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Comment by jlgreco | Hacker News Reader

In my view, expecting people to spend their money on something that benefits society rather than on what they otherwise want to spend it on is expecting an informal sort of charity.

If the view is that no person should have enough money after taxes to do this sort of thing, that I can understand. I wouldn't agree, but I would understand.

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I've probably done a bad job of communicating the sentiment. As a Libertarian the ABSOLUTE LAST thing I am going to do is tell you how to spend your money.

That said, I can express opinion as to the choices you may have made. That does NOT mean I am right. It's just one man's opinion.

My general sentiment is that if you are in a position to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pet projects you have a responsibility to society to make the right choices. Call it a moral or ethical judgement on my part. I do not resent him having money or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit.

And what if he both does what he wants, and what you want him to do? Is that acceptable, or will you remain disgruntled until he spends all of his money as you wish?

> or having fun with it. That's OK. That's more than OK. Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit.

What? Have you considered that this is both to him? You make absolutely no sense at all.

Yeah, the guys is a bit incoherent. He claims he is a libertarian while at the same time opining how bezos should spend his money. Money that nobody else has a claim to it anymore but bezos. As long as he is not breaking any laws whom am I to even think what he should do with his money. That is how a true libertarian should think.

The fact he doesn't think this way means he is just trying to bullshit us by claiming he is a libertarian or he simply does not understand what the word means [1].

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism

Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money?

All I said is that spending it raising crap from the bottom of the sea is bullshit.

I also indicated this is based on my moral conviction that if you achieve success at that level you have a responsibility towards society not to do crap like that.

If you choose to do crap like that, live long and prosper. Your choice. I just don't think it's morally supportable in the context of all else that really needs doing.

Look at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as an example of what I think is role-model behavior for the uber-rich. I don't require they behave this way. They are absolutely free to do as they wish. They can even make a big pile with their money and burn it. I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right. That's all.

None of this negates a Libertarian doctrine. I should at the same time note that Libertarianism isn't a cookie-cutter system, just like saying someone is a Democrat or a Republican doesn't mean they adhere to 100% of what Wikipedia might say these doctrines consist of. Pure Libertarianism can be a bit extreme.

For example, we still need government officials to be there and throw parties when foreign dignitaries visit. Yes, it's a joke!

So, how about this: Let's agree to disagree. Back to coding and making money I can then burn.

> Brother, where did I try to tell him how to spend his money?

> I am merely stating that from my point of view what Bezos is doing isn't right

What. The. Fuck.

You are clearly beyond rational discussion.

Nope. You continue to read what you want my statements to read. The stuff you quoted can only be interpreted as telling him what to do by twisting it around. No other way.

I can look at someone smoking and say "I think that is wrong because of...". That does not, in any way, that I am trying to force or tell the person not to smoke. Now, you might choose to read it that way but that doesn't change what it says.

You clearly only want to disagree with me for the sport of it so I'll agree to disagree and give you the last word because it seems you need to win. Go for it. The stage is yours.

Are you a native English speaker? Because I can't figure out how you are reading these things into what I say. I can try a couple different languages if you'd like.

I don't want him to do anything in particular.

I did not say that.

I said that it is MY MORAL JUDGMENT that spending money on this particular endeavor is a waste and that it could find better use elsewhere.

I also said that it is MY MORAL JUDGMENT that the uber-rich have a social responsibility to not do crap like this.

In another reply I mentioned the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as what I think is a perfect role model.

Beyond that, you are making it all up. I am not here to force anyone to do anything. If the guy wants to make a huge bonfire with a hundred million dollars he is free to indulge. I'll even volunteer to light it. And, yes, I'll still be of the opinion that it would be morally wrong.

You know then engines he is recovering? Here they are, being test fired on January of THIS YEAR. Yeah. Crazy. We still have at least one we can fire! Probably more!

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/f1_test.html

This is what I think is going on: Rich guy competition. James Cameron did the Titanic. Bezos wants to play and get something from the bottom of the ocean and here we are probably spending hundreds of millions of dollars lifting twisted and rotted junk up to the surface. All that while a mere two months ago NASA was test firing the real thing. You should be laughing your ass off at this one.

  s/what do want him to do/what do you think would be moral for him to do/

A trivial modification that should be inferred. Are you a native english speaker?

Regardless, what non-charity hobbies do you think it would be moral for rich people to have? How much would Bezos hypothetically have to give to charities before this operation stopped being "immoral" in your book? Is there an amount?

You really are trying to tell rich people how they should spend their money, even if you think yourself a libertarian. The cognitive dissonance here is astounding.

I have trouble combining these two sentences:

> I do not resent him having money or having fun with it.

and

> Pulling up junk from the ocean bottom? Nah, that's bullshit.

What if he enjoys pulling junk up from the bottom of the ocean?Is it still bullshit if he's just doing it for fun?

And, really, he's doing the future people a favour in reducing the number of future 'Antithykera mechanisms' to baffle future archeologists.

And that's OK. This is my moral stance and mine only. Let's not make more of this than what it really is.

And I say you are completely wrong. Even though you are saying you are not trying to tell him what to do in really you are trying to tell him what to do with his money.

If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money.

> If you were truly a libertarian you would not even comment about how he should be spending his own money.

Oh, please.

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