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The problem I have with extreme, gratuitous wealth, and the inequality that creates it, is that it is fundamentally anti-democratic. It is well known by anyone
by rfwhyte 3y ago
The problem I have with extreme, gratuitous wealth, and the inequality that creates it, is that it is fundamentally anti-democratic. It is well known by anyone with a pulse that money = political power, which means those with the most money, have the most political power, and given how just how much wealth so few people in the world have now, an infinitesimally tiny fraction of the population of most democratic countries have essentially entirely captured the political apparatuses of the countries in which they reside. Meaning the interests of the majority of the people in most countries are no longer being represented by their elected officials, instead the people being elected solely represent the interest of wealthy elites who can afford to make huge political "Donations" and pay lobbyist's salaries.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but one of the most effective changes we could make in the world is to get money out of politics, as its the only real way democracy can be put back in the hands of the people.
- chrisweekly 3y agoWell said. I'm reminded of Professor Lawrence Lessig (of "Creative Commons" fame), whose staunch belief is that in the U.S., in order to make progress on any of the big-ticket problems we all face, we have to Fix Congress First. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_Congress https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_Congress Reducing the influence of $ in politics is at the heart of the matter.
- missedthecue 3y agoThe relationship between money and political power is vastly overestimated. In the US, the mega billionaires are hated in Washington by left and right alike. Bloomberg spent a fortune on his own campaign and didn't win a single state in the primaries. Even if you look abroad, the billionaires are not the ones with political power. In places like Russia and China, billionaires have to suck up to the politicians or they risk getting disappeared, disbarred, or thrown from windows.