• @[email protected]
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    1 year ago

    I mean the term oligarch has a clear definition that differs from billionaire, but to be honest pretty sure many billionaires meet the criteria…

    Quickly from wikipedia

    A business oligarch is generally a business magnate who controls sufficient resources to influence national politics.[1][2] A business leader can be considered an oligarch if the following conditions are satisfied:

    uses monopolistic tactics to dominate an industry;
    possesses sufficient political power to promote their own interests;
    controls multiple businesses, which intensively coordinate their activities.

    Edit: also this smells a bit like tankie propaganda pointed towards liberals and conservatives

      • @[email protected]
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        1 year ago

        Gates, Besos, Zuck and the foss hater msft boss whose name I can’t remember for sure. I honestly have no idea if Elon meets the 1st requirement - though simply being the richest man on planet highly hints towards it

        No idea who’s the granpa at the front

        • Patapon Enjoyer
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          51 year ago

          he foss hater msft boss whose name I can’t remember for sure.

          You already said Gates

            • @[email protected]
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              31 year ago

              If I had a nickel for every time Microsoft created an oligarch I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?

        • andrew
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          21 year ago

          Pretty sure the old fart is Country Kitchen Buffet or something like that.

      • @[email protected]
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        151 year ago

        You thought the murderous oligarchs that have stripped Russians of a chance for a democratic society are bad? What about Warren Buffet!!?!

        • @[email protected]
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          61 year ago

          Yep. It’s important to acknowledge the shit western billionaires do, but this kinda whataboutism is meh

  • @[email protected]
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    311 year ago

    I don’t know about you, but when I hear “oligarchs”, I always get a nebulous image of faceless, rich and powerful crowd who are into sex cults like Eyes Wide Shut. I kid about the last bit but I am serious about the other descriptors

    I think the reason we don’t immediately think of oligarch when we see Zuckerberg, Gates or Musk is because we see them on individual basis. Whereas “oligarch” usually refers to a faceless collective of politically influential, rich folks.

    • @[email protected]
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      61 year ago

      It’s more than that, it’s that we have a very sophisticated media machine that manufactures consent for these ghouls every single day, and it never takes a break.

      You think of them as just a bunch of guys, just silly beans who happened to get rich because they and their friends own the media corporations that build the narrative that we believe. We’ve got these very respectable newsreaders who give them nothing but softballs, and frame every story as favourably as possible for them.

      Also I lost count of how many times some piece that was critical of US oligarchs and corporations was deleted from the reddit front page. I’m fairly certain they were either taking money for this service or just looking after their friends. Maybe a PR manager working for whoever was being criticised contacted the reddit office and asked politely and that’s all it took.

    • GladiusB
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      51 year ago

      I think of two things. The goofy ass oligarch commercial from a few years ago and Jeremy Irons when he is monologuing about how the %1 always hides. And it’s true. The ones that really pull the strings are behind the curtain.

    • @[email protected]
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      31 year ago

      Because none of those pictured here are oligarchs, just the only billionaires your average teenager knows.

      If you made the meme with the Koch brother(s), Paul Novelly, Harlan Crow or Michael Bloomberg it would be much closer to the truth, but not something that would get upvotes because they aren’t constantly on TV (by design).

  • Patapon Enjoyer
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    1 year ago

    Yeah but my favorite billionaire has a tax haven charity therefore he deserves to hoard more money than everyone I have ever known and their families going up 10 generations have ever seem in their lives.

    • @[email protected]
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      51 year ago

      Oh and his son works there and makes 7 figures for throwing an annual gala so he can party with his other rich friends.

  • @[email protected]
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    81 year ago

    Remember if you see these folks anywhere: They may have some charity stuff, but only to still benefit themselves.

  • @[email protected]
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    1 year ago

    How do the google guys manage to keep themselves out of pictures like this? I know they keep a low profile but isn’t it one of the most evil corporations on the planet?

  • @[email protected]
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    51 year ago

    The difference is that oligarchs are in the government’s pocket, while the government is in the pocket of billionaires.

  • @[email protected]
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    -71 year ago

    It’s not fair to compare people who are shrewd at business and take advantage of a tax system that is rigged in their favor to people who are literally stealing from their own people.

    • TJA!
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      31 year ago

      Not exactly sure with what part of your sentence you are referring to whom