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Why get rich?

Douglas Pratt
@DouglasPratt
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It takes an enormous effort and sacrifice to get rich to the point of Forbes-list status. There is a takeoff point in a fortune when it won't diminish no matter what expense it is put to, I think.

In any case, what inspired this thought was Jim Treacher's morning Substack. He notes that Grok, Elon Musk's AI platform, now generates images, and he tries a few outrageous ones to see if they would be censored. Nope. Not yet, anyway. So he asks, if a painting offends you, do you sue the artist or the paintbrush?

Of course, we folks in the tribe of the gun have been on the receiving end of this for a century or more. Someone got shot? Take all guns away from people who aren't evil, and we'll all be safe!

Treacher speculates that Musk doesn't care if someone offended by a Grok-generated image sues him. (Side note: I hope he paid the estate of RA Heinlein for use of "grok!") That brings up the concept of being rich enough not to care what people think or do, what my kids refer to as fark-you money. Elon certainly has it. J.K. Rowling too. They are having fun poking pins into cultural balloons. I applaud.

But I wonder... how far are we from the point where you need fark-you money just to be able to have fun? I've spoken elsewhere about how damn joyless the Left is. That's been a trope for decades ("How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb?" "That's not funny!"). Do we need to lawyer up before we can make fun of something? That's more than just depressing. That's a state of affairs that we really can't permit to happen. I hope it isn't already too late.

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Discussion (52)

  • Susan Quinn@SusanQuinn

    I mentioned on another post that I'm not naturally inclined to make fun of something. Some people do it well, and I laugh at those, but I tend not to do it. But the comment has come up, over and over again, that ridiculing people is a successful strategy. It raises the question: is ridiculing others fun?

  • The Reticulator@TheReticulator
    ReplyingtoSusan Quinn

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    I mentioned on another post that I’m not naturally inclined to make fun of something. Some people do it well, and I laugh at those, but I tend not to do it. But the comment has come up, over and over again, that ridiculing people is a successful strategy. It raises the question: is ridiculing others fun?

    Probably it's better fun to ridicule the words and actions than the person (to the extent that they can be separated).

  • Susan Quinn@SusanQuinn
    ReplyingtoThe Reticulator

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):
    I mentioned on another post that I’m not naturally inclined to make fun of something. Some people do it well, and I laugh at those, but I tend not to do it. But the comment has come up, over and over again, that ridiculing people is a successful strategy. It raises the question: is ridiculing others fun?

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Probably it’s better fun to ridicule the words and actions than the person (to the extent that they can be separated).

    Good point. I'll give that some thought.

  • Seawriter@Seawriter
    My definition of rich is that if you have enough money to indefinitely enjoy the lifestyle you wish to live without having to work you are rich. If not, even if you are making $1 million a year, you are essentially among the working poor. Especially if you would be out on the street in six months without that $1 million/year job.
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