Is it just money? Or is it power? - Empire–The Rise of the Oligarchs - Al Jazeera English

Eighty-five people have as much money as three and a half billion
other people. Look at it like this: 85 people = 3,500,000,000 people.


Forbes Magazine, which used to gleefully refer to itself as a
“capitalist tool,” creates an annual list of the richest 400 people in
the world. Ten years ago, their combined wealth was $1,000,000,000,000
(one trillion dollars). Now, after a world wide crash and all sort of
bailouts, their combined worth is $2,000,000,000,000. They’ve doubled
their money. How’ve you done?


Did their money come to them because the magic of the market realised
how ultra-special talented they were? Or because of power? Manipulating
laws, buying politicians, even taking over governments. Has the power
of money in the United States grown so great that democracy is just a
charade? A large, frenetic, incredibly expensive one, but still, just
play-acting and a dumb show for the public?



Is it just money? Or is it power? - Empire–The Rise of the Oligarchs - Al Jazeera English