Hold onto your hats, folks. There’s a new outrage in town:
Rich people pay for private firefighters while the rest of us burn. https://t.co/CBvkP55BBF
— VICE (@VICE) November 13, 2018
How dare they!
More from VICE:
But, of course, some people can afford to opt out of climate chaos. TMZ reported Tuesday that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West paid for private firefighters to protect their $60 million home in Hidden Hills, California, after the couple evacuated the home under mandatory state orders. The firefighters were reportedly successful in saving the home.
The Kardashian-Wests are not the only people who can afford to tap into private wealth to mitigate the most costly damage of climate change-related disasters. Insurance companies such as AIG provide wildfire mitigation services that allow certain clients to reduce risk and save themselves in the event of a worst-case fire scenario.
AIG’s Private Client Group’s Wildfire Protection Unit, for instance, is made up of AIG employees who are certified through state or local authorities. In addition to protecting homes with flame retardants, these AIG employees respond to fires and map homes in real time as wildfires approach.
According to NBC, members of AIG’s Risk Management and Loss Prevention policy group, who qualify for Wildfire Protection Unit services, occupy 42 percent of the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
Clearly this is all evidence that capitalism sucks.
Libertarian wet dream
— Shawnito ?? (@PFShawns) November 13, 2018
Recommended
This is pretty typical American capitalism. It’s like that in health care, it’s like that with basic social services.
— Simplicity (@onlythesewords) November 13, 2018
lets not act like this isnt what capitalism is all about. accept it and move on
— II (@sup3rmari0o6) November 13, 2018
The rich are disgusting people.
— inGuz eLhaz (@inGuzeLhaz) November 13, 2018
Wow, great argument. Very compelling. Except no.
And?
— joebransom (@joebransom) November 13, 2018
Let’s not forget that “rich” people also pay taxes that helps pay the fire fighters salaries. Are they not allowed to pay extra in their insurance premiums for fire mitigation without having the media criticize them?
— Manuel Perez-Roura (@Perez_Roura) November 13, 2018
So the hell what?
Private companies who are willing to protect certain structures from fire for money should be illegal?
We should all have the same amount of money?
Wtf is your point?
— Squawkie The Eagle (@SquawkieEagle) November 13, 2018
actually they are leaving all the other firefighters to fight the rest of the fire. i think it is good if they can afford it. its like using security instead of taking police off the line.
— dsatterf (@dsatterfree) November 13, 2018
This is a good thing. Their insurance companies don’t have to make massive pay outs and public firefighters are freed up to fight fire elsewhere.
— Sol Invictus (@UndefeatedSun) November 13, 2018
If you could afford it, to protect your home and family would you just say naw then? While everything burns anyway?
— Justin Castro ???? (@gigabytexxl) November 13, 2018
That's fantastic. Or what? Do you think you'd let it burn if that was you? And think of how much it saved the insurance company too! Everyone wins.
— Angry Neeson52 (@Angry_Neeson52) November 13, 2018
Real capitalism actually works pretty well. Real socialism … not so much. But the latter is what most Californians are getting thanks to their government’s garbage policies.
Isn't Socialism grand? Californians did this to themselves. https://t.co/mP9ek7iWRy
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) November 13, 2018
They just need a few more tax dollars…
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) November 13, 2018
They really don't seem to get how the level of service goes down the more the Gov't gets involved.
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) November 13, 2018
They don’t
— (((I Can't Even))) (@szysgt) November 13, 2018
I guarantee you they will propose more spending.
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) November 13, 2018
Oh, no doubt.
I mean, do these idiots not understand that socialized medicine works the same way? No?
— Pam D (@lifebythecreek) November 13, 2018
Nope
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) November 13, 2018
The comments… "Capitalism, baby"…holy wow. They really don't understand that you have NO CHOICE under socialism..no leverage, unless you have $$ and connections.
— Pam D (@lifebythecreek) November 13, 2018
Keep pushing socialist policies, and this is what you’ll end up with.
Will California accept the fact that government sucks?
— Eric July (@EricDJuly) November 13, 2018
They haven’t so far … why start now?
aWith a Dem supermajority and @GavinNewsom as governor that doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon. ? https://t.co/MIrc4K1lXg
— Kira (@RealKiraDavis) November 13, 2018
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