DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BernieSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BernieSanders</span></a> Says There Is No Choice: 'We Must Defeat the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchs</span></a>'</p><p>The U.S. Senator from Vermont is asking big questions about how to achieve—even in the face of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Trump</span></a>'s return—an "economy and government that works for all, not just the few."<br /> <br />by Jon Queally, Nov 30, 2024</p><p>"With the progressive movement in the United States still grappling with how best to respond to president-elect Donald Trump's victory earlier this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a statement Saturday clarifying his belief that confronting the ruling oligarchy over the 'coming months and years' will be the key battle for anyone who wants to build an economy and political system that puts the interests of everyday <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorkingPeople" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>WorkingPeople</span></a> ahead of those of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SuperWealthy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>SuperWealthy</span></a> elites.</p><p>"The Independent U.S. Senator from Vermont suggested Trump's victory was the direct result of a political economy largely controlled by the nation's richest individuals and powerful <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/corporations" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>corporations</span></a> and a situation in which massive wealth inequality has also created an incredible power imbalance.</p><p>"'This is what Oligarchy looks like,' Sanders said. 'Today, while 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, three multi-billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of American society.'</p><p>"With a 'greater concentration of ownership than we have seen since the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GildedAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GildedAge</span></a>,' Sanders continued, from healthcare and financial services to the food, transportation, and housing sectors—'fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay.'</p><p>"Sanders slammed a corporate media system in which corporate consolidation has led to an information and entertainment ecosystem in which an estimated '90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates,' and a political system 'increasingly controlled by the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BillionaireClass" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BillionaireClass</span></a>' that is allowed to inject nearly limitless amounts of money into elections, most of it secretly and without accountability.</p><p>"'In the recent elections,' Sanders bemoaned, 'just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected.' Such a reality, he said, must be challenged.</p><p>"'Our job in the coming months and years is clear. We must defeat the oligarchs and create an economy and government that works for all, not just the few.'</p><p>"How can such a defeat of these powerful forces be achieved? Sanders' latest statement did not reveal a prescription, but in a series of recent missives, social media posts, and interviews over the last week, the two-time presidential candidate has said that focusing on building working-class power is the key. </p><p>"In a letter to supporters last week, Sanders said the question of 'where do we go from here?' is a 'very serious' one that demands deep scrutiny in the coming weeks and months. And he asked a series of more specific questions that he said must be addressed, including:<br /> <br /> • How do we expand our efforts to build a multi-racial, multi-generational working-class movement?<br /> • How do we create a 50 state movement, not politics based on the electoral college and 'battleground' states?<br /> • How do we deal with <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CitizensUnited" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CitizensUnited</span></a> and the ability of billionaires to buy elections?<br /> • How do we recruit more working-class candidates for office at all levels of government?<br /> • Should we be supporting Independent candidates who are prepared to take on both parties?<br /> • How do we better support union organizing?<br /> • How do we put together listening sessions around the country that intentionally seek input from people who did not vote for Democrats in the last election?<br /> • How do we best use social media to build our movement and combat the lies and disinformation coming from the billionaire class and right-wing media?</p><p>"In a subsequent interview with The Nation, Sanders it is 'absolutely' necessary to find ways to challenge both the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DemocraticParty" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>DemocraticParty</span></a> and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RepublicanParty" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>RepublicanParty</span></a>, both of which are dominated by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateInterests" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CorporateInterests</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WealthyDonors" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>WealthyDonors</span></a>.</p><p>"'We just cannot sit back and accept candidates who are not prepared to stand up to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BigMoney" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BigMoney</span></a> interests and fight for the working class,' Sanders said. 'We cannot continue to do that. So, in one way or another, we have got to bring forth candidates who [will stand up to Big Money].'"</p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/bernie-sanders-oligarchy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">commondreams.org/news/bernie-s</span><span class="invisible">anders-oligarchy</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchs</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlobalOligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GlobalOligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Corporatocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Corporatocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchs</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CorporateFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HungerGames" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>HungerGames</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StillSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>StillSanders</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Duopoly" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Duopoly</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EndCitizensUnited" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>EndCitizensUnited</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WealthInequality" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>WealthInequality</span></a></p>
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#globaloligarchy
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DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BernieSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BernieSanders</span></a> on the Worldwide <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchy</span></a> </p><p>'We are in a struggle between a progressive movement that mobilizes around a shared vision of prosperity, security and dignity for all people, against one that defends oligarchy and massive global income and wealth inequality'</p><p>March 23, 2022 </p><p>"f you watch the corporate media, you'll often hear the word '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/oligarch" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>oligarch</span></a>' preceded by the word '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Russian" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Russian</span></a>.' But oligarchs aren't uniquely a Russian phenomenon or a foreign concept. No. The United States has its own oligarchy.</p><p>"Today, in the United States, the two wealthiest people own more wealth than the bottom 42 percent of our population – more than 130 million Americans. And the top one percent now owns more wealth than the bottom 92 percent. During the last 50 years there has been a massive transfer of wealth in our country, but it’s going in the wrong direction. The middle class is shrinking while the people on top are doing better than ever.</p><p>"Further, in terms of the global economy, there is no question that we are seeing a huge and destructive increase in income and wealth inequality. While the very, very richest people become much wealthier, ordinary people struggle and the most desperate starve.</p><p>"While massive levels of inequality existed before the rise of COVID, that situation has become much worse over the past two years.</p><p>"Today, around the world, the wealthiest 10 multi-billionaires now own more wealth than the bottom 3.1 billion – almost 40 percent of the world’s population. Unbelievably, the wealth of these ten multi-billionaires has doubled during the pandemic, while the income of 99 percent of the world’s population has declined. The oligarchs spend huge amounts of money buying fancy yachts, mansions and great paintings while 160 million people throughout the world have slipped into poverty. According to Oxfam, global income and wealth inequality has led to the deaths of more than 21,000 people each and every day throughout the world as a result of hunger and the lack of access to healthcare. Yet the world’s 2,755 billionaires saw their wealth go up by $5 trillion since March 2021 – increasing from $8.6 trillion to $13.8 trillion.</p><p>"But it’s not just the increased income and wealth gap between the very rich and everyone else. It’s a growing concentration of ownership and brute economic and political power. Something which is not talked about much, either in the media or political circles, is the reality that a handful of Wall Street firms, Black Rock, Vanguard and State Street, now control over $21 trillion in assets – roughly the GDP of the United States. This gives a tiny number of CEOs enormous power over hundreds of companies and the lives of millions of workers. The result: in recent years we have seen the ultra-wealthy significantly increase their influence over media, banking, health care, housing and many other parts of our economy. In fact, never before have so few owned and controlled so much.</p><p>"Add it all together and what you see is a nation and world trending very strongly toward oligarchy – where a small number of multi-billionaires exercise enormous economic and political power.</p><p>"So, in the midst of all of this, where do we go from here?</p><p>"Clearly, while we face oligarchy, COVID, attacks on democracy, climate change, the horrific war in Ukraine and other challenges it is easy to understand why many may fall into cynicism and hopelessness. This is a state of mind, however, that we must overcome – not only for ourselves, but for our kids and future generations. The stakes are just too high, and despair is not an option. We must come together and fight back.</p><p>"What history has always taught us is that real change never takes place from the top on down. It always occurs from the bottom on up. That is the history of the labor movement, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CivilRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CivilRights</span></a> movement, the women’s movement, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/environmental" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>environmental</span></a> movement and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GayRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GayRights</span></a> movement. That is the history of every effort that has brought about transformational change in our society.</p><p>"That is the struggle we must intensify today.</p><p>"We must bring people together around a progressive agenda. We must educate, organize and build an unstoppable grassroots movement that helps create the kind of nation and world we know we can become. One that is based on the principles of justice and compassion, not greed and oligarchy.</p><p>"We must never lose our sense of outrage when so few have so much and so many have so little.</p><p>"We must not allow ourselves to be divided up based on the color of our skin, where we were born, our religion or our sexual orientation.</p><p>"The greatest threat of the billionaire class is not simply their unlimited wealth and power. It is their ability to create a culture that makes us feel weak and hopeless and diminishes the strength of human solidarity.</p><p>"Yet, as a result of the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the extraordinary courage and solidarity of the Ukrainian people, countries throughout the world are waking up to the fact that there is a global struggle taking place between autocracy and democracy, between authoritarianism and the right of people to freely express their views.</p><p>"Now is the time to build a new progressive global order that recognizes every person on this planet shares a common humanity and that all of us – no matter where we live or the language we speak – want our children to grow up healthy, have a good education, breathe clean air and live in peace.</p><p>"What we are seeing now is not just the incredible bravery of the people in Ukraine, but thousands of Russians who have taken to the streets to demand an end to Putin’s war in Ukraine, knowing that it’s illegal to do so and that they will likely be arrested and punished.</p><p>"We have seen the courage of working people here in our country who are coming together to take on corporate greed and organize for better wages, benefits and working conditions.</p><p>"Sisters and brothers, right now we are in a struggle between a progressive movement that mobilizes around a shared vision of prosperity, security and dignity for all people, against one that defends oligarchy and massive global income and wealth inequality.</p><p>"It is a struggle we cannot lose. And it is one that we can overcome, as long as we stand together."</p><p><a href="https://portside.org/2022-03-23/bernie-sanders-worldwide-oligarchy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">portside.org/2022-03-23/bernie</span><span class="invisible">-sanders-worldwide-oligarchy</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlobalOligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GlobalOligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlobalPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GlobalPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StillSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>StillSanders</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Corporatocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Corporatocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateColonialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CorporateColonialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CorporateFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Autocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Autocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WealthInequality" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>WealthInequality</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchs</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>From 2017: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BernieSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BernieSanders</span></a>: We must end <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlobalOligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GlobalOligarchy</span></a> </p><p>"Greed is their religion."</p><p>By Bernie Sanders, November 13, 2017</p><p>"One of the major, untold stories of our time is the rapid movement toward global <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/oligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>oligarchy</span></a>, in which just a handful of# billionaires now own and control a significant part of the world economy [and the US government in January 2025].</p><p>"Here in the United States, the top one-tenth of 1% owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Incredibly, according to a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies, three of the richest people in America – <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BillGates" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BillGates</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JeffBezos" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>JeffBezos</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WarrenBuffett" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>WarrenBuffett</span></a> – now own more wealth than bottom 160 million people in our country.</p><p>"But this is clearly not just an American issue. It is a global issue. While millions of people throughout the world live in dire poverty, without clean drinking water, adequate health care, decent housing, or education for their kids, the six wealthiest people in the world as ranked by Forbes Magazine own more wealth, according to Oxfam, than the bottom half of the world’s population, 3.6 billion people.</p><p>"This massive level of wealth and income inequality, and the political power associated with that wealth, is an issue that cannot continue be ignored. We must fight back.</p><p>"Thanks to the so-called <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ParadisePapers" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>ParadisePapers</span></a>, a trove of millions of documents analyzed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ICIJ" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>ICIJ</span></a>) and its collaborating news outlets, we now have a better understanding of how the largest corporations and wealthiest people in the world avoid paying their taxes and hide ownership of assets. Needless to say, these billionaires are all strong supporters of our military, our veterans, our infrastructure, our schools and other government services. They would just prefer that you pay for those activities, not them.</p><p>"According to the ICIJ’s investigative reporting, the Americans listed as having offshore accounts in the Paradise Papers, (which have not been independently reviewed by CNN), are a who’s who of billionaires, some of whom are the very same officials who have led the effort to promote the Republican tax plan, which would provide even more tax-avoiding opportunities to the very rich.</p><p>"Even before these revelations, we knew that <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TaxDodging" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>TaxDodging</span></a> by the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wealthy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>wealthy</span></a> and large <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/corporations" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>corporations</span></a>, not just in the US but globally, was taking place on a massive scale. In 2012, the Tax Justice Network, a British advocacy group, estimated that at least $21 trillion was stashed in offshore tax havens around the world. In other words, while governments enact austerity budgets, which lower the standard of living of working people, the super-rich avoid their taxes.</p><p>"According to Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman, individuals in the US are avoiding $36 billion through offshore tax schemes and US corporations are avoiding more than $130 billion through these schemes. The situation has become so absurd that one five-story office building in the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Caymans" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Caymans</span></a> is now the 'home' of nearly 20,000 corporations – and that is just one of many tax havens operating across the globe.</p><p>"The essence of oligarchy is that the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BillionaireClass" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>BillionaireClass</span></a> is never satisfied with what they have. They want more, more and more – no matter what impact their efforts have on working people, the elderly, children, the sick and the poor. Greed is their religion. While the oligarchs are avoiding their taxes, Trump and his Republican colleagues, ostensibly in order to save federal dollars, have been trying to throw tens of millions of Americans off of their health insurance, and make massive cuts in education, nutrition assistance and affordable housing.</p><p>"As a candidate for president, Trump promised that he would stand up for the working class of this country. Needless to say, that was a lie. Almost half of the benefits in the Trump/Republican tax plan would go to the top 1%, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Additionally, they want to lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, even though in 2012 one out of every five large, profitable corporations in the US paid no federal income taxes at all and between 2008 and 2015, 18 corporations had a tax rate lower than 0%.</p><p>"Republicans also want to make it easier for companies to shelter their profits overseas and pay zero taxes. The 'territorial tax system' they are proposing, which means companies would be taxed only on income earned within our country’s borders, would exempt the offshore profits of American corporations from US taxes and allow for a one-time 12% tax on their offshore cash profits when brought back into the United States.<br />Get our free weekly newsletter</p><p>"Meanwhile, while the wealthy and large corporations are receiving huge tax breaks, nearly half of middle-class families would actually see their taxes go up by the end of the decade by eliminating deductions for medical expenses, student loan interest rates, state and local income and sales taxes, and the cost of health insurance for the self-employed.</p><p>"The Paradise Papers make it clearer than ever that we need, in the United States and throughout the world, a tax system which is fair, progressive and transparent.</p><p>"Now is the time, in the United States and internationally, for people to come together to take on the greed of the oligarchs. We can and must create a global economy that works for all, not just a handful of billionaires."</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/opinions/oligarchy-paradise-papers-bernie-sanders-opinion/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">cnn.com/2017/11/13/opinions/ol</span><span class="invisible">igarchy-paradise-papers-bernie-sanders-opinion/index.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlobalPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>GlobalPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Corporatocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Corporatocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oligarchs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Oligarchs</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Trump</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>CorporateFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HungerGames" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>HungerGames</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StillSanders" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>StillSanders</span></a></p>
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