205 billionaires, including Disney’s heir Abigail Disney, addressed the leaders in a joint letter they sent to the World Economic Forum: “Let us be taxed on wealth against inequality.”
Emre ERGUL
Tax the rich… (Tax the rich)… After the 2008-2009 global mortgage crisis, we became very familiar with this slogan.
“Tax the rich” was on the agenda of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which started on January 16 in Davos, Switzerland and ends today. The banner with the slogan was unveiled at the climate protest in Davos before the WEF summit started…
Yesterday, 205 people with great wealth around the world wrote an open letter to the leaders participating in the WEF, saying, “Take your taxes from the ultra-rich and do it now.”
Two of those who signed the letter, Disney’s heir Abigail Disney and “The Hulk” actor Mark Ruffalo.
The letter titled “The price of excess wealth” included the following statements:
- “This is a simple, common sense economic call. This is an investment we all deserve, for our common good and for a better future. As millionaires, we want to make this investment.”
- “Maintaining democracy and achieving cooperation requires efforts to build fairer economies. This is not something to be left to our children to handle.”
- “Now is the right time to tackle the ultra-rich. Now is the time to tax the superrich.”
- “Inaction on this issue leads us to disaster. Thinking about his rich wealth; Societies cannot lift more than certain weights, and parents cannot watch their hungry children any longer.”
- “The cost of taking action will be much cheaper than the price of not taking action. So it’s time to get to work.”
One of the signatories of the letter is Marlene Engelhorn, one of the founders of the “taxmenow” (Tax me now) organization… The 31-year-old Austrian influencer spoke to the British press as follows: “The whole world knows the solution: we should tax the ultra-rich. If we care about the security of democracy, society and the planet, we should do it. Either the decision makers don’t have the courage to do this or they don’t feel the need to hear these voices. Then the question comes to mind: What or who is stopping them?”
Private jet response from Greenpeace to the rich
The fact that some participants came to Davos, which was gathered under the concept of “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, with their private jets, drew a reaction. International agencies claimed that the private jets of the participants were parked in rows at the Swiss Air Force Base in Duebendorf and there was no space left. Greenpeace, a non-governmental organization focusing on nature and environmental problems, also reacted to private jets. Stating that private jets harm the environment 50 times more than trains, Greenpeace officials announced that 1,40 private planes landed in Davos during a week last year and this situation created a great environmental pollution: “The carbon dioxide emission of private jets arriving in Davos last year was 350 thousand. equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by the car.”
“We didn’t start this war, but we must end it”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) online. Zelensky started his speech by expressing his sadness over the helicopter crash near Kyiv in which 16 people lost their lives, and a minute’s silence was held for those who passed away. Reiterating his demand for more support for their fight against Russia, Zelensky urged world leaders to take quick decisions and support Kiev with heavy weapons to counter Russia’s war. Reminding that the world hesitated in the face of Russia’s attempt to invade the whole country in February 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, Zelenskiy said, “The world should not hesitate today and never.” Referring to the air defense system support to Ukraine, Zelensky said, “We did not start this war, but we must end it. “Help us finish this war faster,” he said. Saying that they still need ammunition, Zelensky said, “Do you feel safety concerns?” He replied, “No, I don’t feel it”.
