wqnm #wingnut themotte.org
Cynically, I think you’re thinking about this all completely wrong, in that you are taking the words of the envious as you call them at face value. Ultimately, for these people, the point is not to take money from really rich people (ostensibly to help the poor), no, that is incidental; the point is to hurt really rich people. They are Marxists, and these are their eternal class enemies. As always, “to help the poor” is the cover story, many couldn’t actually care less about the well being of those they claim to fight for beyond what they offer as a political tool in the realm of realpolitik. This is how democrats in Minnesota can get millions of dollars for “educating underprivileged children”, clearly without giving a rat’s ass whether it was actually used for this purpose.
There is no say-when point in $ where they will be appeased; a well reasoned new tax, a number of 0′s off Elon’s net worth, where they’ll say “oh yeah that’s actually fair, we’re good”. That point is not a dollar value or a percentage, it’s the point where their social media fueled class bloodlust against the capitalist feels quenched; Elon can’t just be a bit less wealthy on paper and that’s it, Elon must suffer in some way. Be brought down a peg; humiliated, if need be. Any amount of money taken that still allows Elon his ability to exist as an influential public figure will not be enough. You’re trying to apply a rational, economic solution to a religious problem. They aren’t “too rich”, they are infidels to Marxism, and must repent or be crushed.
Honestly, Elon and the rest’s best bet would probably be to employ some kind of Br’er Rabbit strategy. I think the amount of humility required to allow the Twitter Marxists to even think they won is beyond them though.