[QAPereo]

Realistically, BI won’t save him, or his progeny when/if it comes down to “pitchforks” any more than the French aristocracy could throw potatoes at starving peasants and hope to live. I can’t imagine how much good someone would have to do to justify concentrating a hundred thousand million dollars in their person. When so much of that probably wasn’t fairly subjected to taxation... well... maybe he deserves some “pitchforks” at his door, or st least some angry government accountants and lawyers.

[kbutler]

This is just crazy to me. Every purchase at Amazon is made because it makes the purchaser better off. Amazon out-competes by serving the customer better. If Bezos also benefits, that's great - he's made the world a better place. I'd love to richly reward millions of people for making the world better like Amazon has.

Save the pitchforks for negative-sum beneficiaries - companies and individuals who benefit by leeching/destroying value (e.g., most financial "innovation", big pharma using legal tactics to avoid competition, etc.)

[QAPereo]

Nothing you said in any way justifies not paying tax.

[kbutler]

Nor pitchforks.

If the law doesn't require paying taxes, change the law. If people evade taxes they are legally required to pay, punish appropriately.

Don't demonize success doing beneficial things and obeying the law.

[QAPereo]

I’m demonizing robber barony and tax evasion.