Everytime I look at small problems or big global problems, if you follow the money trail, it all leads to some billionaire who is either working towards increasing their wealth or protecting their wealth from decreasing.
Everything from politics, climate change, workers rights, democratic government, technology, land rights, human rights can all be rendered down to people fighting another group of people who defend the rights of a billionaire to keep their wealth or to expand their control.
If humanity got rid of or outlawed the notion of any one individual owning far too much money than they could ever possibly spend in a lifetime, we could free up so much wealth and energy to do other things like save ourselves from climate change.
I’d freaking love to work as a waitress. It was my dream job as a kid and when I tried it here and there I enjoyed it a lot. But the pay is shit and the social status, being looked down on, as someone stupid or lower… Man, I’d love to be a part time waitress. But until socialism hits and a part time waiting job would be sufficient to feed half a family I’ll stick with the biomedical industry and PhD program.
It always makes me so sad to think about how children talk about those “shit jobs”. You won’t find a kid who wants to become a financial advisor or a tax attorney. Most kids want to build homes, cook, wait, clean, work with animals, drive trains, drive trucks, … Jesus how many kids I see who are freaking fascinated by garbage trucks and want nothing more than to work as garbage men. And then they grow up and society indoctrinates them into thinking these are bad jobs for lower people, and reality shows you that you can’t make a living off these jobs, so better do something you cannot even pronounce.
When i was a kid my neighbour was a waiter and he raised 3 kids with his wife. Not an easy Life but they did it. Now a waiter has to choose between a place to live or food to eat
I worked at a restaurant where the waiters were unionized and they did make plenty of money.
I wouldn’t waitress but if I did have a lot of money I would love to run a small bar & tapas place, our neighborhood needs a corner bar and my inclination is towards creative food and drinks, I like doing that stuff. Just can’t afford to.
And honestly that’s part of the issue - sure the top is too bloated but the bottom not vibrant enough. More people making enough money as entrepreneurs would also help with inequality.