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New 'oligarchy' under fire as elites descend on Davos

41 Comments
By Ali BEKHTAOUI

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41 Comments

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It was already am oligarchy before trump. The entire media is singing the same tune.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

"aristocratic oligarchy" it was ever thus.... only the nomenclature has changed.....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"I'm afraid that we're going to have civil unrest if we don't change things,"

Is that a threat?

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

"I'm afraid that we're going to have civil unrest if we don't change things,"

Basically we are talking about the two countries that are run by the ultra rich, that are not in Africa or South America... mainly the US and Rusia

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Total billionaire wealth grew three times faster last year than in 2023, each billionaire seeing their fortune increase by $2 million per day on average. And, according to Oxfam, five trillionaires could emerge in a decade.

That would be sweet. $2m per DAY!

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

That would be sweet. $2m per DAY!

The world is your oyster...chop chop “Goals are dreams with deadlines.”

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

First saw it in Bolivia

"Comer los Ricos "

As true then as it was then .

What is it with rich and power ?

Does it create knowledge in the individual ?

A pox on their house

Elon Musk is no mental colossus , nor is Bezos or Trump...

Shallow men with money...so what !...give me a man/woman of intellect,

Go to hell with your money ....you mean and achieve nothing !

4 ( +6 / -2 )

People should be comfortable saying that social media is behind this latest disgusting trend in politics.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

'Tax the rich'

Is a rich slogan, considering the rich pay the bulk of taxes

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

The truly rich have people whose job it is to keep them from paying taxes.

Tax the rich'

Is a rich slogan, considering the rich pay the bulk of taxes

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Can someone enlighten me as this information is missing from the article, where is Davos?

What's a confab?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

WatanabeBuddha Today  02:03 pm JST

It was already am oligarchy before trump. The entire media is singing the same tune.

Exactly.

This picture being painted of this "emerging oligarchy" under Trump, as if the rich & powerful (many of them leftists!) haven't pulled the world's strings for decades if not centuries, is laughable.

Yet another example of the media blindly mouth-piecing for the left. Can't despise them enough.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

TaiwanIsNotChina Today  04:47 pm JST

People should be comfortable saying that social media is behind this latest disgusting trend in politics.

What exactly is "disgusting" about wanting lower taxes, lower crime, secure borders, men out of women's bathrooms, and (compare Biden's & Trump's records on this, and be objective) a world without a new war breaking out seemingly every two months?

"Progressives" like you call it "disgusting." The rest of us call it normalcy.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Deo GratiasToday 05:59 pm JST

What exactly is "disgusting" about wanting lower taxes,

Right, this is the only thing they actually accomplish.

lower crime, secure borders,

Trump will be the cause of neither of these things.

men out of women's bathrooms,

Insisting on a blood test to determine what bathroom you go into is overkill.

and (compare Biden's & Trump's records on this, and be objective) a world without a new war breaking out seemingly every two months?

"Progressives" like you call it "disgusting." The rest of us call it normalcy.

Normalcy is not doing Putin's bidding to avoid war.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I'm afraid that we're going to have civil unrest if we don't change things,"

well if we all take off the rose tinted glasses I reckon the current elite have already played all the moves from the opening gambit.. to CHECK MATE. you voted and lost the game so we now own all the monopoly boards.

History tells the future, historically it was called colonialism. Tax cuts?? they take the money and another financial crisis. I'll let you intelligent peoples make your own decisions about your nation

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The truly rich have people whose job it is to keep them from paying taxes.

As do the poor...which is why they get tax returns

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The working poor pay income taxes at a rate set by their countries. The super-rich rarely pay income tax opting for the lower rate of capital gains tax at 20% or lower.

The combined wealth of the super-rich more than doubled during 2024. It increased by $2 trillion in 2024, which was a three-fold increase from the previous year. This was the second-largest increase in billionaire wealth since records began. 

The wealth of the world's billionaires increased from $13 trillion to $15 trillion in 2024.

The increase in billionaire wealth has been accompanied by a lack of change in the number of people living in poverty.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The super-rich rarely pay income tax opting for the lower rate of capital gains tax at 20% or lower.

Is this your say-so, or do you have a source with credible background sources to back that up?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Hundreds of online sites about the super-rich don't pay income taxes and opt for stocks and shares and pay the lesser capital gains taxes.

Warren Buffett said his secretary pays more income tax than he does. Bosanek pays a tax rate of 35.8 percent of income, while Buffett pays a rate of 17.4 percent.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Anyone who pays the amount of tax required by law is OK in my books. Biden had 4 years to change it, Obama 8. Tax evasion is a crime. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. What's the problem?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Whatever your financial shortcomings are, it's not because someone else is a billionaire.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Global charity Oxfam said in a report that Trump's election win and tax-cut plans are a boon to billionaires, whose combined wealth already grew by another $2 trillion last year to $15 trillion.

my wealth grew nicely the past couple of years too, so what?

"Trillions are being gifted in inheritance, creating a new aristocratic oligarchy that has immense power in our politics and our economy," Oxfam said

So anti-family to rail against that. If I want give my left overs to my kids when I die then what does it have to do with Oxfam?

"We present this report as a stark wake up-call that ordinary people the world over are being crushed by the enormous wealth of a tiny few," Behar added.

They aren’t crushing me, what are this guy smoking? Who funds him and why?

The working poor pay income taxes at a rate set by their countries. The super-rich rarely pay income tax opting for the lower rate of capital gains tax at 20% or lower.

So let’s have a flat rate of tax, how about 10% on income and capital gains?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Absolutely what fxgai said.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Yep and Joey B. just pardoned all his operatives with 5 hours left in office.

talk about oligarchy and abuse of power.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

As the combined wealth of the upper 90% in the US has now surpassed 100 TRILLION! It's time for them to pay for the system they've been exploiting this whole time.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Upper 90%?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I’m in the upper 20% for sure.

What have I done wrong? I worked hard and invested well. Am I bad?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Top 90% own 100 trillion the Bottom 90% own 50 Trillion who has more resources to support the government?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Blacklabel your in the same boat as the rest of us being top 20% is not top 10% and there's a canyon of difference between the two.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The Irony doesn’t escape those that can READ.

Millionaires / Billionaires complaining about THEMSELVES, after they’ve become filthy rich…and of course Trump is No Good, because they don’t consider him one of THEM

4 ( +4 / -0 )

20% is not top 10% and there's a canyon of difference between

yeah I know! Still gotta double my money every year for 7 more years to get to Davos.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Besides these trillions weren't generated from nothing. It was generated off of America's roads and vast infrastructure, off the backs of workers denied increased wages and benefits. All in favor of shareholder payouts. Its time they pay their fair share for abusing our citizens and our infrastructure. Our government cannot keep paying it with debt. The money's gonna have to come from somewhere.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

BlacklabelJan. 20 09:44 pm JST

Yep and Joey B. just pardoned all his operatives with 5 hours left in office.

talk about oligarchy and abuse of power.

Forces the incoming convicts to focus on their actual jobs.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Hundreds of online sites about the super-rich don't pay income taxes and opt for stocks and shares and pay the lesser capital gains taxes.

Hundreds of sites say the world is flat

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Sites more qualified than a JT poster opinion.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sites more qualified than a JT poster opinion.

citation?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

High-Income Taxpayers Paid the Majority of Federal Income Taxes. In 2022, the bottom half of taxpayers earned 11.5 percent of total AGI and paid 3 percent of all federal individual income taxes. The top 1 percent earned 22.4 percent of total AGI and paid 40.4 percent of all federal income taxes

Above is from the Tax Foundation

The Tax Foundation is the world's leading nonpartisan tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/latest-federal-income-tax-data-2025/#:~:text=High%2DIncome%20Taxpayers%20Paid%20the%20Majority%20of%20Federal%20Income%20Taxes,of%20all%20federal%20income%20taxes.

This is what a citation looks like

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Insults do not work or provoke they show more about you than me.

The super-rich does not have"income" to pay "income tax". They have capital in the form of stocks and shares and when they turn those into cash they pay capital gains tax at a much lower rate 15-20%.

Musk with a wealth at the time of $150 billion sold some shares and paid $11 billion in capital gains tax. Much lower than if all of his wealth was considered "income".

How much income tax does Musk pay? 3.75%.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Wallace, you're saying Musk, a man whose business genius made him so rich, should now deliberately pay more tax than he has to? Why? To make you feel less poor?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The Super-rich need to pay a fair share of taxes for the services they receive.

Musk was given $5 billion of government money to start his business.

Virtually all of his net worth can be pinned to government help. Tesla and SpaceX got started – and survived their early days – with assistance from state and federal policies, government contracts, and loans.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So there you have it. Given, not loaned.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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