Hand In Hand

I tuned in to find out Apple had donated $5 million.

Then I tuned out. Not literally, but who's watching this show anyway?

I applaud the effort. Give Scooter Braun credit.

But this is no 9/11 benefit, it's not even Manchester United (I know, I know, it's "One Love Manchester.")

What it is is a collection of some of the greatest celebrities today asking us to open our wallets, in an era where celebrities mean less and our country has been torn apart not only by storms, but racial and economic hatred.

Come on, Apple pays almost no tax, at least not relative to their profits, which are kept overseas, Michael Dell was the beneficiary of huge tax breaks, but we should dig down deep into our thin portfolios to help our downtrodden brethren?

I don't think so.

They've already got us paying a grand for a phone, over a hundred bucks for a concert ticket. Why are we denigrated yet giving all the time, while the corporations lobby in D.C. to have their taxes LOWERED and hedge fund titans are taxed at capital gains rates.

We need a rethink here folks.

Disasters happen. And we need a fund to make people whole.

But the government has been demonized. The Red Cross is the enemy. Everybody wastes bucks, but now they're asking us to pay up?

We live in a society, we're all in it together, if we don't look out for each other we're screwed. You can't insulate yourself from the downtrodden, no one can live behind a gate and fly private 24/7. And what kind of life would that be anyway?

And did anybody notice that so many of the impacted are African-American? The President allows white supremacists to run free but now we're supposed to care about those of a different color? WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING!

Hell, I'll push the buttons of the right.

Should we be building in Miami?

What impact did climate change/global warming have on these disasters. Can we even ask those questions, can we do a study? Better safe than sorry, like those evacuees who found out Irma missed them. What's the downside of decreasing emissions? Of solar power? China says they're going to electric cars and our President is trying to build up coal mining, which is fading all by its lonesome.

But the truth doesn't go far in America, because the truth hurts.

All those rich people who say they'd have no problem paying taxes if the money was used more efficiently, while the peons pay gas taxes and food taxes and so many other levies without choice and don't complain how they're spent. Like the rich earned it. Believe me, Apple is nothing without its customers, ditto on Dell.

But we're supposed to applaud these enterprises for laying down some of OUR hard-earned money to help the unfortunate.

Hogwash.

Tax these enterprises. Raise taxes on the wealthy. Bring our nation together as opposed to apart.

You want to feel like you make a difference, have an impact, but how can that be when you donate ten or twenty bucks and Tim Cook lays down millions? You wonder why people do dope, they're disincentivized!

Furthermore, this proves that the only power of the underclass does not come from cash. It comes from ideas. Stands. Statements.

Want to piss off Apple, bring the company to its knees, start a boycott. Believe me, all hell would break loose. They neutered Uber, do you think they cannot do it to other companies?

And sure, Uber was an out of control boys club.

But these other corporations are not a whole hell of a lot better. It's just that you don't find out about it, it goes on behind closed doors.

But to tell you the truth, most people have tuned out. Cut the cord. Are deep into their niche. Decades ago everybody watched the networks. This telethon needed to be live on Netflix. So many other places where eyeballs reside, but the truth is we've all scattered.

But we're feeding the monolith. Forget losing your privacy to the government, Facebook is more powerful than the KGB, you cough up all the details!

So we're on the wrong path. We never ask the big questions. We just gather together now and again and give some coin away to feel good.

I'm not buying it.


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