What would you do with a billion dollars?

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AuthorTopic: What would you do with a billion dollars?
UA
Infiltrator
Member # 154
 written Wednesday, December 21 2005 12:08 Profile #75
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

Every time I see the title of this topic, I feel an inexplicable urge to append the phrase "earl-y in the morning".
I just get the urge to sing "I'd buy you a fur coat... but not a real fur coat, that's cruel" and such. Just like on the last one of these...

[quote=cAPSLOCKED dALLERDIN]
quote:
quote:
Originally written by Dead Polyester:[b]
If I had a trillion dollars, I would buy the US.
Uh... if TM was willing to let you use his time machine, I greatly doubt you'd need that much. After all, Louisiana went for only $15 *million*.
Well, following that string of logic, you might as well go back even further in time and buy the planet. The only problem would be explaining the value of your pieces of paper to everyone before somebody tries to kill you.[/b][/quote]Well, if I would buy the US, a whole load of brainwashing conspiracy theories would come along with it. There are probably so many there's a good chance at least one is true. The said brainwashing technology can then be used on those people. :P

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Apparently still annoying.
Posts: 612 | Registered: Saturday, October 13 2001 07:00
Student of Trinity
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 00:46 Profile #76
At least for now, the concept of buying and selling does not really extend to industrialized nation states, let alone planets. With what currency would one pay, when states mint their own money? How would you persuade an entire population to hand over their sovereignty in exchange for any amount of printed paper?

One might perhaps be able to buy a sufficiently isolated country, by monopolising its external trade to the point of being able to exercise decisive influence on its internal policies. You wouldn't be able to extract profit from the country, though, since your means of control is outspending the place. And your control would be limited by the inhabitants' options of emigration, or reversion to autarchic subsistence.

These are not entirely silly questions, because it's actually a major problem in macroeconomics to understand the economic differences between households and nations. Buying and selling, borrowing and lending, are in some ways similar but in other ways quite different, when they are done by nation states instead of by individuals. Corporations are sort of in between, but actually a lot more like individuals than like states, because the legal status of a corporation fundamentally is that of an individual. (That's what incorporation means.)

[ Thursday, December 22, 2005 00:47: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ]

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We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Jame2
Warrior
Member # 5389
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 03:21 Profile #77
quote:
Originally written by An array cat:

[QBGo choke and die plz.[/QB]
*Cuts off array cat's hands and feeds them to it.*

None of your business, so you never mind. When I get my billion, this fool goes broke contributing.

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Reports of my demise are extremely accurate. And I AM the clone
Posts: 102 | Registered: Wednesday, January 12 2005 08:00
Alex
Lifecrafter
Member # 59
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 08:17 Profile #78
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

One might perhaps be able to buy a sufficiently isolated country, by monopolising its external trade to the point of being able to exercise decisive influence on its internal policies. You wouldn't be able to extract profit from the country, though, since your means of control is outspending the place. And your control would be limited by the inhabitants' options of emigration, or reversion to autarchic subsistence.
You could just use the money to rig the elections in some banana republic. If that fails, hire some mercenaries and stage a coup d'etat.
Posts: 950 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Student of Trinity
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 08:25 Profile #79
If those count as buying a country, sure; but then buying a gun and robbing a store counts as buying the stuff you steal.

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We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Thuryl
...b10010b...
Member # 869
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 13:05 Profile Homepage #80
The difference there is that, in practice, there's usually no higher authority to enforce laws against you once you've taken over an entire nation (the occasional war crimes trial notwithstanding). It's Keynes all over again; owe your banker a thousand dollars and you're at his mercy, owe your banker a billion dollars and he's at your mercy.

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
The Immortal
BANNED
Member # 4
 written Thursday, December 22 2005 22:22 Profile Homepage #81
Unless your banker is the US Treasury, in which case the american people are at your mercy.

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Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
green kid
Warrior
Member # 6368
 written Friday, December 23 2005 11:24 Profile Homepage #82
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

quote:
Originally written by green kid:

quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

quote:
Originally written by green kid:

if i had a bilion dollars id buy mints and gum
I'm sorry, but that shows a depressing lack of creativity.
fine... id buy a PSP, PS1, PS2, ps3, X box, X box360, ds system, Gameboy advance, a super computer, world of war craft acount, dark age of camelot acount, a new keyboard, a motor cycle, a BMX helmet, pliers to remove my braces, a tv with tivo and 900 channels, and id buy guild wars
You've missed my point... those are all just things. Things that anybody could buy. That's not creative.

Things like overthrowing the Chilean government and reorganizing Google's servers to play tic-tac-toe are creative. I mean honestly, come up with something outlandish before TM's time machine scheme comes together (though perhaps it already has, and there are just a lot of annoying people who never lived long enough to get to the boards).

An example of something creative: Construct a freakin' huge dartboard in the middle of Wyoming, and fund the new reality TV show Human Darts, where celebrity idiots skydive for valuable prizes. Simply put, they jump out of the plane and aim for the bullseye. In fact, that would also rid us of some particularly annoying people, as I could ensure that their parachutes fail to open.
i would destroy jagex corp and take the computers and turn runescape into a gigantic 2 kind of game play (ww2 and and midevil) and id make a hard drive that could store all the information of 9000 totally filled computers.

id make it so theres just 4 big worlds for members acounts and non members acounts.

then id build a toilit factory on jagex's fallen building.

then tie the staff members to sign posts and use their butts for target practice, as i am good with tranquilizer guns.

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Posts: 91 | Registered: Monday, October 3 2005 07:00
Ephesos
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
 written Friday, December 23 2005 18:22 Profile Homepage #83
quote:
Originally written by green kid:

i would destroy jagex corp
And yet you advertise for them in your sig.

quote:
then tie the staff members to sign posts and use their butts for target practice, as i am good with tranquilizer guns.
Uh... this one might cross a line.

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I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
The Immortal
BANNED
Member # 4
 written Friday, December 23 2005 18:46 Profile Homepage #84
...with a billion dollars, I would buy hikki-chan.

I cannot believe that I did not think of this before now.

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Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
green kid
Warrior
Member # 6368
 written Friday, December 23 2005 19:45 Profile Homepage #85
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

quote:
Originally written by green kid:

i would destroy jagex corp
And yet you advertise for them in your sig.
id destroy it and make nitsuj corp.

[ Friday, December 23, 2005 19:46: Message edited by: green kid ]

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MMORPG developed by jagex ltd. Join RuneScape.com today!

hawk kings editor edited by me for geneforge 2
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Posts: 91 | Registered: Monday, October 3 2005 07:00
Skomer
Warrior
Member # 6401
 written Saturday, December 24 2005 05:14 Profile #86
As a test to the Swedish postal system (I live in Sweden), I'd give one dollar to every person in China and get them to buy a postcard and send it to me.

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I think this is really wonderful.
Posts: 147 | Registered: Tuesday, October 18 2005 07:00
Wise Man
Master
Member # 1046
 written Saturday, December 24 2005 07:04 Profile Homepage #87
You won't have enough money for that :P

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Polaris - owns you.
Undead Theories - double U slash E
Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00
Skomer
Warrior
Member # 6401
 written Saturday, December 24 2005 10:07 Profile #88
I will if the number of people in China is an American billion, and the amount of money I get is a European billion.

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I think this is really wonderful.
Posts: 147 | Registered: Tuesday, October 18 2005 07:00
Arancaytar
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
 written Saturday, December 24 2005 18:13 Profile Homepage #89
quote:
Originally written by Jame2:

[quote=An array cat]
[QBGo choke and die plz.
*Cuts off array cat's hand and feeds them to it.*[/QB][/quote]I don't like your manners, kid.

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Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00
Jame2
Warrior
Member # 5389
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 06:00 Profile #90
quote:
Originally written by Gandalf the Green:

quote:
Originally written by Jame2:

[quote=An array cat]
[QBGo choke and die plz.
*Cuts off array cat's hand and feeds them to it.*
I don't like your manners, kid.[/QB][/quote]Too fragging bad, man, too fragging bad. If you can't handle my defending myself, then you get to lose your money to me. You wanna have a problem with someone's manners, have problems with your own. Or you'll get punished for messing with mine.

Now, I'd go back and restate a certain part of what I'd do with a billion dollars, but I think my statement stands. And all 'cause of Gandalf the Green.

[ Sunday, December 25, 2005 06:09: Message edited by: Jame2 ]

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Reports of my demise are extremely accurate. And I AM the clone
Posts: 102 | Registered: Wednesday, January 12 2005 08:00
Wise Man
Master
Member # 1046
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 07:11 Profile Homepage #91
OMFG FLAME WAR

GO ARAN GO

[ Sunday, December 25, 2005 07:12: Message edited by: Wise Man ]

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Polaris - owns you.
Undead Theories - double U slash E
Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00
Xoid
Shock Trooper
Member # 932
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 08:07 Profile #92
quote:
Originally written by Wise Man:

OMFG FLAME WAR

GO ARAN GO
I don't know why, but those words do indeed seem wiser coming from you.

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Posts: 215 | Registered: Sunday, April 7 2002 08:00
Jame2
Warrior
Member # 5389
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 09:24 Profile #93
I think we should get back on topic.

After I got my billion, bought the island, built my mansion, hired my staff and found - not bought, found - my companions, I'd give a couple of million each* to various charities such as hurricane and tsunami relief, children protection and animal protection.

*: That is to say, each charity would get a couple of million. I don't want to volunteer my time and effort, just throw money.

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Reports of my demise are extremely accurate. And I AM the clone
Posts: 102 | Registered: Wednesday, January 12 2005 08:00
Arancaytar
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 10:40 Profile Homepage #94
quote:
Originally written by Wise Man:

OMFG FLAME WAR

GO ARAN GO
It's known as baiting. :P

It's also a rather primitive form of entertainment, so I'll stop.

It was fun though.

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Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum]
My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast.
Polaris is dead, long live Polaris.
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Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00
Sir David
Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 13:05 Profile #95
Fools.

Greeny, maybe you could pay someone to teach you grammar, spelling, and, if you've got money left over, some punctuation.

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Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00
Or else o'erleap.
Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 13:18 Profile Homepage #96
Where's the Icefallmas spirit? Be nice!

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Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Jame2
Warrior
Member # 5389
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 13:57 Profile #97
quote:
Originally written by Lady Davida:

Fools.

Greeny, maybe you could pay someone to teach you grammar, spelling, and, if you've got money left over, some punctuation.
Hah! I'd donate $200 for that! ;) :P :D

Happy new year, everyone.

[ Sunday, December 25, 2005 13:57: Message edited by: Jame2 ]

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Reports of my demise are extremely accurate. And I AM the clone
Posts: 102 | Registered: Wednesday, January 12 2005 08:00
Spring
Shaper
Member # 5450
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 14:10 Profile Homepage #98
It's not New Year yet. :P

That said, I hope everyone had a good Christmas/whatever else the celebrate.

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:ph34r:
Posts: 2396 | Registered: Saturday, January 29 2005 08:00
Wise Man
Master
Member # 1046
 written Sunday, December 25 2005 16:18 Profile Homepage #99
I ended up sitting at home all day because everybody else was too hung over to move. -_-;

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Undead Theories - double U slash E
Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00

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