Paul Krugman slams the ‘parade of billionaires whining’ because people are criticizing them

[babylonsister]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/01/paul-krugman-slams-the-parade-of-billionaires-whining-because-people-are-criticizing-them/

Paul Krugman slams the ‘parade of billionaires whining’ because people are criticizing them
Moyers & Company. Karin Kamp, 4/30/2014, 10:28:25 AM
Bill Moyers interview with Krugman at link~


Economist Paul Krugman recently joined Bill to talk about the new academic book rocking the best-seller lists: Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century. In this clip, Krugman says that our debates on income inequality, and how to combat it, have gotten downright ugly.

Watch the three-minute clip:

“There’s a level of harshness in our debates mostly coming from the people who are actually doing very well,” Krugman tells Moyers. “We’ve had a parade of billionaires whining about the incredible injustice that people are actually criticizing them. And then comparing anyone who criticizes them to the Nazis. It’s almost a tic that they have.” Krugman recently wrote about the billionaires — including Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone — who have spoken out and surmised that the idea that income inequality is the result of a systemic problem and not a lack of sufficient effort on the part of those struggling to get by “is anathema” to them.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. obscene wealth rots their brains and souls. n/t

[babylonsister]

2. I wouldn't know, but it sure gives them

an unearned sense of entitlement.

[herding cats]

3. In a functioning society a handful of billionaires whining because they're being called out

For their practices which are harming the vast majority, would be laughed at. Not our society, though. We have dedicated "media" sources defending their plight.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. Here we're all would be billionaires who

just haven't commited enough effort to tugging on those bootstraps. Evidence of the lack of effort is that we haven't become billionaires yet.

[herding cats]

6. That's their thought process alright.

We're all lazy and useful for nothing but our cheap labor. If we were better than that we'd be rich like them.

Ah, the American dream.

[KT2000]

4. Sure - the super wealthy

think that since they are kings of the mountain, they should advise the rest of us how our society should be run. Because of their money they are instant experts on education, healthcare, civil rights etc.

Jack Welch did it and turned workplaces into ongoing nightmares.

[BootinUp]

7. Highly recommend watching the full show:

http://billmoyers.com/episode/what-the-1-dont-want-you-to-know-2/