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diff --git a/memos/WM-098.txt b/memos/WM-098.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..64eea7f --- /dev/null +++ b/memos/WM-098.txt @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ + + + + + + + +Document: WM-098 P. Webb +Category: Personal 2026-07-08 + + What I'd do with a BILLION dollars + +Abstract + + Hey Siri, play "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" by Nas + and Lauren Hill. + +Body + + There's been much hullabaloo about the world's favorite frog-built + barrel-chested Ewok[1] with hourglass ankles[2] becoming the first + TRILLIONAIRE as of late, with his most fervent and financially-poor + supporters celebrating this achievement as if its theirs. Personally, + I don't get it but I imagine it matches my elation about Kendrick + Lamar at the Super Bowl (same with the Spanish diaspora when Bad + Bunny was at the Super Bowl). The difference is, these musical + artists speak truth to power and spread messages of unity and love. + + Anyhoo. + + The scale of wealth in America is staggering. A few months ago I saw + a post[3] on Instagram attempting to illustrate just how massive the + gap between a million and a billion is. Look at like this: + + - a million seconds = 12 days + - a billion seconds = 32 years + + The median U.S. household made $83,780 in 2024. This average + household would need to work eleven THOUSAND (plus 943) years to make + a billion. The average person not being able to fathom this (hi) have + difficulty understanding wealth policies. + + An overwhelming majority of the world's billionaires live in the U.S. + How do they keep it? Unrealized gains are never taxed; these are + things like stocks and real estate. Billionaires don't spend their + own money if they can help it. With so many assets, they're able to + take out low interest loans…a loan isn't income. No income, no tax! + + Must be nice! + + I believe if Bernie Sanders wasn't cucked by the Democrats, the U.S. + would be in a much better place. A 10% wealth tax would raise nearly + $700 BILLION to: + + 1) end child hunger for a decade + 2) free pre-K for every child for five years + 3) expand affordable housing nationwide + 4) cancel ALL medical debt in the U.S. + + And you'll still have ~$200 billion left over, and the billionaires + would still be billionaires!! + + I read an article[4] this morning where the author ponders why + billionaires put on flowery performances regarding their philanthropy + and why they aren't just _honest_ about it? Instead of "I'm donating + my money to charity," it's "I'm going to use my money to do charity." + That nuance is key and reading Ibrahim's article pushed me to finally + write what's been in my head for the past week. + + ## The Wibby Billy Plan + + I'm a millennial. The future we were promised as kids has yet to + materialize. I'm now 38 with a wife and kids. Three wars and a couple + recessions has led me to an inconvient truth; we're gonna have to + build what we were promised (while sidestepping edgelords, senile + emperors, and angry nerds intent on cosplaying the megacorps in + Cyberpunk 2077). + + Here's what I'd spend a billy on: + + - dumb appliances, made tough + - The brand would simply be WEBB (like SONY, but my surname). TVs, + washing machines, dishwashers, tractors, you name it. + - the Apple of Linux computing + - Linux is having an incredible moment thanks to companies like + Framework and Valve. It could have an even greater moment if a + company with the resources of an Apple or Microsoft entered the + fray, giving Linux equal footing with these behemoths. I have + ideas[5] in this realm, gotta finish other projects first. The + desktop modding scene of the early 2000s holds a special place in + my heart and I want to (help) bring it back. + - replace ICANN + - ICANN is supposed to steward the internet but they've been doing + nothing for decades but collecting fees. I do think blockchain is + the way to go (with DNS!!) and am slowly working on this[6]. + - hoverboards + - Every billionaire has their pet project. I've wanted one since I + became aware of hovercrafts as a kid. My dad ordered a blueprint + from a magazine so we could build one…we never did but I still + have the blueprint! Somewhere! Lexus, for some reason[7], made a + hoverboard as a marketing stunt and that's the last time any + company has done something about this. + - invest in eco-friendly stuff + - There's this company making bricks from fabric[8] and they look + pretty cool. Western countries generate so much waste and it sits + in landfills on floating barges. Gross and fucked up. Companies + who have already identified opportunities and processing need + support to scale. I love space as much as the next billionaire + (my rap alias is Spaceman Fresh FFS) but let's take care of where + we're at, first. When you're on a plane and the flight attendants + are informing us what to do in the event of an emergency, we're + instructued to put our own face mask on before helping others. + Makes sense to treat our planet the same way. + - overhaul healthcare in America + - Okay, I might need a few billion for this. There's money to be + made in keeping people sick so after I pay off everyone gleefully + in healthcare for perverse incentives, I'm left with understaffed + facilities and Mark Cuban. Or maybe, start a new healthcare plan + for non-billionaires/non-millionaries. I'm just excluding a few + thousand people, right? + - Kimoyo Beads + - I mean, come ON![9] Miniaturizing tech for these to exist IRL has + gotta be expensive af. Apple could never…unless? + - build a city + - Today's billionaires are cowards. Y'all have all this money and + decide to move to some cramped area code where you can hobnob + with celebrities. LAME. You don't like the government so you + donate millions to PACs when you could just make your own + government. SMDH. My city would have self-repairing roads and + piezo-electricity everywhere. My grid would make other cities beg + for the same. Every citizen would have next-generation fiber and + many crops would be local. Rooftop gardens everywhere. Frutiger + Aero music mixes on YouTube would use literal pictures of + my city. + + The hundreds of billions I'd make as a result of these efforts would + go towards ending child hunger and improving education. All that good + stuff. The sad part about all this? I spent an hour working on this + list and not only am I sure I'm missing some things, I bet I'd still + have money left over. 🕸️ + +References + + [1] <https://twitter.com/DojaCat/status/2062339857931026583> + [2] <https://twitter.com/DojaCat/status/2062366313063018896> + [3] <https://www.instagram.com/p/DXpTktrFtJl/> + [4] <https://idiallo.com/blog/billionaire-paid-off-550-million-dollars-of-our-debts> + [5] <https://systemsoft.works> + [6] <https://dap.sh> + [7] <https://discoverlexus.com/stories/journeys-beyond-the-road> + [8] <https://www.fab-brick.com> + [9] <https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Kimoyo_Beads> diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt index 602d5ec..39d5c1f 100644 --- a/version.txt +++ b/version.txt @@ -1 +1 @@ -2026.06.23
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