alt Hacker News> Does the massive wealth inequality we see today cause problems that lead to the erosion of society itself? I would say yes, definitely.
On a side note. Yes, the massive wealth inequality is eroding society. But billionaires aren't the source of this problem. They are outliers, freaks if you so will.
The real problem is the massive wealth inequality is the gigantic prices of real estate and rent, created by the monetary system being based on real estate instead of productivity. That means it is very hard for a person to claw and scratch her way to equality if they're not born with real estate or gets that benefit at an early age. For most, their irredeemable mistake in life was choosing to be born in the wrong decade.
At the same time a huge percentage of the population who has never made any effort in life and generally have no talent or any admirable qualities, get great wealth and comfort by having been born at the right time.
For every billionaire there is a a hundred thousand of the kind of person described above. Most of us have them not far away, and they have a hundred fold bigger impact on our lives than any billionaire. And at least many billionaires have at least accomplished or done - something - in their life.
> At some point, you've played capitalism through to the final level. And then you should put down the controller and go outside to listen to the birds chirping instead of frantically chasing after the growth of a number that, due to its sheer size, no longer has any concrete meaning, apart from the fact that there may be two other people whose numbers are bigger or who are hot on your heels.
Wouldn't building a rocket to go to Mars for example be such an endeavour, which is bigger than chasing the imaginary dollar number? Or the philanthropic endeavours of other famous billionaires? Or even exacting political influence in the shadows, which is probably something all known and unknown billionaires do?
> the gigantic prices of real estate and rent, created by the monetary system being based on real estate instead of productivity
Rents are expensive because real estate is expensive. Real estate is a good store of value. The massive accumulation of surplus wealth among a small portion of society has led to an increased demand for stores of value. Someone looking for a house to live in competes not only with others who want to live in it, but above all with the super-rich who want the property as a store of value. That's why real estate is expensive.
> Wouldn't building a rocket to go to Mars for example be such an endeavour, which is bigger than chasing the imaginary dollar number?
That's conceivable. But I don't see the space science fiction of Le Guine or Asimov being realized in the activities of Musk and Bezos. To me, the whole thing seems more like an awkward dick measuring contest. The awkward situation with Shatner was a good example of how hollow and superficial this whole thing is. These people could go down in history as benefactors and heroes of humanity. But they don't have the guts for that. Either they launch rockets or go to the gym or sit with Joe Rogan or try to undermine democracy and replace it with a neo-feudalist hell.
Edit: I agree with you that we don't necessarily have to focus on the billionaires who are so prominent in the public eye. Below them, there is a larger class of super-rich people who have their fortunes managed for them, never lift a finger in their entire lives, and yet still attract an ever-increasing share of society's overall wealth.