# Billionaires, CEOs, "corporations", and capitalism- Are things really different, or is it propaganda? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 22, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073 "2026-10-22T18:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/41 "2026-10-22T21:30:11Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Why do the largest corporations consist of online marketplaces for selling stuff, social media, streaming services, technology to power these things, maybe an odd energy or healthcare company? Those are the things that people want and/or need the most and which benefit most from economies of scale. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/42 "2026-10-22T21:31:45Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Why do the largest corporations consist of online marketplaces for selling stuff, social media, streaming services, technology to power these things, maybe an odd energy or healthcare company? Because corporations don’t make money by providing goods or services any more, they make money from investments. The economy today mostly consists of rich people giving other people’s money to even richer people, with actual consumers being kept almost completely out of the loop. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/43 "2026-10-22T21:41:41Z")
It’s like, we all agree that monopolies are bad. We also (I think) agree that if you have a big enough pile of money, you can create a monopoly. We’ve tried to regulate monopolies out of existence, but I’m convinced the only proper way to do it is to regulate away big piles of money. When people amass too much wealth, they can divert labor and resources away from the public good at a scale that can really make life shitty for everyone. The only way to stop that is with an equally massive collective action. Enter “slopulism,” or, in my parlance, people standing up for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/44 "2026-10-22T21:43:17Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > We’ve tried to regulate monopolies out of existence, but I’m convinced the only proper way to do it is to regulate away big piles of money. When people amass too much wealth, they can divert labor and resources away from the public good at a scale that can really make life shitty for everyone. The only way to stop that is with an equally massive collective action. Very important point. Elon Musk is so wealthy and powerful that he’s literally a national security threat, and can majorly impact US foreign policy based on his own whims. _It should not be legal to be that powerful_, and it doesn’t have to be. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/45 "2026-10-22T21:50:30Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > We also (I think) agree that if you have a big enough pile of money, you can create a monopoly. Can you explain what you mean by this? Like, if I have a big pile of money, and I want to destroy my competitor by buying them up, the Federal Trade Commission is going to review my proposed merger and no matter how much money I have it will not allow me to buy my rival. Even if I don’t buy any big rivals, if I get big enough by even natural growth then eventually the FTC might go after me anyways - I believe that Amazon’s trial is set to begin any day now for exactly that reason. > [@steronz](#): > > We’ve tried to regulate monopolies out of existence, but I’m convinced the only proper way to do it is to regulate away big piles of money. Which monopolies do you think we’ve failed to regulate away (other than Amazon whose breakup appears to currently be pending)? > [@steronz](#): > > When people amass too much wealth, they can divert labor and resources away from the public good at a scale that can really make life shitty for everyone. The only way to stop that is with an equally massive collective action. Can you give some concrete examples of either of these things? I don’t necessarily disagree - for example, Elon Musk destroying Twitter and the subsequent Exodus of users to BlueSky and other platforms - and I don’t even disagree that the government should be more vigorous in going after some of the worst offenders, like Elon Musk with X - but again, I don’t think the system itself needs to be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/46 "2026-10-22T21:54:03Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Without large megacorporations, who would build your cars, your tech, power your cities, deliver any product to you within days or hours, fly you around the world to relax in their giant amusement parks The same people who do it now. The employees of those mega corporations. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/47 "2026-10-22T21:55:04Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Billionaires aren’t a unified monolithic force acting to control society. They aren’t even really a group of people; they are separate people who can even be quite antagonistic to one another who all fall into a category. What they share in common is that they’re all equally out of touch with reality. I am related to a lot of very wealthy people (I mean a _lot_… like 200 at least), many of whom aren’t billionaires, but a couple are. All of them, including the ones who aren’t billionaires, live in a different world. I know because I slide in and out of that world whenever we have a family event. Some of them are very nice and generous people, but there are basic things about how most people live that they will never understand. > [@Babale](#): > > I don’t think that anyone believes that. The solution is regulation, not treating “billionaires” as the enemy. > > Business owners, like everyone else, is going to, for the most part, operate in their own self interest. The trick is to create a system of incentives and punishments that ensures that people’s self interest aligns with the interests of society at large. I also believe that part of the solution is regulation. Nothing I disagree with here. > [@Babale](#): > > I’m sorry but it is just simply not true that jobs today are more “dangerous and demoralizing” than they were in the past. Workplace injuries are down significantly from where they were in even the 2000s. Amazon warehouse jobs are significantly more dangerous than other warehouse jobs. That’s what I was referencing. See also: delivery drivers pissing in bottles, women delivery drivers being fired for menstruating and so on. I don’t think that kind of thing was happening in the 1990s, because that level of surveillance was not possible back then. > [@Babale](#): > > Again, this is the kind of hyperbole that makes it far too easy to dismiss your valid directional claim. The Jungle thing was just a joke. And an oblique reference to the fact that I’ve quit buying hamburger altogether after having the last two batches spoil on me. _The Jungle_ made me furious actually, because it turned a perfectly compelling novel into a communist manifesto through blatant character assassination. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/48 "2026-10-22T21:57:49Z")
If you have enough money you can buy the FTC, which has already been done. The FTC has been toothless for a long time, but now it’s blatantly corrupt. We’ve failed to regulate away big tech companies for _decades_. The Microsoft anti-trust suit resulted in nothing. The biggest example right now is AI. Nobody wants it and it’s not making life better for anyone. “But look at how many people use it!” Yes, as a soon-to-be classroom teacher I see how using AI is making everything worse and everyone dumber. “But they’re using it willingly!” No, they are using it because it’s being shoved down everyone’s throats and companies are willing to burn insane amounts of cash to do it. Why did we let companies amass the hundreds of billions of dollars that are allowing them to experiment with our lives? Do you know how bad the education crisis is in this country? How bad our test scores are trending? Reading comprehension? Critical thinking? Where is all the money that could be used to fight these problems going!? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/49 "2026-10-22T22:06:38Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Amazon warehouse jobs are significantly more dangerous than other warehouse jobs. That’s what I was referencing. See also: delivery drivers pissing in bottles, women delivery drivers being fired for menstruating and so on. I don’t think that kind of thing was happening in the 1990s, because that level of surveillance was not possible back then. No, but there was plenty of other shit happening in the 90s that isn’t happening today. And Amazon warehouse jobs might be more dangerous than other warehouse jobs, but there are now many more warehouse jobs per capita than before and significantly fewer jobs that were incredibly more dangerous, such as coal miners. And when you look at the job market _as a whole_, jobs are definitely not more dangerous than they used to be. If you want to call out Amazon in particular for particular practices, I’m right there with you. There’s plenty to criticize. But that’s not what the post I responded to said. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/50 "2026-10-22T22:07:35Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > The Jungle thing was just a joke. I guess this is Poe’s Law in action then, because I think there are several posters in this thread (and thousands of people on Reddit) who would say that unironically. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/51 "2026-10-22T22:08:55Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > The biggest example right now is AI. Nobody wants it and it’s not making life better for anyone. People keep saying that, but it’s not true. I want AI; lots of people I know do as well. Actually, I don’t think I’ve encountered any AI hate offline. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/52 "2026-10-22T22:10:22Z")
Really? You haven’t encountered anyone bitching about AI in apps, AI slop everywhere, AI cheating in schools, AI taking jobs, AI destroying the environment? Nothing about any of these topics? eta: I subbed in a computer science class earlier this year, the teacher (a 20+ year veteran) had Claude redo all of her course materials. Every single class complained about it. Every. Single. Class. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/53 "2026-10-22T22:13:43Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Can you explain what you mean by this? Like, if I have a big pile of money, and I want to destroy my competitor by buying them up, the Federal Trade Commission is going to review my proposed merger and no matter how much money I have it will not allow me to buy my rival. I recommend that you read _Enshittification_ by Cory Doctorow. In the book he gives a good overview of the problem of regulatory capture, along with relevant examples and yes, solutions. But even discounting the FTC, once a company gets to a certain size it can drive competitors out of business pretty easily. Like when [Diapers.com](http://Diapers.com) started getting business, Amazon was able to sell its diapers at a loss, drive [Diapers.com](http://Diapers.com) out of business and then jack up the price of diapers. It also has bottomless resources to sue anyone who threatens its business interests. Uber followed this exact protocol by driving taxi drivers out of business while operating at a loss, then jacking up their rates while simultaneously abdicating responsibility for their employees or the thousands of women their employees sexually assaulted, because you see the drivers are just _contracted_ and therefore Uber Is not responsible for anything they do or for their well-being. While drivers may find Uber more convenient (except many women, who know they are at increased risk of sexual assault), there is no question that people driving for Uber have it worse economically than people who drive taxis. But they have no alternative because Uber killed the competition. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/54 "2026-10-22T22:27:43Z")
So many indicators that used to consistently increase have reversed themselves – home ownership, wages to inflation, and even life expectancy! This is because of the recent skyrocketing in power of wealth, influence, and power of the billionaire class. They are, quite literally, the enemies of humanity. That doesn’t mean they should be harmed, but that extreme wealth, influence, and power should be taken away from them, and it should be illegal to get that rich and powerful going forward. No one should have even a tenth of the power and influence of Elon Musk. Maybe not even 1/100th. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/55 "2026-10-22T22:27:47Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Really? You haven’t encountered anyone bitching about AI in apps, AI slop everywhere, AI cheating in schools, AI taking jobs, AI destroying the environment? Nothing about any of these topics? On Reddit, and here, I see that stuff all the time. In real life? No, I’ve just encountered people sharing what they’ve used AI for. I mean, I guess I’ve heard people talk about the ‘cheating in schools’ thing here and there, but I don’t think anyone has really COMPLAINED about it. My wife is a teacher; she’s caught some kids doing it here and there; but most of her assignments don’t lend themselves to that, and it’s not like it makes her life materially worse in any way. These are things you’re hearing about from real people in the real world? Not just online? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/56 "2026-10-22T22:30:14Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > These are things you’re hearing about from real people in the real world? Not just online? Yep, IRL as the kids say. I find it really hard to believe that AI isn’t making anything harder for your wife, but I guess it depends on the school. It’s making _my_ life harder and I’m just a student teacher. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/57 "2026-10-22T22:33:24Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > What is the “correct” order of magnitude by which a CEO should outearn an “average grunt” and why? Exactly 25.67x. > [@Babale](#): > > We _should_ be talking about it more now. What is the “correct” order of magnitude by which we should be talking more about it? The OP is asking why are they hearing more and more about billionaires, wealth inequality, and corporations as being the source of many problems. I showed how those things have gotten more extreme in the last few decades, both in magnitude and influence. Feel free to argue against those points. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/58 "2026-10-22T22:40:30Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > People keep saying that, but it’s not true. Here’s some research. > **[Key findings about how Americans view artificial intelligence](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/)** > > Drawing on five years of Pew Research Center surveys, here are 13 findings about how Americans use and view AI, and where they see promise and risk. It’s mixed. Some people like it. Most people either aren’t crazy about it, or have mixed feelings, their views appear to be getting dimmer, and that’s not even getting into the huge backlash against data centers. I blame the AI companies themselves for making up stories about how it’s going to replace the labor market and destroy humanity or whatever. Those messages hit home for a lot of people. If you ask young people if they would eliminate cell phones from existence, a lot of them say yes. I have similar feelings about AI despite being a regular user and I think a lot of other people do too. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/59 "2026-10-22T22:48:11Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > These are things you’re hearing about from real people in the real world? Not just online? Do the words coming out of my own mouth count as in real life? My husband and I have an #ai channel in Discord that is mostly complaints. He despises it and won’t use it. I use it grudgingly and sparingly. I hear people complain about it all the time. My biggest personal complaint is having to argue with my CEO’s LLM. She has three years of nonprofit experience but ChatGPT has her believing she understands grants as well as a 16-year Masters-level grant writing veteran (me.) It’s so fucking tedious. I’d give back all the spreadsheets Claude has ever made for me if I didn’t have to deal with that shit anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073/60 "2026-10-22T23:26:23Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > These are things you’re hearing about from real people in the real world? Not just online? Literally every day, with all the people I interact with in my office and private life. ESPECIALLY with it being force-fed to us via Google and Microsoft. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billionaires-ceos-corporations-and-capitalism-are-things-really-different-or-is-it-propaganda/1034073.md?page=4)