Filthy Rich
According to the recently released United Nations Development Program report on global inequality, the filthy rich continue to own and control most of the world's wealth. The Human Development Report calls for urgent action to improve the living standards of the world's poor. It foresees increasing environmental, social and political crises if this situation is not addressed.
While hardly surprising, the statistics in the report reveal in stark terms the obscene reality of capitalism. The world's richest 225 people have a combined wealth greater than $1.7 trillion — equivalent to the annual income of the 2.5 billion poorest people.
The three richest people in the world hold assets in excess of the combined wealth of the 48 least developed countries.
Bill Gates, who tops the list of the global filthy rich, could afford (in the unlikely event it crossed his mind to do so) to provide those countries' populations with universal access to education, health care, safe water and basic sanitation, and still remain a multi-billionaire.
Gates is hardly likely to perform such an act of reckless selflessness. He and the minuscule elite which comprise the world's mega-rich are not going to give up their wealth so easily.
Modern day piracy is a troublesome career path in these increasingly uncertain times. After all, just to get to the top of the fortune heap can take years and years of deception, thievery and thuggery.
Green Left Weekly relies on income generation of a more honest kind. Each week across the country, supporters of Green Left Weekly hold fundraising events to help finance the production of the paper. Much sweat and toil goes into ensuring that these activities are political and financial successes.
These great events, however, do not raise enough to cover our costs. Green Left also relies on the generous donations of readers and subscribers.
If you would like to help support a newspaper which campaigns for the redistribution of wealth, back to those who create it, then why not consider a donation to the Green Left Weekly fighting fund. Even a few dollars makes a big difference.
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