man of the people Gavin Newsom. having a hissy fit about the possibility of billionaires paying 5% of their fortune to the state one time, which they'll immediately make back by doing nothing.
Date: October 19th, 2026 11:10 PM Author: Mint Theater Main People
I'm shocked that the guy who actually has to keep the state functioning has a different view of the implicit contract the system depends on than the guy who lives in DC, participates in a NATIONAL body, and is trying to build a NATIONAL brand based on populism.
Date: October 19th, 2026 11:48 PM Author: Mint Theater Main People
newsom is being responsible by opposing the wealth tax, khanna is being irresponsible by promoting it. that doesn’t make it bad. it would be fine if it really was “one-time”, to put enough of a scare into them that they start doing more local philanthropic stuff but not enough that they leave—you know, like the old-school industrialists used to do. it’s bad that it went out of fashion and we’re left with bezos-style sociopaths with no fealty, plutocrats used to try to build legitimacy based on a kind of parasocial relationship with all the people who make their system work so feelings of collective benefit could outweigh feelings of exploitation.
that type of shit could make a comeback with the right type of pressure, but that’s what anti-billionaire rhetoric needs to be grounded in if it’s to do any good and what we actually see coming out of the left tends to be much more detached from reality. the state has leverage it should exercise, but judiciously and from the point of view of building a productive relationship.
Date: October 19th, 2026 11:50 PM Author: Effete Trailer Park
the accounting necessary to even collect it once would cause all kinds of financial mischief with people liquidating stocks and shit, wouldn't it? that might be the real reason newsom opposes it.
Date: October 19th, 2026 11:40 PM Author: olive vibrant giraffe
How retarded are you? 25% of tax money goes to scammer foreigners and criminals. There is zero reason to give the govt more money until they figure out how to not fucking waste it.