,  or act like simps, they barged in the Oval and dropped their nuts on the table when they needed something. 

The Reckless Decade is a wonderful read covering a fascinating time in American history

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Rockerfeller also accomplished those lofty industrial achievements on the backs of an ironclad monopoly. His exploitation of government via regulatory capture was what held the door open for his monopoly to flourish.

The Reckless Decade is a wonderful read covering a fascinating time in American history

That’s the book. Seems like we’ve come full circle a bit

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Posted (edited)

It bears repeating the old saw about the two types of people: those who believe it possible to have enough money to live in comfort and happiness, and those with money.

Most importantly, we have learned that people have accumulated enough wealth to all but destroy our Constitution. They are demonstrably a threat to national security. Should the needle be threaded, confiscatory taxes on extreme wealth should be a priority.

Edited by Willfully Horn
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Posted
1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

The problem is, being the kind of human being who is genuinely altruistic with a goal of improving humanity as a whole and being the kind of human who can and does play the sort of game necessary to accumulate unspeakable wealth are pretty close to mutually exclusive propositions.

Nah.  I know one of the richest guys in Texas.  He is actively working to invest a big chunk of money into initiatives that will improve lives on a global scale, addressing food, climate, and energy concerns.

Bill Gates is essentially giving it all away.  Warren Buffet has given at least half of it away.  George Soros (trigger!) is equally magnaminous.  The list goes on.

I'm not saying they aren't unusual, but I don't think we're quite at "pretty close to mutually exclusive".

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Posted
5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Nah.  I know one of the richest guys in Texas.  He is actively working to invest a big chunk of money into initiatives that will improve lives on a global scale, addressing food, climate, and energy concerns.

Bill Gates is essentially giving it all away.  Warren Buffet has given at least half of it away.  George Soros (trigger!) is equally magnaminous.  The list goes on.

I'm not saying they aren't unusual, but I don't think we're quite at "pretty close to mutually exclusive".

Let’s say you’re buddies with Richard Kinder. One of the richest guys in Texas and worth about $10 billion give or take. He and is wife are very charitable and pillars of the Houston community. Ahead of him are a dozen or so people worth more than half a trillion. The difference between someone like Kinder and someone like Musk when it comes to wealth is astounding. They’re both super wealthy, but they’re not playing in the same ballpark.

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Posted
2 minutes ago, royiv said:

Let’s say you’re buddies with Richard Kinder. One of the richest guys in Texas and worth about $10 billion give or take. He and is wife are very charitable and pillars of the Houston community. Ahead of him are a dozen or so people worth more than half a trillion. The difference between someone like Kinder and someone like Musk when it comes to wealth is astounding. They’re both super wealthy, but they’re not playing in the same ballpark.

This.  On a "per billion" basis, when looking at the decency vs. psychopath tendencies of billionaires.....we're ultra-mega fucked.

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Posted
7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This.  On a "per billion" basis, when looking at the decency vs. psychopath tendencies of billionaires.....we're ultra-mega fucked.

More concise way of demonstrating the point I was attempting to make.

Posted
4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, thanks for the wealth lesson, dad(s).  Yeesh.

Sorry. Billionaires are all awesome and we should definitely structure our government around what benefits them due to the immense benefits they provide to society.

Posted
9 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

His defiance lasted a few days longer than Cruz, so he's got that going for him. Rafeal was back on sloppy toppy duty about 72 hours after trying to make a stand against Trump. 

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Posted
3 hours ago, royiv said:

So much this. While I think no one person should have the kind of wealth that Musk does, I do think about what a miserable human you must be to hoard it. If I had access to that kind of wealth, I think the most fun part would be surrounding myself with super smart people working together with me to figure out tough problems that could be solved by giving away money and then operationalizing those solutions. I can’t think of anything more satisfying than improving humankind by throwing money and smart people at a problem. Even then, I could live beyond my wildest dreams.

I'd buy up every top tier bbq place in Texas, then ban Greenspoint from all of them, except for Snow's.

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Deej said:

I'd buy up every top tier bbq place in Texas, then ban Greenspoint from all of them, except for Snow's.

I’d use it to get with Sela Ward or Susanna Hoffs and then send a few photos a week to Brisket rubbing his face in it.

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Posted
2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

I’d use it to get with Sela Ward or Susanna Hoffs and then send a few photos a week to Brisket rubbing his face in it.

Id send him photos of them rubbing my face in it. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, royiv said:

Sorry. Billionaires are all awesome and we should definitely structure our government around what benefits them due to the immense benefits they provide to society.

I'm pretty sure I didn't suggest that.

Posted
3 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

I don't totally agree with this. Rockefeller's worth in today's funds is likely right there with Musk. He founded Universities (U of Chicago), Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University). Built Rockefeller Center (Radio City Music Hall). He was doing something right.

Maybe it is what @bolverk said - but there used to be a generation that did right by the people.

In addition to what bolverk said, Rockefeller et al. were pretty damned openly rapacious in acquiring their billions.  But I guess they knew history might forgive/forget a little if they did some charity.

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Posted
The Reckless Decade is a wonderful read covering a fascinating time in American history

Yeah, wasn’t Rockefeller one of the OG robber barons? Trump keeps talking about this “Golden Age” of tariffs — strangely enough, that’s the same period when the robber barons owned this country.
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Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, C-Man said:


Yeah, wasn’t Rockefeller one of the OG robber barons? Trump keeps talking about this “Golden Age” of tariffs — strangely enough, that’s the same period when the robber barons owned this country.

Yeah, it was an horrendous era for everyone except the rich.  I suppose it is too nuanced, but when Trump started talking about this Golden Age, it seemed to me that that should be pointed out relentlessly.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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Posted

Musk says Tesla’s robotaxi service to ‘tentatively’ launch in Austin on June 22 – KXAN Austin

Elon Musk says Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22.

In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is “being super paranoid about safety.”

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Last month, Musk told CNBC that the taxis will be remotely monitored at first and “geofenced” to certain areas of the city deemed the safest to navigate. He said he expected to initially run 10 or so taxis, increase that number rapidly and start offering the service in Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and other cities.

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The Austin rollout also comes after Musk had a public blowup with President Donald Trump over the administration’s tax bill. Some analysts have expressed concern that Trump could retaliate by encouraging federal safety regulators to step in at any sign of trouble for the robotaxis.

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Ricky Gervais Lol GIF

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Posted
7 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Musk says Tesla’s robotaxi service to ‘tentatively’ launch in Austin on June 22 – KXAN Austin

Elon Musk says Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22.

In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is “being super paranoid about safety.”

-----

Last month, Musk told CNBC that the taxis will be remotely monitored at first and “geofenced” to certain areas of the city deemed the safest to navigate. He said he expected to initially run 10 or so taxis, increase that number rapidly and start offering the service in Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and other cities.

-----

The Austin rollout also comes after Musk had a public blowup with President Donald Trump over the administration’s tax bill. Some analysts have expressed concern that Trump could retaliate by encouraging federal safety regulators to step in at any sign of trouble for the robotaxis.

-----

Ricky Gervais Lol GIF


what’s 10 more days when you’re 10 years overdue?

 

 

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Posted
18 minutes ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

The robotaxis are already crawling all over South Austin. I'm seeing the traveling three at a time through my neighborhood. One of the three has a driver, the other two don't.

That will cure traffic.

Posted
1 hour ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

The robotaxis are already crawling all over South Austin. I'm seeing the traveling three at a time through my neighborhood. One of the three has a driver, the other two don't.

According to many of the articles that is a very small test bed.

https://fortune.com/2025/06/10/tesla-robotaxi-launch-austin-residents-vehicles-testing-neighborhood-streets/

 

Posted

This is a good listen on the Elon/Trump fallout. Recommended if you have the time to listen.

 

I think the most interesting part of the interview is near the end - basically how Elon just doesn't understand how to use his power. Basically he can get on Twitter and throw tantrums - it might rile up some people, but his real power could be making behind the scene phone calls and threaten with money ("Vote for/against this or $100 Million for your opponent"). But he just can't do that, because he has to be in the limelight.

The real TL;DL - they have a small cease fire - will it hold? Who knows. Will they get back in good graces? Doubtful, Elon went to far on Trump, Trump won't let him back in. And in the end both men are super unpredictable, so what happens next ... ?

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Posted (edited)
4 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

I think the most interesting part of the interview is near the end - basically how Elon just doesn't understand how to use his power. Basically he can get on Twitter and throw tantrums - it might rile up some people, but his real power could be making behind the scene phone calls and threaten with money ("Vote for/against this or $100 Million for your opponent"). But he just can't do that, because he has to be in the limelight.

 

The real people with money don't throw public tantrums and display their Ketamine use for the world to see

The real money is doing exactly what you said - calling up a rep/Senator and threatening to bankroll a primary challenger or withhold 2026 donations if they don't vote a certain way.  Elon thinks the court of Xitter opinion is enough, but it's not.  It's not like anyone in DC cares what the rank and file voters actually think.  Plus it's all bots.

Ted Cruz doesn't care what DonkeyFarts69420 posts on Xitter about him or his voting record.

He does care when Tim Dunn calls him up and tells him to vote for/against XYZ or the donation is going to be withheld.   And Tim Dunn isn't going on Xitter to call Ted names and threaten him. 

Edited by Js1
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Posted
1 hour ago, Js1 said:

The real people with money don't throw public tantrums and display their Ketamine use for the world to see

The real money is doing exactly what you said - calling up a rep/Senator and threatening to bankroll a primary challenger or withhold 2026 donations if they don't vote a certain way.  Elon thinks the court of Xitter opinion is enough, but it's not.  It's not like anyone in DC cares what the rank and file voters actually think.  Plus it's all bots.

Ted Cruz doesn't care what DonkeyFarts69420 posts on Xitter about him or his voting record.

He does care when Tim Dunn calls him up and tells him to vote for/against XYZ or the donation is going to be withheld.   And Tim Dunn isn't going on Xitter to call Ted names and threaten him. 

Ted Cruz is DonkeyFarts69420. 

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