Isn't Epstein really "The Billionaire Problem"

Bumping this as worth discussing.

Judging by the amount of billionaires who are monsters I do wonder what happens when people become extremely rich.

This looks very interesting and so topical. Must get back later and have a look.
Thanks

Power can easily corrupt.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." And someone who has such an obscene amount of wealth can wield a considerable amount of power.

We could take it a bit at a time. It's a lot to take on board. So, in the introduction he points out that scientifically there is a direct causal link between having extreme power and and acting just like Jeffrey Epstein. He says over the next 10 to 12 minutes he'll walk us through the economics, yhe behavioural economics, the neuro science and psychology that shows clearly that Jeffery Epstein is not an aberration. Jeffery Epstein is an inevitability in a system that allows wealth pool to obscene extremes. He is a harrowing symptom but he's not the actual disease. Because the science shows clearly that Jeffery Epstein is the lead henchman in all this. But the real villain of the Epstein story is extreme and concentrated wealth and power.

If we can take turns to type them up where we can that may help. This is up to 1.55/18.33.

The next bit is "Power rewinds the brain".

Interestingly enough and à propos and on a sort of behavioural-anecdotal level, a fairly well-off (I think) minor aristo and former "it" girl called Lady Victoria Hervey ( not Harvey) expressed something along the lines of her not understanding why everyone was so shocked at Epstein's behaviour because didn't we know that many wealthy men behaved in the same way.I think that she was referring specifically to Epstein's transactional and abusive behaviour toward women. She didn't suggest , by other millionaires, behaviour towards specifically under-age girls , though.

Over here, we had Jimmy Savile, who had built up a network of friends in the establishment, who thought he was wonderful because of his charity work and television shows. While not a billionaire, Savile used his wealth, fame and contacts in high places to do what he wanted. Since Savile was so popular and untouchable in the eighties, any criticism of him was dismissed.
Actually, some people did try to come forward, such as a BBC producer who had an inkling Savile had an unhealthy interest in young girls, but Savile threatened to hire a contract killer to have him shot. ( Old Sunday Mirror story I read). Also people who did complain on Top Of The Pops that Savile was behaving inappropriately were warned off, suggesting Savile was all powerful and was being protected.

I have read about this and it's very interesting that power does change the brain making the individual have less empathy for others.
Also more likely to take risks.
There's a lot more but easily recognisable in people like Epstein and others who are rich and powerful.
I would try to type it up but you wouldn't get it till Easter.

There have been quite a few articles in psychology magazines and papers about this ‘phenomenon’. One for example in Science alert in 2017 - www.sciencealert.com/this-is-what-power-does-to-your-brain-and-your-body

Powerful people are less able to mirror people they observe or interact with. Powerful people's "mirroring" systems are not as strong as those of others. That means they're less likely to mimic a person they're having a conversation with, and they will do less laughing or shrugging along with their companion. A 2014 study looked at brains of "high-power" people and revealed that when observing others squeeze a ball, they had less resonance in certain brain areas that should typically light up, suggesting their brains had become less empathetic and able to 'mirror' others. The more power someone had, the less resonant they were

It has long been known that up to 10% of bankers / financial services workers are psychopaths.

www.aru.ac.uk/news/psychopaths-prepared-to-spark-financial-crisis-for-profit#:~:text=Since%20I%20began%20researching%20corporate,people's%20money%2C%20has%20gained%20traction.

AGAA4

Bumping this as worth discussing.

Judging by the amount of billionaires who are monsters I do wonder what happens when people become extremely rich.

Indeed, I've sometimes wondered about Elon Musk who has acquired a bit of a track record for making thinly-veiled references to paedophilia in relation to people he falls out with or simply doesn't like.

Remember when the British diver/potholer, who rescued several children after they got stuck in an underground cave and was openly labelled 'the paedo guy' by Musk, took him to court and unfortunately lost his case? Musk could afford an entire regiment of lawyers - nobody stands a chance against those odds.

And Musk has done exactly the same thing since.

However, it's said that the traits and negative behaviours we think we see in others are the very qualities we harbour within ourselves and make efforts to hide.

For all his money I think Musk is struggling to bury some sinister secrets.

Yep...I was watching that video earlier today and thinking that he put it all quite clearly.

Let's face it - you've got to be "not quite" at least in some ways for mental functioning if you can sit there using all that level of cash just on yourself for all your whims and desires - when there are people out there genuinely putting in a reasonable effort and havent even got enough to exist on reasonably.

I tend to like reasonable level Economics takes on things - as they usually make so much sense to me and Economics was one of the subjects I "had time for" back in schooldays. It explains a lot....

But people in poverty are more likely to be involved in violent crime, so am not sure what that shows, perhaps extremes of income either way.

Galaxy

But people in poverty are more likely to be involved in violent crime, so am not sure what that shows, perhaps extremes of income either way.

Not all psychopaths are violent or dangerous.

www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/not-all-psychopaths-are-criminal

Yes is it not surgeons that have a higher than average incidence of psychopathy in their profession compared to others

petra

It has long been known that up to 10% of bankers / financial services workers are psychopaths.

www.aru.ac.uk/news/psychopaths-prepared-to-spark-financial-crisis-for-profit#:~:text=Since%20I%20began%20researching%20corporate,people's%20money%2C%20has%20gained%20traction.

You do not become a multi millionaire/billionaire by playing Mr Nice Guy. You do it by being prepared to render your own grandmother down for lard, walking over people's faces and being prepared to grind the faces of the poor into the mud.

Once you are very, very, filthy rich, you try to cover your tracks, by investing in good deeds, donating vast sums of money to charity, better still forming a charitable trust that bears yourr name and goes round donating money to causes that help the people you ruined on your way up - the elderly, children, disadvantaged groups of all kinds and to get the respect of your fellow very,very, filthy rich people you support famous museums, art galleries and opera houses.

I will say this for Peter Mandelson, I have never seen any evidence that suggests he supports any charitable ventures, what he makes he keeps for himself. In that sense he is honest!!!

It is also more than likely that the excessively wealthy suffer from the psychiatric condition known as pleonoxia

Pleonexia is a psychiatric disorder of excessive greed or desire for wealth or objects.

It could perhaps be seen as a kindness to potential sufferers to try to prevent them from becoming excessively wealthy in the first place?

And a kindness to humanity in general to prevent the bad effects their greed has on the decidedly less wealthy…

Part One: Power Rewires the Brain
To start let's get into the neuroscience because that's were it all begins. There was a study at McMaster University by someone called Sukhvinder Obhi, who ran experiments measuring how power impacts neural processes. He had participants refle t on times when they had power over someone else. He then measured their brain activity an FMRI. What he found was chilling - that power inhibits the brains mirroring function. You might or might no know this but mirroring neurons, they are the kind of neurological impulse that let's us empathise. When we see somebody in pain our brain literally mirrors that experience for us do we emotionally understand it. It's involuntary and fundamental to bring human. Having power shuts that down. That's not theory, this is the rhetoric, it's fact. The fact. Repeatable, peer-reviewed studies show that effect again and again. Being super-rich rewires the brain to make ou treat other humans as accessories to use. Society madly calls it succes;, neurology calls it damage; therapy calls it "we really need to talk - a lot. Sit down."

MaizieD

It is also more than likely that the excessively wealthy suffer from the psychiatric condition known as pleonoxia

Pleonexia is a psychiatric disorder of excessive greed or desire for wealth or objects.

It could perhaps be seen as a kindness to potential sufferers to try to prevent them from becoming excessively wealthy in the first place?

And a kindness to humanity in general to prevent the bad effects their greed has on the decidedly less wealthy…

How do you do that. The excessively wealthy have to have the wealth in the first place, in order for it to be taxed. Surely we should encourage to get even richer so that they pay even more in tax

I am so relieved to have very little money and less and less power...I have all the freedom I need thankyou.

I don't think it is so much the money that makes people psychotic but their ability to lie. This begins with what used to be called 'creative accounting'. I guess this is how Epstein wielded his power.

Lying is the most virulent epidemic on the planet. Once the process begins, it is practically impossible to stop.

Mountbatten Windsor has caught himself in this trap.
All he needs to do is stand up and tell the truth- but it seems he will avoid this option as long as he can, which may be forever.

We saw this play out yesterday with Maxwell's testimony- there is no advantage for these people in telling the truth.

M0nica

MaizieD

It is also more than likely that the excessively wealthy suffer from the psychiatric condition known as pleonoxia

Pleonexia is a psychiatric disorder of excessive greed or desire for wealth or objects.

It could perhaps be seen as a kindness to potential sufferers to try to prevent them from becoming excessively wealthy in the first place?

And a kindness to humanity in general to prevent the bad effects their greed has on the decidedly less wealthy…

How do you do that. The excessively wealthy have to have the wealth in the first place, in order for it to be taxed. Surely we should encourage to get even richer so that they pay even more in tax

Oh, don’t be ridiculous, MOnica. The wealthy pay a miniscule amount of tax compared with ordinary mortals on PAYE. Making them even more wealthy would just make everyone else even poorer as they acquire more and more of the money the state issues. And attempts to tax it back off them would encounter the many almost insuperable barriers they erect between their wealth and the taxman.

I have posted a link many times to the Taxing Wealth Report, which is full of suggestions for reducing their ability to acquire so much wealth in the first place. I have asked for your opinion of it and you have never responded. I think it’s more than annoying that you should, yet again, ask how it could be done when I’ve so frequently pointed to the practical suggestions of someone with far more expertise on taxation than I have with absolutely no response from you.

MaizieD I rrespond to you regulalry, so I am sure I have responded to you at least once, but I do not want to bore people by constantly saying the same thing.

You cannot tax people in isolation. Tax very rich people here and they will just move somewhere else. You only have to read the papers to see how these people have homes all over the world and constantly travel - and can change tax location at the drop of a hat.

You also need to take into account the kind of person who has the personality that makes money. There is so much more to it than just having a good idea and going with it. Most of the men, and it is motly men, so far, are the kind who just steamroller, walk over and flatten everything before them.

I worked in the energy industry, and met them. The head of my employer, a man who gave his life to engineering and public service took on Mrs Thatcher and won.

While the elcetricity industry was broken up into regional companies and generation of electricity was separated from distribution. The gas industry was nationalised as one national company that did everything from drill bit to burner tip. It was split later, after he retired, but a man like that today would be in the private sector and all the tax rules in the world would not touch him. He would just move to the USA, Middle East, Monaco, Switzerland.

Tax rules are fine if you can make them stick. They may work in countries that do not produce many very rich people anyway, but they also drive them away. They do not invest in countries with very high or punitive tax systems.

M0nica

MaizieD I rrespond to you regulalry, so I am sure I have responded to you at least once, but I do not want to bore people by constantly saying the same thing.

You cannot tax people in isolation. Tax very rich people here and they will just move somewhere else. You only have to read the papers to see how these people have homes all over the world and constantly travel - and can change tax location at the drop of a hat.

You also need to take into account the kind of person who has the personality that makes money. There is so much more to it than just having a good idea and going with it. Most of the men, and it is motly men, so far, are the kind who just steamroller, walk over and flatten everything before them.

I worked in the energy industry, and met them. The head of my employer, a man who gave his life to engineering and public service took on Mrs Thatcher and won.

While the elcetricity industry was broken up into regional companies and generation of electricity was separated from distribution. The gas industry was nationalised as one national company that did everything from drill bit to burner tip. It was split later, after he retired, but a man like that today would be in the private sector and all the tax rules in the world would not touch him. He would just move to the USA, Middle East, Monaco, Switzerland.

Tax rules are fine if you can make them stick. They may work in countries that do not produce many very rich people anyway, but they also drive them away. They do not invest in countries with very high or punitive tax systems.

Although there’s some truth to the notion that taxes can influence mobility, M0nica the evidence doesn’t support a blanket statement that taxing the wealthy inevitably leads to them all leaving the effect is real in some cases but not universal or overwhelmingly large.