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1. Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 17:46:13 JST Aral Balkan

   Rich folks be like: “We want to see how far we can push things before they bring out the guillotines again.”

   Well, fuck around and find out, you muppets. Not long now.

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 18:02:57 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Chris Gioran 💔

     @chrisg I hear you.

   • Chris Gioran 💔 (chrisg@fosstodon.org)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 18:02:58 JST Chris Gioran 💔

     in reply to

     @aral I want to believe. I really do. I can see that people increasingly see guillotines as the correct answer.

     The only thing that keeps me from being optimistic is that too many people take the fascist route and side with the rich folks, wittingly or not. Look at Greece and the last election there.

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 18:34:46 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Chris Gioran 💔
     • I HAVE MOVED

     @xarvh @chrisg Oh it won’t necessarily be actual guillotines… it’ll be the environment, it’ll be the homeless person stabbing them in the heart as they step out of their Bentley that was bought with the unpaid taxes that could have gone to providing healthcare and housing; it’ll be guillotines of their own making.

     (And the occasional orca.)

   • I HAVE MOVED (xarvh@functional.cafe)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 18:34:49 JST I HAVE MOVED

     in reply to

     • Chris Gioran 💔

     @chrisg @aral

     I understand where you're coming from but I am wary of "guillotine" rhetoric.

     The problem is not the individual, which the guillotine will get rid of.

     The problem is the individual's power, which might survive the individual, and the system that enables it.

     Don't get me wrong, let's definitely eat the rich.
     When fighting a violent system violence is and should be on the table.

     But IMHO if we focus our rhetoric on the actual problem rather than on bloodlust, we also weaken fascists.

     (And yes, fascism is how the rich survive popular discontent...)

   • Hardworking American (hardworkingamerican@union.place)'s status on Thursday, 29-Jun-2023 01:10:30 JST Hardworking American

     in reply to

     @aral Billionaires aren't the problem wealth inequality is the problem. Most of the billionaires I've met are quite delightful except Dick DeVos and Bill Nicholson; nasty, condescending assholes from the get-go. Bill Coors was not a billionaire but was an asshole jerk off and his nephew Jeff Coors as well. Neil Gorsuchs' parents were mean nasty assholes while we're on the topic.

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Thursday, 29-Jun-2023 01:10:30 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Hardworking American

     @hardworkingamerican “Billionaires aren't the problem wealth inequality is the problem.”

     Read what you wrote again and see if you can spot the problem.

   • Hardworking American (hardworkingamerican@union.place)'s status on Thursday, 29-Jun-2023 14:49:09 JST Hardworking American

     in reply to

     @aral Your premise is that a person is inherently evil because they choose to use their billionaire status and money for influence and power and absolutely none of them use that power for good. I disagree don't hate the player hate the game.

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Thursday, 29-Jun-2023 14:49:09 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Hardworking American

     @hardworkingamerican My premise is that anyone who allows themselves to become and remain a billionaire is fine with what that means (benefitting exponentially from and perpetuating an unjust, inequitable, and exploitative system).

     Everything else is PR.