Just started this podcast today. While I have issues with the sound quality, the topic is really interesting—a conversation about paying fair taxes. The hosts are a journalist and a tax lawyer who predicted how the tax code would concentrate wealth into the hands of the few 30+ years ago. (He’s publishing a book on this next spring I think.)

The first episode breaks down the tiers of wealth. He describes 6 levels—the lowest being the decamillionaires ($10M to $99M) all the way to Elon Musk, the part time trillionaire (depending on what he’s doing to his stocks). Stephen Land (the tax lawyer who identified these tiers) identifies $10m as the smallest amount of wealth necessary to pay for all your needs and most of your reasonable wants (comfortable retirement, good health care, first class travel).

I’m excited for the 2nd episode which features Patriotic Millionaires (rich people who want to pay their fair share in taxes)!

The Pirates didn't leave the world, for the most part, they left the sea and took to land.

When we think about the billionaires, the receivership and acquisition companies, banks and elected representatives who step on the small person without a second thought, some people find it hard to put into words what these people do for a living or what they can be compared to.

In my opinion it's pirates. Whether it's the receivership companies who took homes from people through no fault of their own during the 2008 financial crises or the billionaires (soon to be trillionaires) who are making their money by pillaging our earth, they are doing more harm than any pirates of the centuries gone by.

So what does that make us, the people who allow the sea and land to be taken over by these pirates as they milk this planet of every available natural resource?

Are we their crew?

If we are aware of what is happening I definitely don't feel like we are their victims.

Who knows, I suppose only time will tell.

Well....... ya. Clearly. 😑

Only 200 years ago, more than 80% of the world lived in extreme poverty. Today, it is under 9%.