Author | Lightnews

Hunt The Economist

@hunttheeconomist.bsky.social

1.9K followers 780 following 2.2K posts

Same profile as I had on Twitter. Local Government Officer. Economist. Left Leaning. Politically engaged. Cat owner. Fish owner. Lego enthusiast. Video Gamer. Board Gamer. My receptions are more exquisite than the Ambassador’s. Not much else to say.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 1h

So what is your answer? You say what we need, but what are your steps for getting there?

If you’re resigned to everything failing because “capitalism” then anything to try and make change becomes pointless.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 2h

I completely agree. And if that means they don’t have the cash to pay, they will need to sell some assets.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 2h

There needs to be a cap on capitalism so that they can’t break through a wealth ceiling in future.

No more billionaires.

In a world of finite resources, it’s obscene that they exist.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 2h

I’m in the U.K.

It’s as bad here at the moment. Our right wing press is desperate to get Farage into power, and he is aiming to be a copycat of Trump.

But the left has discovered its own populism and is finally getting its act together, which is very pleasing to see.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 2h

I disagree. I think we need to tax them til their pips squeak. If they leave, so be it. But we cannot continue with so much being owned by so few.

It’s not so much about them being willing to live somewhere else. It’s that they would lose access to places they want to live.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 2h

I think that’s a fair comment.

Short of a global revolution, we have to work with the world we find ourselves in.

I see my comment as a relatively easy first step of many to right the wrongs in the world.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 3h

You’re much kinder than I am 😆

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

It’s the kind of world we should live in.

It’s shameful of our political class that we don’t.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

Baby steps. 😉

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

I agree entirely with this.

Ethical employers and the companies they run, are exactly the businesses we should be supporting.

It’s scandalous for Tesco to announce record profits when most of their staff get tax credits. Every penny of those tax credits should be repaid to the government.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

Out of desperation.

UBI would be tricky to implement and would still rely on making companies and billionaires paying their fair share in tax.

I think UBI will be needed in the long term as automation grows, but as a first step I would set our country on an ethical trajectory, focused on fairness.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

I don’t believe that the billionaires would actually leave, so there would be no reason for other countries not to follow suit.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

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media.tenor.com

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

I’d probably be banned from Bluesky if I suggested the location I have in mind 😆😝

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

Wherever they go, they can’t take their assets with them anyway.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

Exactly. Parasites can’t survive without a host…*

*may not be biologically correct 😆

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

America is an oligarchy masquerading as a democratic republic.

Sadly, I think you are stuck with it until you take the French approach and rise up and overthrow them.

From the outside looking in, I’m amazed at how much the American people are tolerating.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

In the U.K, local government use social value as part of our procurement scoring (to determine what businesses we work with).

Sadly, the American right wing is investing heavily in Reform and Nigel Farage over here, with the hope of infiltrating our politics. 😭

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

If they all ended up on an island together, it would end up more like Lord of the Flies than a circle jerk… although I guess once a pecking order was established it could be a conga-jerk? 😆

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 7h

If they choose to not pay tax and leave, then their assets (which they can’t take) can be heavily taxed or forfeited, they would need to give up citizenship, and they wouldn’t be able to run a business in our country or even visit anymore.

That would be my policy 😉

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 8h

The very first step is a wealth tax. Dozens of nations are exploring this option at the moment, including the U.K.

Billionaires can’t take their assets with them if they leave, so those can be taxed or forfeited.

And if their businesses leave, ethical entrepreneurs can take their places.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 8h

Exactly. I have no problem at all with ethical entrepreneurs.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 8h

Massachusetts. And you’re spot on.

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Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 8h

Our Green Party in the U.K. are talking about a 2% wealth tax, and the right wing media is raging about it.

They’re now polling higher than our current government, for the first time in history.

Hunt The Economist @hunttheeconomist.bsky.social · 8h

In the U.K. we have our right wing media saying “you need to pay politicians more so that you can attract the best”

And

“We need people with experience of running big businesses to run the country”

Which is the opposite of what we need. I want politicians who care about communities, not wealth.

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