Derrière chaque fortune, il y a un crime. Behind every fortune. there is a crime.
Behind every great fortune, there is, in fact, often a trail of broken laws, human suffering and planet-wide destruction. Yes, people can get rich. And yes again, everyone needs money. The salient analysis should be on how the money is made, how it is viewed and spent and what is contributed to others. Why are so many billionaires and those almost tipping into that category, focused on denying or slashing the most basic of services to people? Just how many houses/yachts/ planes/islands/spaceships does someone need?
There is speculation, not without merit, that the Trump gang wants to provide more tax cuts to the rich at the expense of programs that help millions here barely survive. As well as what once was called the third rail: cutting Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. Trump just appointed failed senate candidate and proven quack doctor Oz to be in charge of Medicare and Medicaid. Oz has been a vocal proponent of privatizing these programs. Companies are salivating at the thought of all that money coming into their coffers.
It's not the first time of course, that Republicans have tried such a maneuver. George W. Bush wanted to turn Social Security over to the folks at Wall Street. There was so much pushback, that his administration abandoned that plan. At the end of his term, those same financial wizards finally crashed the world economy. There were so many crimes, greed and incompetence that is hard to justify that hundreds of these folks weren't sent to prison. Or at least brought to court. Instead, they were bailed out. For those who flinch at the term socialism: this is privatizing profit and making everyone liable for risk.
The sad truth is that neither party has been on the side of the people throughout this saga. President Clinton repealed Glass-Steagall which was enacted after the previous great depression to prevent such financial chicanery. And then President Obama saved the criminals and ignored their victims after the worst had happened.
But what about bananas? Someone here at #DSOT is a wonderful artist, who uses paint on canvas to tell a story. Maurizio Cattelan taped a banana costing 23 cents to the wall with standard steel grey duct tape and it sold for 6.2 million. Dollars. Not Iranian Rials in which the banana would have a price of the equivalent of $148.80. Still too much for a banana taped to the wall.
It is ostensibly sending a message and commentary. The message should be that no one should have enough money to pay 7 figures for a banana and then eat it. Imagine all the agricultural programs or food donations that money could have generated. It is said that the Hong Kong crypto bro who consumed the fruit is donating $6.2 million worth of bananas. That is not the answer.
We need to understand that this level of wealth is unsustainable, even among a small percentage of people. It must be made clear that money does not equal intelligence or honor and should not immediately confer respect. Excess, greed, cruelty are wrong.
Right now, too many elected officials are only listening to their wealthy donors. And the Trump posse isn't even hiding that fact. The huge wealth gap here and even more stark around the world only brings tragedy, pain, collapse and ruin. A strong middle class in America is what is needed for the country to prosper.
We must create a more progressive tax structure. If the p word scares you, then let's legislate a less punishing and regressive one. Corporations and the wealthiest folks must be taxed fairly and in ratio to their money. Let's look at percentages. Also, penalize crimes and harmful actions. Today, too many of the wealthiest pay very little taxes or none-at-all.
Despite their claims on mainstream media, they are not the so-called job creators. Globally, hedge funds firms only employ 400 k people. Almost double that work at fast food restaurants just here in the US. Small businesses at large provide jobs for 61.7 million Americans. Even among the larger employers, many companies create a vast amount of low-paying employment that dwarfs hedge fund folks, but only a few in the top echelon get richer.
We need better wages and shared profits. Businesses that break the law or harm the environment or put their workers at risk must be prosecuted with the same fervor police pursue a poor teenager from the Bronx only accused of taking a pair of sneakers.
Capitalism is ingrained into our society. I for one cannot grow my own food or create all needed clothing. What can be done is to continually make it less predatory and spread the fortune more fairly. That isn't Marxism. That's Henry Ford talking.
We collectively have more power than a handful of billionaires. And we are an army, a united coalition that can decide the outcome of elections and the policies enacted. Feel free from Wednesday to Monday, to buy a banana and duct tape it to your wall. And then Don't Shop on Tuesday.
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