A reclusive billionaire, anti-tax crusader and major financial backer of Donald Trump has been named as the anonymous private donor who gave $130m to the government to help pay US troops during the federal shutdown that is now in its fourth week, according to the New York Times.

The donation, which equates to about $100 per service member, appears to be a potential violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending funds in advance or in excess of congressional appropriations – and from accepting voluntary services “except in the case of emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property”.

Potential penalties for violations include both administrative and criminal sanctions such as suspension or removal from duty, fines and imprisonment.

  • Basic Glitch@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Imagine paying $130M and enabling the destruction of democracy simply to avoid ever having to pay your fair share of taxes.

    You can throw millions at an army, but you fight tooth and nail to avoid paying for any public services those soldiers might otherwise benefit from. Typical conservative bullshit. Humans are basically cattle to them.

    Force them to be born. Completely hands off for 18 years. Ignore any and all obligations to help make sure that have access to affordable education or healthcare. Stack the deck against the ones that actually survive to adulthood, so that the military is the only option most people have. Then, once they’re old enough to fight to help keep you rich, (this time on the streets of their own country), suddenly they’re worthy of your investment.

    • fonix232@fedia.io
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      1 day ago

      See this is something I don’t get about billionaires.

      You already have enough money to literally buy ANYTHING you want. You might not be able to buy slaves but you can pay people to do shit for you, there’s even people out there who’d be down for a whipping for a few thousand dollars… You’re literally king of the world, without moving a pinkie.

      And instead of using all that money, all that wealth to get new experiences, learn new things, discover new places, literally do things no-one has ever done before… what do you ask for?

      More money.

      It’s not even greed anymore at that point, it’s a psychological issue, akin to hoarding, except your hoarding ruins the entire planet.

      Billionaires shouldn’t exist, period.

      • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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        9 hours ago

        Its a form of psychosis, and is considered a mental illness in most countries. America is literally an example of addiction to money.

      • Basic Glitch@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        It’s not even greed anymore at that point, it’s a psychological issue, akin to hoarding, except your hoarding ruins the entire planet.

        100% this is it. Hoarding usually boils down to OCD and needing to feel a false sense of control.

        You never know when you might need to possess all that money you will never be able to spend (even if you do somehow achieve immortality) just like you don’t know when you might need that collection of old newspapers. But when that day comes, you’re convinced you’ll be ready. Then they’ll see. They’ll finally all see. Unless somebody steals or misplaces your “treasures.”

        This is literally from a recent article about Thiel and his Antichrist lectures:

        The world’s richest, in his view, think too little about their identities as billionaires and what will become of their treasures after death.

        Your fucking identity? Bro, you’ll be worm food like the rest of us. That’s why they call it the great equalizer. (And that is also probably exactly why you fear it more than anything else.)

      • updn@lemmy.ca
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        21 hours ago

        Yes it’s a disease. Diseases should be… eliminated? Healed? Gullotined?

        • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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          20 hours ago

          Healed. The issue is that the only way to heal these people that are literally greedier than dragons is to forcibly make them donate every single dollar over 10-100 million dollars to a “Sovereign Fund for Humanity’s Poor” fund that will distribute their stolen wealth to the poorest of humanity. Said fund would have to be administered by like minded people, but the best would be two fiduciaries, and three data analysts from OxFam currently.