Historian calls out billionaires for tax evasion at World Economic Forum in Davos

Rutger Bregman might not be a household name to many but he gave a speech at last week's World Economic Forum which should have been headline news.

The 30-year-old historian was speaking at the forum in Davos, Switzerland where many of the world's richest and most influential people gather to discuss how they feel the world can be improved.

It was Bregman's first time at the event and he didn't waste his opportunity to make a point, deliberately taking aim at the rich for avoiding tax to feed their own hunger for wealth.

Speaking at 'The Cost of Inequality' panel on Friday, the Dutch author spoke alongside the likes of the UN's Alica Barcena Ibarra, Oxfam International Executive Director Winnie Byanyima and the Primatologist Jane Goodall.

Bregman's address to Davos has become something of a viral hit having been viewed more than 450,000 times on Twitter since Friday and people are praising him for his honesty.

This is my first time at Davos, and I find it quite a bewildering experience to be honest.

I mean 15,000 private jets have flown in here to hear Sir David Attenborough speak about, you know, how we're wrecking the planet.

And, I mean, I hear people talking the language or participation and justice and equality and transparency, but then, I mean, almost no one raises the real issue of tax avoidance right?

And of the rich just not paying their fair share. I mean, it feels like I'm at a firefighters conference and no one's allowed to speak about water, right? 

There was only one panel hidden away in the media centre that was actually about tax avoidance. I was one of the 15 participants. Something needs to change here.

I mean, 10 years ago, the World Economic Forum asked the question, what must industry do to prevent a broad social backlash? 

The answer is actually very simple: just stop talking about philanthropy, and start talking about taxes, taxes, taxes.

We need - just two days ago there was a billionaire in here, what's his name? Michael Dell. And he asked a question like, name me one country where a top marginal tax rate of 70 per cent has actually worked?

And, you know, I'm a historian - the United States, that's where it has actually worked, in the 1950s during Republican President Eisenhower, you know, the war veteran.

The top marginal tax rate in the US was 91 per cent for people like Michael Dell. You know the top estate tax for people like Michael Dell was more than 70 per cent.

I mean, this is not rocket science. I mean, we can talk for a very long time about all these stupid philanthropy schemes. We can invite Bono once more.

But, come on, we've got to be talking about taxes. That's it. Taxes, taxes, taxes. All the rest bulls**t in my opinion. 

Whilst Bregman's words are winning applause it also worth highlighting the comeback that Byanyima gave to Ken Goldman, the former CFO of Yahoo, who criticised the panel for being one-sided and highlighted the current unemployment rate in the US and how the US has helped reduce worldwide poverty.

He then challenged them to answer this question: "what can we really do to help solve inequality over time beyond taxes?'

The gentleman who talked about, who said we've just talked about taxes and the jobs are there and that unemployment rates are low, let me tell you something: 

We're talking about jobs, but the quality of those jobs. [Oxfam] also works with poultry workers in the richest country in the world, the United States, poultry workers.

These are the women who are cutting the chickens and packing them and we buy them in the supermarkets. 

Dolores, one woman we work with there, told us that she and her co-workers have to wear diapers to work because they're not allowed toilet breaks.

This is in the richest country in the world. That's not a dignified job. Those are the jobs we've been told about, that globalization is bringing jobs. The quality of the jobs matter. It matters. 

These are not jobs of dignity. In many countries workers no longer have a voice. In many countries workers no longer have a voice  

They are not allowed to unionise they've not allowed to negotiate for salaries. So we're talking about jobs but jobs that bring dignity. 

We're talking about health care. The World Bank has told us that 3.4 billion people who earn $5.50 a day are on the verge, are just a medical bill away from sinking into poverty. They don't have health care.

They are just a crop failure away from sinking back into poverty. They have no crop insurance. So don't tell me about low levels of unemployment. You're counting the wrong things.

You're not counting the dignity of people. You're counting exploited people. 

Watch both speeches in the video below.

HT Now This News

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