Economic Elites Will Only Give Up Power and Wealth When Forced to Do So

[marmar]

Economic Elites Will Only Give Up Power and Wealth When Forced to Do So

Thursday, 10 December 2015 00:00
By Les Leopold, Labor Institute Press | Book Excerpt


The following is the introduction to Runaway Inequality: An Activist's Guide to Economic Justice, by Les Leopold:

The United States is among the richest countries in all of history. But if you're not a corporate or political elite, you'd never know it. In the world working people inhabit, our infrastructure is collapsing, our schools are laying off teachers, our drinking water is barely potable, our cities are facing bankruptcy, and our public and private pension funds are nearing collapse. We - consumers, students, and homeowners - are loaded with crushing debt, but our real wages haven't risen since the 1970s.

How can we be so rich and still have such poor services, so much debt and such stagnant incomes?

The answer: runaway inequality - the ever-increasing gap in income and wealth between the superrich and the rest of us.

This isn't the first time that a tiny elite has gained extraordinary control over economic and political life. Ancient Egypt had the Pharaohs. Medieval Europe had feudal lords and kings. We Americans had industrial robber barons.

And today, we've got financial and corporate elites. .................(more)

http://www.truth-out.org/progressivepicks/item/33960-economic-elites-will-only-give-up-power-and-wealth-when-forced-to-do-so

[Doctor_J]

1. Or, as Frederick Douglas put it (roughly)

"Whatever oppression you will put up with, is what will be imposed"

[daybranch]

2. Bernie is only candidate dedicated to fighting the economic elites, the oligarchy, the 1 percent

Bernie People get angry when people criticize Bernie, because Bernie represents the cause we believe in, restoring democracy. Those that support Hillary are just unaware or afraid of republicans. As democrats, we have to unite our party and many other smaller parties, and unions, together with the majority of voters to build a strong aggressive democratic party dedicated to rule of the country by and for the people. Today, thee oligarchy of the rich squeezes our brothers and sisters here and around the world, and we must take our country back as a first step in setting things right. Bernie is a symbol of that democracy. Hillary is the darling of the oligarchy and it is not possible for us to support her and democracy at the same time. Hillary's democracy is an oxymoron.