Should billionaires be allowed to influence public spending?

I voted yes but with an asterisk. Everyone should be allowed to influence public spending EQUALLY. One person, one vote. Period. No lobbying. No special considerations for anyone. That's how true democracy works. If they want something changed then instead of getting their friends in the government to do it for them, they should have to convince a majority of citizens to vote for it and without manipulation, propaganda or coercion. They should have to use facts and honesty to try and convince us why we should vote for it with there being extremely harsh penalties for lying. Just like in a court of law or when talking to the FBI. Then we'd truly live in a just and equal democracy for everyone. Preventing anyone from participating in democracy for any reason, is not democracy. That's authoritarianism and can just as easily be used against those who use it. We'd only be doing what they do to us and thus become them, repeating the cycle all over again and again and again. The only way forward is by breaking the cycle. In this ideal world, billionaires wouldn't exist anyway. Because the people wouldn't allow them to have that much more money than everyone else. The gap between the rich and the poor would exist but would be much smaller. We once had that. Between 1945 and around 1970-80 the United States had the largest middle class the world had ever seen and hasn't seen since. So if we've done it before, we can do it again. But our wealthy overlords have been careful not to push us over the edge like they did during the Great Depression which would have pushed us to the point where we would take this country back for the people like we did during and after the Great Depression. The government has worked along side our overlords to ensure we aren't pushed to that point but not give us too much as to imagine we could have a better life. Can't have hope and can't have desperation.

Geoffrey Beatty

They should be cut off from the economy. And just have there own separate economy.

Yes, that's why I voted yes in the end, bcs I think that it would be better if they were allowed to do it but had to do so in certain transparent ways. I just cannot imagine a systemic implementstion robust enough so that it would be disallowed not just de iure.

One CPU one vote.

The Hated One

Yes, it is a loaded question. But I am interested to hear the general sentiment around this issue. It's what I am covering for my next YouTube video.

The Hated One

Capitalist economics are a societal cancer. Absolute greed corrupts absolutely.

AArexx AAron Ruscetta

I think that you cannot just disallow that, if only bcs just a handfull of them controls half the wealth of a nation. I would rather unmake them billionares, to ensure they cannot influence public spending even if they could/wanted

If Bill Gates and recent history are a guide, then absolutely not!

This vote is rigged to count votes on a per-person basis, and not a per-dollar one

Alex Jones

Well, this is current done via Corporate and Non-Profits all the time. No is the answer, but with the current political situation, money is the only voice they hear.

Scott Mack