They cannot be this stupid

 It is a beautiful Saturday here in Mudsock. We are heading off this afternoon to have a beer or two, smoke some fine stogies, and hangout poolside with our best and longest friends. It is good to know people with nice stuff. 

Given the positive vibes I am feeling I really don't want to delve into politics.  But here we go. It must take a special kind of stupid to not understand anything at all about wealth and assets. For goodness sake I have neither and trust me, I've made more stupid financial decisions than most. 

But the politicians and lefties screaming and crying about Elon Musk becoming a trillionaire are beyond the pale. "Millionaires" Elizabeth Warren  and Bernie Sanders should (and do) know better. 

Musk doesn't have piles of money in some giant vault. He doesn't ski down slopes of gold coins like some modern Scrooge McDuck. His wealth (like Jeff Bezos) is tied up in stock he holds in his companies. Musk cannot just write a check to pay for daycare for everyone. 

If Musk sold all of his stock, the value of his companies would collapse and he would have far less wealth. 

Look, there are lots of farmers in my part of the country who are "worth" millions. They have to get loans to buy farm equipment. A couple of bad years could ruin them. Their wealth is in land. Musk's is in stock and assets. And no he doesn't pay taxes on those assets because they are really just pieces of paper, not worth anything until they are sold. 

Let me put it this way, if you own a house, it is worth a certain amount. Is that value of your house in your checking account? No, your house only generates cash if you sell it. 

If your panties are in a wad over SpaceX going public and selling stock, then you are more economically illiterate than your average Democrate Socialist, and that's saying something.

Now I'm going to go choose some cigars and pack a cooler.