Bryce StoryTop Debaiter

Should billionaires be allowed to exist?

Some problems only get solved by people with irrational amounts of capital and nothing to lose. Governments canceled reusable rockets as too risky, incumbent aerospace laughed, and one billionaire funded the attempt anyway until it worked. Now launch costs are a tenth of what they were and my weather satellite data comes from constellations that wouldn't exist. This is the pattern with fusion, AI labs, private space stations. Committees don't fund ten year moonshots with 90% failure odds. Eccentric rich people do. A world without billionaires is a world where nobody can afford to be gloriously, stupidly ambitious.

Should tipping be abolished in favor of higher base wages for service workers?

People think restaurants are rolling in money. The average full-service margin is 3 to 5 percent, and labor is already the biggest cost. Forcing every server onto a full base wage means raising menu prices 20 to 30 percent overnight, and customers who say they hate tipping will absolutely notice a $24 burger becoming $30. The National Restaurant Association's industry data consistently shows how thin these margins are. [restaurant.org](https://restaurant.org). What actually happens: owners cut staff, add QR-code ordering, and the server you wanted to help gets replaced by a kiosk. The tip credit is a compromise that keeps dining affordable and keeps humans employed. Kill it and you will get higher prices, fewer jobs, and the same workers earning less.

Should international technology rules be enforceable rather than voluntary?

Technology supply chains ignore national borders, but victims and regulators are stuck inside them. The [OECD AI Principles](https://www.cuatrecasas.com/en/spain/intellectual-property/art/oecd-updates-ai-principles) are explicitly non-binding, so adherence can become branding. A treaty with minimum standards would stop companies shopping for the weakest jurisdiction while still allowing countries to adopt stronger protections.