yes, we would probably be better off as a society without those companies (we can say that with certainty for meta _alone_). destabilizing democracy, suicide nets, AI for the "defense" industry, surveillance, misinformation, mass manipulation, adtech, etc.
> You who make six figure salaries slinging javascript would probably not have jobs like that without companies that billionaies built.
doing something else more productive? your disdain is apparent in this comment, so i'm sure you wouldn't mind it if people who "sling javascript" for six figures find something better to work on.
> Would they have bothered or even been able to do it if we taxed away not only their income but also their wealth?
do you start every side project with the question, "well how much will i have to pay in taxes when this makes me a billionaire?" most innovation in human history has existed absent a profit motive.
einstein, marie curie, socrates, newton. should i go on? the only delusion here is thinking the pinnacle of human innovation is social networking and $1000 phones.
> You who make six figure salaries slinging javascript would probably not have jobs like that without companies that billionaies built.
doing something else more productive? your disdain is apparent in this comment, so i'm sure you wouldn't mind it if people who "sling javascript" for six figures find something better to work on.
> Would they have bothered or even been able to do it if we taxed away not only their income but also their wealth?
do you start every side project with the question, "well how much will i have to pay in taxes when this makes me a billionaire?" most innovation in human history has existed absent a profit motive.