The idea that when world leaders meet in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos to discuss economic issues that the assembled politicians are somehow in charge of the global economy is a delusion.
What you see in the group photos at such events are the players who appear to control the game . What you do NOT see is the management – the coaches and financial backers who REALLY determine how the game will be played.
On the stage at such events the rich talk publicly about doing more to save the planet -having flown in and out of the resort in their 1500 or so private jets and thereby exacerbating the global warming problem. Hypocrisy, you understand , is a key component in creating the illusion of goodness.
Meanwhile in the back rooms the real reason for Davos is happening because it’s here that Big Money money is making sure governments don’t get in the way of them making their profits.
Now, I know this is beginning to sound like some sort of conspiracy theory where a few global Robber Barons are pulling the economic strings of the world.
I wish it was.
However I have recently be talking with some of the world’s leading economic and sociological academics who have been investigating who really runs our planet and its frightening how so few control so much of our lives.
One researcher is American Prof Peter Phillips and I will be interviewing him soon aboiut his latest book – GIANTS -THE GLOBAL POWER ELITE in which he reveals the 389 most powerful players in world capitalism.
The interview will form part of my upcoming documentary about the free market and free trade .
Why? Because the word “free” in this context is also a delusion . There is nothing ‘free” about these twin ideologies – they are both about money. More accurately they are about how Big Money – the global money elite – can make more money out of their money through usury.
We need to find fairer ways to trade, but until we overthrow neoliberalism and the economics of selfishness we will not be able to do that or solve the major issues of global warming and inequality.
Of course it’s talk of the need for such a financial revolution that terrifies Big Money most, because the few who currently control the lives of the many, through their financial wheeling and dealing, have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are.
They do not want their money- making activities reined in by government regulations because while that would be good for the many, it would reduce their profits, their power qnd their influence.
Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.
The elitist globalisation establishment who rule the world has come about through an unholy alliance between socially progressive liberalism (with a virtue signalling obsession) & so called neo-liberalism (good old fashioned hard nosed laissez-faire economics in drag).
As long as those with left leaning progressive tendencies fail to see this (their blind spot) the liberal globalisation establishment will continue to rule with an iron fist. This is the classic divide & rule stuff that this global hegemony thrives on & draws its power from.
Only an equally unholy alliance of green tinged anti-establishment forces from the right, left & centre will be able to bring down this death wish Leviathan.
Completely agree. The governments have lost control a long time ago of capitalism either by selling out because it is too hard for individual politicians to try to do something real against inequality aka target the top 1000 individuals profiting from capitalism and laws, or just plain ignorance and naivety because politicians have never looked at any other ways to challenge the status quo… Normally a mixture of fear, self servingness, ignorance and naivety. Often a lot of narcissism there too!
Remember when Alan Greenspan revealed that the financial system was flawed during the financial crisis, where the poor and middle class bailed out the super rich who caused the crisis with a democrat government in the house!
It is just a talk fest nothing more!
Out of the mouths of cyber space babes, must be a product of our apathetic, narcissistic & nihilistic times. There’s wood in them there trees.
I confess it’s difficult to have confidence in any meaningful progress while those aforementioned Big Money elitists continue their stranglehold on the 99%.
I’m all for recycling, reducing plastic use and emissions and the like because it’s simply necessary and if we can, why not? At the same time I’m painfully aware that with the top 100 companies causing 70% of emissions, even if every single middle class patsy like me did absolutely everything possible, the world is still destined to melt, unless those bastards do the same.
Knowing that it’s also understandable that many in my position feel resentful of what can be perceived as guilt-tripping pressure on us all to pull finger, straighten up and fly right.
The same hegemonic powers also have the monopoly on the means to change the underlying infrastructure so that the options made available to us middle and working class plebs are viable in the scheme of not killing the planet, beyond the welcome but drop-in-the-ocean gesture re. Countdown’s single use plastic bags.
As is the idea that turning half of No Zealand into a propertied class (largely foreign and elderly) and the other half of the country into Have Nots (mainly young and local), while allowing tens if not hundreds of thousands of additional foreign voters to take part in “our” elections every year… in fact, it’s beyond delusional… it’s fucking insane, and it’s high treason…
It’s not a conspiracy theory, it’s a proven conspiracy fact.
God almighty… Is this it? Is this really it? It’s come down to this?
Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot has become infected by the ‘Us’s’ to be predated by the ‘Thems’. When I see that little spider who’s taken up residence in the corner of one of my kitchen windows I sometimes feel like getting down on my knees and begging its forgiveness. It’s usually when I’m drunk, of course. A part of me thinks that having my conservative farmer neighbour finding me on my knees crying, and begging the forgiveness of a spider might be funny. A new pub story.
A friend would remind me, therefore lets remind ourselves, that those few 389 or so? They’re enabled by us. We give them our money and they give us death. So? Let’s not give them our money, just a thought. And burn down the banksters. That’s another thought.
“The Kardashians can sell anything” according to The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jan/28/they-can-sell-anything-how-the-kardashians-changed-fashion
There? That’s what the rest of us are up against. A big arse in spandex can, and will by various channels, drag the planet to it’s knees then slit its throat for a dollar.
@ BB? Lets remind ourselves that this Universe? This ‘reality’ too shall pass. Perhaps it’s because when we get to the next [one] we can look back and think ” Yeah-nah. Fuck that! Lets not make that same mistake twice.
Have you seen ‘Idiocracy’ by the way?
( Vulgarity. Something with which I’m comfortable so… You’ve been warned. )
The trailor to the film.
https://youtu.be/-N9nVLXMhPc
“I thought you were on the pills an’ shit!? “
Hahahah aha ahaaha a a a a !
And I thought Davos was a corporate, multi national PR stunt to which Governments were ‘educated’ about how the world works. Good work Bryan.
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