Summary

Oxfam’s 2024 inequality report revealed a record $2 trillion increase in billionaire wealth, reaching $15 trillion, while global poverty rates remain stagnant.

The top 1% own 45% of all wealth, and 44% of people live on less than $6.85 daily.

Oxfam predicts five trillionaires within a decade, citing inheritance and cronyism as key wealth drivers. Elon Musk may become the first trillionaire by 2027.

Oxfam calls for tax reform, monopoly regulation, and income redistribution to address inequality.

Critics warn unchecked wealth concentration threatens democracy and economic fairness.

  • @[email protected]
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    314 hours ago

    When money is used in society as security for basic rights like a home, food and clean water, healthcare, political representation in government, then people hoarding wealth at the detriment of others are responsible and shouldn’t be surprised when those same people they oppress become violent.

  • @[email protected]
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    103 hours ago

    I mean, there is a way to cure billionaires and prevent trillionaires. Several cures, actually, some of which are likely more palatable than others.

  • @[email protected]
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    937 hours ago

    These are direct results of the government’s failure to govern. The whole purpose of government is to regulate.

    Billionaire wealth should have immediately been taxed at the highest historical levels. Now we’re past the tipping point and have to simply endure living in an empire as it crumbles around us, while masses of rubes cheer their oppressors.

  • @[email protected]
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    74 hours ago

    No shit, fuckin obviously. This is how money works. The point is not the number it is the proportion (though obv they’re related)

  • Flying Squid
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    9 hours ago

    Every developed nation should tax these motherfuckers’ entire assets at 99%. If they want to flee with all of their money to Honduras or Haiti or something, let them enjoy that paradise.

    • @[email protected]M
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      67 hours ago

      That assumes national borders mean anything to this class. They travel by private plane and go directly from the tarmac to the car. They don’t even need passports.

      • @[email protected]
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        55 hours ago

        We lost more valuable stuff leaving them in charge: manufacturing capacity.

        Capital flight is perfect, they can’t take the means of production with them. It’s an empty threat.

        They’ve taken more away just being allowed to stay here. Let them flee, just means less time needed sharpening the guillotine blades when we’re fed up.

    • @[email protected]
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      109 hours ago

      I mean, the issue is getting all nations to agree to that and making any agreement binding because otherwise the nation that decides to tax them at 98% gets all of the tax revenue…

      • @[email protected]
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        65 hours ago

        98% of… what? Billionaires don’t get a paycheck like working people. They’re already sitting on all that wealth! If they spend money, it’s buying something once like a football team or Twitter and waiting until the value goes up before selling it. Same thing with stocks. And those realized gains are taxed lower than payroll taxes. They even take out unneeded loans like Trump just to avoid paying taxes! There’s a reason people say the rich pay less taxes than us…

      • Flying Squid
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        119 hours ago

        I’d be fine with just taking them out of the entire system. Like I said, let them live in a place like Haiti if they want to be rich and keep them out of the rest of our lives. Let them build themselves a Dracula castle in Port-au-Prince.

        • @[email protected]
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          87 hours ago

          They’re not going to go to Haiti though, they’re going to go to Monaco or Switzerland or Ireland or The Netherlands. That’s my point, for this to work all of the “developed” nations need to agree despite having a massive financial incentive not to.

      • @[email protected]
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        3310 hours ago

        I can’t remember where I heard this but apparently there are therapists for very rich people.

        The therapist was on a podcast I think and discussing what they talk about.

        Basically all rich people fear not having enough money. No matter how rich they get, they fear and obsess over not having enough money.

        I thought it was interesting. These are people richer than God and they always want more.

        • Soulifix
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          1910 hours ago

          A single million could really change someone’s life. Just one million.

          With all of my expenses tallied up, for 15 years, I’m covered worry-free and all I’d need is at least $500k. That’s it. Another half of that, make it 30 years.

          These rich people, having billions at their command, are set for like twenty lifetimes over.

          • @[email protected]
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            67 hours ago

            These rich people, having billions at their command, are set for like twenty lifetimes over.

            I get your point and hate to be overly pedantic but even a billionaire with “only” one billion dollars, using the most conservative investment strategy would literally have enough money for 200 people to earn $200,000/year forever.

          • @[email protected]
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            36 hours ago

            Assuming you pull a salary for 60 years you could earn $100,000/yr for over 150 lifetimes with literally just one billion dollars.

          • @[email protected]
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            139 hours ago

            Their children’s children’s children will be unimaginably wealthy. There is no need for any one person to have that much. We’re supposed to be in space ships exploring the galaxy, not lining up to work ourselves to death so some mentally unstable chode’s great-great-grandkids can go to an Ivy League school.

        • @[email protected]
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          37 hours ago

          If this is true, why then do they need to buy super ultra giant mega-yachts, private jets, mansions, islands, etc?

          If you are worried about running out of money, you should be living a very meager and humble life. Is that what their therapist tells them, as part of their therapy?

          I think they are more worried about running out of asshole.

    • @[email protected]
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      127 hours ago

      Even if every single person stopped using them. They would still be billionaires, and still be making money by other means.

    • @[email protected]
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      147 hours ago

      only way I see an option to not is to live similar to Amish lifestyles in the US, but even then, I assume AWS, Meta and Alphabet can make some money off their existence through satellites and IP cameras

      I don’t disagree with you and not arguing not to be aware of individual actions. it just seems the situation is more dire than just not giving them our money or data

    • Lemminary
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      56 hours ago

      Unfortunately I don’t have a viable alternative for some goods from Amazon without a good price increase because local sellers up the price on top of the import fees.

      On the bright side, I don’t shop there often and it’s mostly limited to electronics.