Worth noting Carnegie did this when faced with massive strikes and growing radical movements around the country. 1886 was the same year as Haymarket. His business partner/enforcer was literally shot by an anarchist. Public libraries are great but he and his ilk funded them because they were scared.

Hiring strike-breakers while building libraries remains a very strong combo.

Not noting that Carnegie's prior actions resulted in an arming of his factory and the deaths of a dozen or more people seems a bit disingenuous. His business partner sent armed mercenaries (Pinkertons) against his factories workers, and then National Guard troops.

The libraries he funded were closed on Sundays, the only day working people had off.

and he wanted self-improvement in order to create an aspirational managerial class, rather than class-conscious workers who might unionize or otherwise engage in collective action!

You’re not wrong but that still makes him better than today’s ultra wealthy, who see similar unrest and are dead set on continuing to give us jackshit

Guilt over the Johnstown Flood was a factor too.

Sounds like a good reason to make rich assholes afraid again.

They would defund AI if they thought it helped us think.

The bourgeoisie can’t help but give the proletariat the tools of their own destruction.

Shoot more billionaires.