-
21st February 2019 17:41
Link to Post #1
Avalon Member
'This is about saving capitalism': the Dutch historian who savaged Davos elite
Davos 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/business...res-capitalism
Rutger Bregman had not really intended to stick it to the global elite. He never meant to have a pop at the idea that inequality could be solved by philanthropy or inviting Bono to Davos. But when the Dutch historian decided to go off-piste at the World Economic Forum and tell the assembled billionaires they should stop avoiding paying tax, he became an overnight social media sensation.
“It’s been a crazy week and just for stating the obvious,” said Bregman, when asked about a panel discussion at the WEF last month in which he said the issue was “taxes, taxes, taxes, and all the rest is bull**** in my opinion”.
Bregman had not been to Davos before. He was invited on the basis of the book Utopia for Realists, which argued for a basic income and a shorter working week, ideas that have been taken up by some of the Silicon Valley billionaires who show up for the annual event in the Swiss Alps.
But he grew more irritated as the week wore on. Bregman gave a speech to a dinner of technology chief executives and then spoke at one of Davos’s private sessions, off limits to journalists. There he was surprised and maddened by the pushback when he mentioned tax. “One American looked at me as if I was from another planet,” he said.
As a result, Bregman decided to change his plan for a panel on inequality organised by Time magazine on the final morning of Davos. “I went to my hotel room and memorised what I wanted to say by heart,” he said.
“I more or less ignored the question asked by the moderator and gave my speech instead. It was mainly to ease my own conscience: someone has to say what needs to be said.”
What Bregman said, put simply, was the Davos emperors have no clothes. They talk a lot about how something must be done about inequality and the need to address social unrest, but cavil at the idea they might be a big part of the problem.
He told his audience that people in Davos talked about participation, justice, equality and transparency, but “nobody raises the issue of tax avoidance and the rich not paying their share. It is like going to a firefighters’ conference and not talking about water.”
Last edited by Deux Corbeaux; 21st February 2019 at 18:29.
Reason: Fix link
-
The Following 17 Users Say Thank You to Deux Corbeaux For This Post:
Bruno (25th February 2019), Bubu (22nd February 2019), Davenir (22nd February 2019), Debra (22nd February 2019), Dennis Leahy (22nd February 2019), enigma3 (22nd February 2019), Hervé (21st February 2019), Ioneo (21st February 2019), Jayke (21st February 2019), johnf (21st February 2019), Nasu (21st February 2019), onawah (22nd February 2019), Tintin (22nd February 2019), toppy (21st February 2019), Valerie Villars (9th March 2019), wnlight (22nd February 2019), Yvanka (22nd February 2019)
-
21st February 2019 18:00
Link to Post #2
Avalon Member
Re: 'This is about saving capitalism': the Dutch historian who savaged Davos elite
For people interested, here’s the full video.
-
The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to Deux Corbeaux For This Post:
Bubu (22nd February 2019), Debra (22nd February 2019), Dennis Leahy (22nd February 2019), enigma3 (22nd February 2019), Hervé (21st February 2019), johnf (21st February 2019), Nasu (21st February 2019), Philippe (22nd February 2019), Tintin (22nd February 2019), toppy (21st February 2019), wnlight (22nd February 2019), Yvanka (22nd February 2019)
-
21st February 2019 19:23
Link to Post #3