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Comment by lenerdenator | Hacker News Reader

Ayup. Trump was able to get a stay on a case on an "allegedly" improperly-applied tax write-off for his casino's bankruptcy. It's been in limbo at least since 2016. Ten years. This is the standard operating procedure for people at that level of wealth.

Which would suggest that perhaps that level of wealth doesn't need to exist in our society.

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> that level of wealth doesn't need to exist in our society.

But then the inquisition arrives saying this is socialism or whatever.

True, as it is just another symptom of not too much wealth, but the growing disconnect of what wealth is designed to be. Money shouldn't be power, too many people are starting to blame "too much money" instead of asking why money is turning into political power. Seemingly none of the politicians or rich people want that narrative because they all want both.

Has there ever been a society were money and power didn’t go hand in hand?

Is it even possible for money to not be power? Like, how do you separate purchasing power from influence power? Purchasing is a very easy route to influence.

It is A form of power, but it should not have such a liquid/easy transaction to political power.

Sure, societies that don't have the concept of currency. The inhabitants of the Sentinel Islands for example.

Some other societies have different ways of measuring authority and delegating power, but in general currency is more efficient and if they have to interface with the rest of the world then money will be critical. That's why money is usually a proxy for power.

I should have specified Political Power. There will always be a degree of cooperation, but they should not be so easily exchanged. More checks-and-balances, less winner-takes-all.

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