
A Dutch historian who took billionaires to task over tax at Davos - luukbuit
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/01/rutger-bregman-world-economic-forum-davos-speech-tax-billionaires-capitalism
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gamesbrainiac
I don't think it was a savage remark. This poor guy went around Davos, hoping
to find enlightened people who had answers to the world's toughest problems.
In the end, he found that they were all just talking and not talking about
solutions.

He did the right thing, he did not savage anyone.

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maxxxxx
I didn’t find his speech very strong but anything that makes the Davos people
only a little uncomfortable in their bubble is probably a good thing.

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gamesbrainiac
This is a link to the full video for anyone interested:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5LtFnmPruU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5LtFnmPruU)

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slowmovintarget
The real question to follow from Rutger's speech is: What is the "moral
equivalent of war?" That is what he claims is required to resolve
intensification of inequality.

He also mentioned the 91% marginal tax rate applied after WWII in the U.S.,
but wasn't part of that policy designed to slow down the economy from the
hyperproduction achieved during the war? That is it was designed to prevent a
meltdown of the economy.

Another question would be, if we're trying to use the existential threat of
climate change as the economic "moral equivalent" of war, how do we keep the
mechanisms created from being used as means of oppression? Most current
efforts in world government and among the very rich end up devolving to
control of money and control of behavior instead of working to survive climate
change.

Do close the loopholes. Do, please, prove that the additional revenues goes
toward meeting the needs of the poor and vulnerable. Do, please, ensure that
women with children are given what they need to retain health and sanity while
caring for our next generation. Please, demonstrate that the revenues don't go
toward power maintenance, like they do today.

I wish I had more answers.

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8bitsrule
New, related article: Anand Giridharadas on 'We're all passengers in a
billionaire hijacking'. [https://www.businessinsider.com/anand-giridharadas-
billionai...](https://www.businessinsider.com/anand-giridharadas-billionaires-
inequality-interview-2019-1)

Another (from Sep 2018): Nick Hanauer on 'This is going to end badly for
everyone' [https://www.businessinsider.com/nick-hanauer-capitalism-
reje...](https://www.businessinsider.com/nick-hanauer-capitalism-reject-
neoliberalism-2018-9)

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ramblerman
savaged? .. the guardian is no longer even pretending to output quality
journalism.

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kiba
What is with people categorically denouncing any journalism source there is on
the basis that they're not outputting the truth or their version of the truth
on this or that particular day?

This is why I read multiple sources of news and summarize it in my own words
for a broad view of the world.

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mc32
Because it’s hyperbolic?

I can’t imagine a non-tabloid print daily newspaper from the ‘90s using
“savaged” in an article to describe what happened. I can imagine tabloids
though and that’s not a good association.

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FranzFerdiNaN
Maybe the problem is you imagining hypothetical pasts where newspapers acted
like you want them to act.

