Alex Wong/Getty Images
- A New York Times editorial titled “Abolish Billionaires” introduced many readers to an increasingly strong rallying cry on the American left.
- Progressive politicians are calling for significantly increased taxes on the rich to counteract exceptionally high levels of wealth inequality in the US.
- While there may be eyebrow-raising rhetoric around these policies, they aren’t radical.
- This article is part of Business Insider’s ongoing series on “Better Capitalism.”
For the first time on a large scale, Americans are debating whether to allow the existence of billionaires.
On Thursday, The New York Times published columnist Farhad Manjoo’s “It’s high time we abolish billionaires” above the fold on the front page of its print edition. While Manjoo is far from the first person to articulate the idea — see freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for a 70% tax rate for income above $ 10 million or Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s call for a 3% wealth tax for fortunes above $ 1 billion — the unequivocal rallying cry was something different for the paper of record.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: Here’s the massive gap in average income between the top 1% and the bottom 99% in every state
See Also:
- Monopolies are the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ when it comes to analyzing US inequality, investment researchers argue
- ‘Changing the world’ has become a way for elites to shoot down ideas that threaten their power, says the critic who has billionaires buzzing
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tip to overcome her fear of speaking up in Congress is career advice just about anyone can use