• RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    There’s plenty of historical evidence that runs contrary to this (valid) cynicism.

    Our interstate highway system is a very, very large and expensive undertaking that works reasonably well, environmental hazard that it is.

    Our freshwater/blackwater systems, while no longer state of the art, were at a previous point an envy of the western world.

    A lot of the cutting edge has been lost due to a focus on private industry achievements for individual gains, versus the older (less profitable) model of public service achievements for the benefit of all. This ties into both the tax, and govt overhaul points you’re making.

    • KᑌᔕᕼIᗩ@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      One can just look around the world to see the benefits of the public model Vs private. Universal health care, quality of living standards for the poor (in both developed countries and upcoming counties like China), Norway’s national sovereign fund, there are tons of examples where the public model has uplifted and improved the lives of the many Vs the rich and fortunate few.

      Yes it’s correct that private companies and individuals will run off and stash money overseas if you tax them; that’s why public service are public run in the first place so that we aren’t over a barrel and can tax these entities appropriately regardless of what they might do. At the end of the day their own greed will ensure they’ll want to invest back into our countries where their investments are safe anyway.

      • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        We’re in agreement. But there needs to be a limit to how much can be hoarded.

        Made more than $100 million net as an individual this year? Here’s a trophy, 100% taxes beyond that 100mill, and another year of the lovely public dog park having your name on it as thanks.

        • KᑌᔕᕼIᗩ@lemmy.ml
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          10 months ago

          Exactly, I was commenting supporting you and I absolutely agree there should be limits too.

          Enshitification isn’t just an online thing, rather it’s everywhere that some MBA got a promotion for cutting costs and services in order to make their wealthy masters even richer. We need to disincentivise hoarding wealth especially so that things stop defaulting and trending towards shit.

          • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Ok, wasn’t quite sure haha.

            I think these guys are the same as actual hoarders, using dollars instead of old magazines etc. Do they actually use their own money, or just keep accruing ever more, ever faster?

            • KᑌᔕᕼIᗩ@lemmy.ml
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              10 months ago

              All good. I thought that your reply was well written and it made me think about the reasons and examples in my own country of why well run and funded public services at better beyond just the fact that the collective we own them. So many of our formally public services have gone to absolutely hell after being privtized by our previous governments while getting ridiculously more expensive just to appease shareholders of them and it sucks.