With the US economy in a bigger mess than usual, everyone is coming out of the woodwork to give their two cents. An Op-ed in the New York Times by Warren Buffett and letter sent out by Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz are causing quite a stir.
What they are saying is not that interesting. Buffett is saying that the government should tax wealthy Americans more. Schultz is saying that CEOs should stop all campaign contributions to all politicians until the get their act together. They both miss the point.
The story here is not that these rich men are standing up for the little guys, but rather that these rich men hold all the power. Buffett is only saying what most people have been saying for years. But when he, Warren Buffett – a man with a net worth greater than the GDP of some (many?) countries – says it, suddenly it’s a good idea. Schultz’s proposition is just as disturbing. He recognizes that politicians cater to the interests of their campaign donors (who are more often than not “mega-rich” corporation or lobby groups) instead of the best interest of the American people but does nothing to challenge the arrangement. Instead, his proposed boycott reinforces the undemocratic system by keeping the lawmakers accountable to the CEOs.
A round of applause is travelling through social media networks, thanking these men, and others, for their “brilliant” plans. I’m not buying it. Now, if they came up with plans on how to address the economic inequality in the US, maybe I’ll listen.
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