I think my point is that if lots of money is being made, someone is going to have to spend it. You may disagree with how it is spent by Bezos, etc. but I can’t imagine capping net worth so that governments can spend more is the right solution.
In theory, I vote for how my government spends the money it obtains. Bezos isn't accountable for his personal wealth to be spent in the public good (or what I perceive to be the public good). If you assume the government is able to act in good faith on the public interest, then it makes more sense for them to have the money than a single individual only accountable to an extremely small minority of the population as a whole (his board/company)
The idea behind any socialist theory is that "the state" should be acting on the will of "The People" and therefor is better serving them. If it's democratic socialism, you're also able to help put players into "the state" that desire to act on the will of "the People" and remove players who don't. This is all in theory of course. The same way that, in theory, capitalists use their capital to create jobs that require labor which passes wealth to the laboring class. The reality is infinitely more complex.
The point is that democracy is good in that it holds power accountable to the will of people. Giant accumulations of wealth come with power but no accountability. A billion dollars already puts you deep in the new aristocracy, anything beyond that is plainly obscene and should be returned to the will of the people.
You just have to take it to its extreme conclusion. A future with a handful of trillionaires and billions of destitute people entertained by electronics that cost pennies. Is this really the world you want for your kids or grandkids? If we continue to allow the concentration of wealth this is not only a possible reality but a likely one.
Why you think giving what is basically unlimited power to an individual instead of a governing body that at least on paper is accountable to its citizens boggles the mind. Celebrity/Wealth worship has truly gotten out of hand.
That's his point. Bezos doesn't have unlimited power. The government does. Bezos can't go off and just start a war. Bezos can't throw you in prison and keep you there. Bezos can't take a chunk of your paycheck involuntarily.
I think plenty of people would rather see the guy that has a good online store get the money vs. the people dropping bombs on various countries and imprisoning large swaths of our population.
I think my point is that if lots of money is being made, someone is going to have to spend it. You may disagree with how it is spent by Bezos, etc. but I can’t imagine capping net worth so that governments can spend more is the right solution.