Ask Lemmy

Thought about this before. I'd build out the high-speed internet structure to encompass all the populated parts of the world (omitting coverage across large swaths of open sea) and provide free, no-questions-asked WiFi internet service to absolutely everyone.

(Yes, a lot of places don't have devices, but parallel programs already exist to get people enabled on cheap devices)

The obstruction would be legal battles with current stakeholders that have regional monopolies and are very addicted to making odious profit. (Looking at you, Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, etc.)

Idk, whatever I can come up with would probably have massive unintended negative consequences.

You get to keep enough to maintain a very modest lifestyle in a low-cost-of-living area

Don't know why I must move to a cheap area... no, I would probably decide to stay here at least for half of each year. My lifestyle remains modest as well, but I would actually rebuild some parts of this old house.

the rest of it has to go towards improving the world in some way.

There's only a small part of the world that I could actually influence so far in my life.

With the billions, I would try to expand this radius of course, but only slowly, only reluctantly, trying to stay wise. I would focus at first on the ones that are closer to me, and mitigate their needs. You did not require me to improve the whole world after all.

If the Big, Beautiful Bill in the US gets passed in the Senate with the provision requiring plaintiffs to put up a bond to sue the government over these illegal actions then I'd be bankrolling every citizen and group that is interested in suing to fight them, including putting up a bond.

I honestly don't know.

My first thought was hiring PMCs/wet work specialists to take care of some particular people (but what if they get a counteroffer and they change their minds? Even the 5 billion might be nothing compared to what these people could offer and it's not like the people doing this kind of job have a moral compass and care about the great good on average, lol) and put some fear in their hearts. I guess if they don't fear God, they'll certainly fear for their lives (you can't be a hedonist if you're dead after all). But would that work? Would the ones remaining take care of spinning this in a way that brings the proles even closer to them? Trump and his team have been able to do it after all. But this is a necessary step to control public discourse and create enough fear that those at the top fear for their lives, act a little bit better and cannibalize each other at the top in the chaos.

The second step would require/involve making people fear God (believe you'll be judged for your actions by the Merciful, the Gracious after death so you work good deeds and avoid evil). I don't think that's possible, at least not for me. After all, every sort of moral teaching and parable has already been made and it's out there, for free. Maybe if they understood that Voltaire was right, and we'd have to invent God if He didn't exist FOR OUR OWN COLLECTIVE GOOD IN THIS WORLD, maybe that would be enough. But how? Voltaire was right, but I don't have to invent Him, I'd just have to remind people of Him enough (but I'd need a literate populace and that's a dying breed)... Maybe the PMCs should focus on big people in the media and spin but wouldn't someone else just fill their shoes? Anyway, in the end, I don't know, lol. I don't know how to make an impact in the world to make it better in the long term to such a magnitude, not with 5 billion. Maybe 500, and then I'd have some chats with the Chinese to take care of the PMCs before they get out of control or something (they get to showcase/try out their toys, the rest of the world gets rid of an actual/extremely possible danger of military dictatorship).

I'd create a new city from scratch, sort of kick-starter style with like-minded residents and businesses. It would be built up with good public transit from the beginning and solid anti-NIMBY policies. Something radical like not being able to own your property. Instead the city would be owned collectively and you could have shares. But you would never have an incentive to deny development to increase your own home's value.

There'd be participatory planning and cutting edge democracy: participatory, deliberative, representative.

I have an ok lifestyle with the people in my house all working now, so would put all of it to use, that's fine. If I am allowed to keep this in my community and city, I would put it in a trust that could only be used to extend the trolley system here back to at least what it was in the 1940s, and as much farther as practical with that $ and make it free to ride. An endowment that could generate enough money to keep that going and to modernize it.

If it must be global, how many people are there? 8,9 billion ? That's not even a dollar each, I'm not sure. Maybe plant 5 billion trees, or buy up land & rewild it.

Robots that sow kelp and kill zombie urchins

I'd be hesitant to use the money to do anything political in my country. Have watched Musk throw around money during the last presidential election in the states and it's not a good look.

So that leaves some kind of charity. Charities benefit from economies of scale so it would be better to give more money to a single charity than to split it up amongst many charities. Probably would have to start my own since I don't trust many of the existing ones (too much money going on executive pay). Pretty sure dysentery is the biggest killer worldwide so would put half into that, then maybe half into libraries in my country. Libraries are a bit of a selfish choice but they have a lot of social utility beyond just having books (by my own logic I should be putting it all into dysentery too).

I guess I'd better hire someone to help educate me about fundraising, tax and other applicable laws, because establishing a (pre?)k-12 private school with above-standard education, three nutritiously sound meals/day, built-in well/sick/before/after school care, extracurricular activities and free clinic with it's own free pharmacy, both to be offered to low-income community that will last generations is going to be expensive. Plus I'd imagine a team of attorneys on retainer being necessary is foreseeable, if capitalism is still a thing.

Free mental health care for those struggling the most plus housing subsidies for those struggling to stay off the street due to mental illness.

Pay for drone strikes on all the world's dictators.

I'd immediately invest most of it in stable, developed economies where the far-right doesn't seem close to taking power—so somewhere like Finland or Singapore—and invest the rest in Syria because God knows they need it. This way I'll have a permanent stream of change-the-world money that I can use to support pro-democracy and worker organization efforts in the third world and in countries such as Turkey where there are serious efforts to democratize. With whatever remains from that I'd then go around funding relief efforts in Africa and the like.

Nuke mar a lago from space

Build my own village with affordable rent and live in a mansion in the middle and be like a lord of my own little village. Maybe also build a good school there. Evict people if they do anti social behaviour. Then when someone has paid enough rent to pay off the mortgage, surprise them by just giving them the house, or maybe after a time offer them to buy it with a reduced price because of the rent paid. So someone could probably live there and raise a family until they can afford a house, then buy their own house back.

Also arrange loads of community events, get people out and involved. Just make a wholesome and affordable community for others to live in. Maybe get businesses to move in to offer jobs as well.