There is a one type of wealthy and powerful people – united not by race, industry, nationality, or religion, but by their ambition to use their wealth to buy ever greater control over the rest of society, so that they can become far richer than everyone else, do what they want regardless of how it may harm others, and be able to overcome any democratic attempt to restrain them.
Call them the Mammonites – plutocratic power seekers who have no hesitation in making gains for themselves regardless of what it takes. We are not supposed to talk about them, let alone criticise their actions. Their acolytes accuse others of launching class wars against the rich (but Mammonites are opposed by rich people with a sense of social responsibility), or of being racist (although they are the ones who equate them with any single race when they clearly are not). The truth is that they are to be known by their deeds, and through these they can be exposed for the clear and present threat they pose.
Let us look at 5 types of identifier:
[1] Hegemonic Owners
They buy up land, property, companies, commercial rights, etc. to expand their overall control of the market. They can pay much less to those who work for or sell to them; extract a higher share from any proceeds of the business they own; and charge more to those who rent, buy, or borrow from them. To get their way, they are ever ready to threaten to withdraw their ‘investment’.
[2] Callous Profiteers
They maximise their profit by promoting the sale of goods and services that are harmfully addictive, extremely unsafe, at the root of credit bubbles, bad for the environment, and accelerating climate chaos for millions of people around the world. They discredit anyone warning of the damages they cause, and reward those who help them boost sales further.
[3] Tax Evaders
They hire accountancy firms that second staff to help government officials develop tax policies that would not “scare away” the rich. They have experts to guide them on keeping their wealth safe in offshore havens, hiding revenue streams, and steering income down every loophole – legitimate or otherwise. They have top lawyers to defend them against any charge of impropriety.
[4] Plutocratic Pipers
They offer certain politicians money if they would oblige by blocking any attempt to restrain their harmful profiteering activities; introducing laws and policies to help them make more money; awarding them lucrative contracts; and running campaigns that distract the public from real threats by demonising immigrants, feminists, environmentalists, trade unionists, etc.
[5] Media Grinders
They acquire media outlets, hire public relations firms, and secure suitable coverage from allies in the communications sector to portray them as indispensable ‘wealth creators’; dismiss any negative story about them as unfounded; take their side against regulators and critics; and serve up scapegoats as ‘public enemies’.
Mammonites brazenly act in the ways outlined above. They are the ones who make life worse for everyone else to advance their own ambition. They are the ones who turn the disadvantaged against the vulnerable. They are the proof that letting some accumulate wealth and power without limits is inevitably bad for the rest of society.
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On how to strengthen democracy against subversive influences, see the proposals set out in Democracy SOS (Citizen Network): https://citizen-network.org/uploads/attachment/916/democracy-sos.pdf
See also the following articles:
‘Top 5 reasons billionaires are bad for the economy’ (Oxfam):
https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/top-5-ways-billionaires-are-bad-for-the-economy/
‘Ten Ways You Are Being Burned by Billionaires’ (Inequality.org): https://inequality.org/article/ten-ways-you-are-being-burned-by-billionaires/
‘When billionaires rule the world – A global threat to a viable human future’ (The Club of Rome): https://www.clubofrome.org/blog-post/korten-billionaires/
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