QWhat kills democracies? The slow poison of distrust and the repeated stabs at the counter-powers. The weakening of the standards by which societies are held together: respect for others and their freedom of thought, the desire to live together, the legitimacy of those who govern. The economic crises, again, which siphon off the middle classes, disrupt public services and increase resentment. Without forgetting the sowers of hatred, always on the lookout, stirring up evil passions – starting with xenophobia. And then money, when it is excessively monopolized by a small number to the detriment of the collective.
In his last essay, The chaos that comes (Le Cherche Midi, 448 pages, 23 euros), the anthropologist Peter Turchin, with historical examples to support it, analyzes what triggers the political disintegration of States: each time, the impoverishment of the working classes combined with “overproduction elites” accumulating wealth and power eventually leads to collapse, revolution or civil war, he explains.
A phenomenon observed recurrently in the United States, but also, to a large extent, in Europe. In an interview on November 2, with the weekly TeleramaTurchin deplores that the American Democratic Party is failing to become the party of the working class again – which the result of the November 5 presidential election confirmed – because, for that, “Its backers and leaders would have to make a significant personal financial sacrifice, raising their own taxes and giving more power to workers”. What, beyond the speeches, they are hardly ready for.
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“Money makes you neurotic. When they have ideas to change the world, the wealthy can pay to implement them and buy influence – something those without money cannot do. Because of this, they think their ideas are superior to those of others. » These words are not those of a left-wing economist, but… of an ultra-rich woman, speaking with knowledge of the facts. Namely, the Austro-German Marlene Engelhorn, who became a multimillionaire at the age of 30, in 2022. She is one of the heirs of the founder of the German chemical group BASF, Friedrich Engelhorn.
“Excess wealth is antisocial”
Marlene Engelhorn is one of the handful of millionaires who, in Europe or the United States, are campaigning with their States to be taxed more widely. Because they are aware that the ultra-rich are always richer because they pay proportionally less taxes than the middle classes. Because they know that this inequality is one of the poisons that brings down democracies.
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