#1285 Naked Capitalism has a Fig Leaf (Repost)
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 25 February 2021
⏱️ 78 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 6/28/2019
Today we take a look at the ways that extreme inequality and many of the worst instincts and repercussions of capitalism are being upheld and perpetuated by our culture of philanthropy. It turns out that what we see as the rich giving back is really more of a purchase on their part, a purchase of our acceptance of inequality and the right of the wealthy to rule.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Gilded Rage - Future Perfect - Air Date 5-21-19
To put our new age of extreme inequality in perspective, we look back at Andrew Carnegie, who gave America a huge number of libraries so they’d forgive him for his brutal steel mills. We ask: Is the same thing happening in 2019?
Ch. 2: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18
Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.
Ch. 3: Rob Reich: Is big philanthropy destroying democracy? - Tiny Spark - Air Date 11-7-18
Stanford professor Rob Reich’s new book Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better investigates how charity can undermine democratic values and explores the ways federal policies help to facilitate greater inequality.
Ch. 4: Could billionaires solve global poverty? - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-25-19
Time editor at large, Anand Giridharadas, discusses whether billionaires can put an end to global poverty if they had the will to do so, and talks about his recent book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World
Ch. 5: Rob Reich on whether philanthropy is bad for democracy - Rationally Speaking - Air Date 11-12-18
This episode features political scientist Rob Reich, author of "Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy, and How it Can Do Better". Does it deserve to be tax-deductible? And do philanthropists have too much power in society?
Ch. 6: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18
Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: Inequality is the #1 issue - James from Sacramento, CA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on covering inequality and presenting a bonus clip on two manifestations of racism
BONUS CLIP: Myths of the ruling class with Anand Giridharadas - Why is this happening? - Air Date 10-8-18
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Gullwing Sailor - Migration
- Felt Lining - The Cabinetmaker
- Slow Lane Lover - Barstool
- Gondola Blue - Towboat
- The Back Lot - Sunday at Slims
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This program is made possible by members and donors, so a huge thanks to everyone who |
| 0:07.0 | contributes on Patreon to support the show. |
| 0:09.8 | And now welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast in which we shall learn |
| 0:14.4 | about the ways that extreme inequality and many of the worst instincts and repercussions |
| 0:20.1 | of capitalism are being upheld and perpetuated by our culture of praising the wealthy for |
| 0:26.3 | their philanthropy. |
| 0:27.9 | Eclipse today come from Future Perfect, Jack Ben Radio, Tiny Spark, The Brian Lairishow, |
| 0:34.2 | and Rationally Speaking. |
| 0:41.6 | Richard White is a Stanford professor and he literally wrote the book on the Guild of |
| 0:45.6 | Age. |
| 0:46.6 | It's a period in American history stretching from 1870 to 1900 or so, and it's a time when |
| 0:52.4 | business was booming for a small group of people. |
| 0:55.4 | It's the age where you get the word the idol rich, people who have pet monkeys for whom |
| 1:00.4 | they throw banquets and that the banquets are served on silver platters. |
| 1:05.0 | The feast in private homes, one of them I remember is it's in a stable and so all of the |
| 1:11.5 | waiters are going to be on horses. |
| 1:14.8 | And the guy's favorite horse is the guest at the banquet who drinks out of a champagne |
| 1:19.3 | bowl and gets drunk. |
| 1:20.3 | So you're drunk and rich people atop a drunken horse ran around this stable in which there |
| 1:25.2 | are livery, waiters serving this extravagant meal. |
| 1:30.0 | That's the kind of stuff they do. |
| 1:35.6 | This is Future Perfect on the Vox Media podcast network. |
... |
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