Saturday, June 12, 2021

We Conclude Science Fiction Week: Capitalist Pigs in Space

The big story of the week, perhaps the biggest story of the century, is ProPublica's coverage of the fact that billionaires pay abysmally low taxes on their wealth... if they pay income taxes at all.  Far from being overtaxed, the twenty-five wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of about 3.4% while the median American household is taxed at a rate of about 14% on the federal level.  The wealth accumulation among the tip top tippy top not only robs the public coffers of funds better spent on infrastructure, or perhaps a national health plan, it ensures that the plutocrats have an outsized effect on public policy- they can simply buy legislators, or use the court system to crush detractors.

Now, we get to the science fiction part of the post... there seems to be an obsession with space exploration and colonization among our billionaires with space cadet Elon Musk now being challenged in the plutocrats' space race by Jeff Bezos, who looks to be launching into orbit with... well... a cock-rocket:



I mean, that thing is straight out of an 'Austin Powers' gag: Well, now I have that bit of juvenilia out of the way, I can aver that, as a science nerd, and a science fiction nerd, I do see a need for humans to establish an extraterrestrial presence, to gain footholds on various objects in our solar system, and eventually to set courses for other stars, but that should be a sideline to the more crucial work of mitigating climate change here on old Terra. If our billionaires were taxed at a sane rate, the funds garnered could go a long way toward creating sustainable energy infrastructure, and reducing our carbon footprint. These capitalist pigs should be held to earthly obligations before they set their sights on the stars. Post title inspired by the classic Muppet Show skit.

7 comments:

Richard said...

Not interesting. Who cares. We are all waiting to see what happens with his billions. He has done a bad job. Let him be an example of how to be a rich asshole.
He wants to explore outer space.
I have news for him.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Maybe he'll go on a one-way trip to Mars.

Rocky D said...

This is a distraction, or is meant to be, the equivalent of yelling "Squirrel!!" to the pup. Judging by the reactionary mob that eats up so much public "discourse" (haha) these days, I'd say the squirrels have been having their share of success.

emjayay said...

On the other hand there is a not insignificant chance that the thing will blow up or something on the way to not really space (or on the way back) and take Bezos, his brother, and some billionaire with it.

Charon04 said...

" ... and eventually to set courses for other stars, ... "

Only in science fiction, never in the real world. The distances are just too great.

Anonymous said...

https://youtu.be/7abReXKTP6A

Lady M said...

I enjoyed both inspiration videos very much. However, I agree 100% - if they have the funds to play rocket man, they have to funds to pay taxes.