The problem with rich people is that they are deluded by their success and/or status. In short they think they know best about everything and believe their interests are worth more to society than the interests of others when in reality the opposite is true.
In my generation I saw the british tore down their traditional institutions, naming and shaming them as relics of imperialist past and became enamoured with American version of success the great and the good...that is the ronber barons and of course their technoprenaur incarnations.
and I think you are bang on the money ! We need to get past the propaganda keeping us in this Left V Right, my team always right, your team always wrong, distraction loop. The real fight is those at the bottom versus those at the very top, who seek total power over us. There's a word for being governed by big business and individual oligarchs !
@@danieladams5495 he forgot to actually have a mind of his own and perhaps think that someone dangling a carrot may not be the answer, but what that has to do with democracy, I don't know, unless you think you are superior, and the plebiscite may be influenced by social media, those uninformed Americans, all voting that way, it's X here and tik tok there, actually degrading the informed, because the MSM, don't inform, the 'government' definitely don't, so degrading those that actually make a different choice however they come to it, shows you to be shallow both in knowledge and empathy I wish you a good day sir.
I can’t believe in times where’s normal hard working class and honest middle class are struggling to keep a roof over their heads these money hungry billionaires want more!!
@@jenlin6715 I can, unfortunately. For the mega rich, and some moderately rich who aspire to be like them, there comes a point after which the size of their wealth is relatively immaterial, they have everything they want or could want so they turn to collecting wealth instead. They are interested only in the size of the gains in their wealth. They want to accelerate the rate they get more wealthy. This is why the very thought of taxing them is so hard to broach, the idea that these few people might be taxed to the degree that prevents their wealth growing it unthinkable to them so they spend on political influence and corrupt the legislation of any country they can to maintain their position.
@@jenlin6715 Gee mate, Even the Sumerian King Urukagina had to reform their tax systems because the rich accumulated too much, and that was 4400 years ago. So this is always an issue we need to combat.
The framers of the Constitution wrote provisions to negate a financial takeovers of our institutions but the Supreme Court approved the Citizens United case leading directly to this oligarchy..
@@rickatatastan2695 The Reagan era was the point in time when things really started to fu#k up, but it's all academic now, the point is LOOK UP at the real enemy NOT left or right.
@lakeliving2013 I appreciate your comment, but have to ask why you use the word 'oligarchy' instead of 'kleptocracy'? Is our situation not dire enough yet?
We don’t grow bananas. In fact, we grow hardly any apples. The EU gave subsidies to Kentish fruit farmers to grub-up their orchards. That was before 23rd June 2016.
It nearly ended in 2008 but the free market was saved by the hated state intervention.after that we got the tory goverment who did nothing to indicate to the bankers that their is a consequence for their greed.None of them went to prison,and the banks went out of public ownership as soon as the tories could justify and for their benifit and not the country's.even now the torys in disguise are undoing the measures that would protect us from their greed.
One of the advanced symptoms of empire collapse is decadence. I can think of no clearer example of that than paying one person $30,000,000,000+ per annum and expecting to get away with it, without consequences.
For democracy to be under threat you would need to have it in the first place - which neither us nor the Americans have. The ability to cast a vote every few years in favour of some carefully selected and disingenuous individuals - who can, and do, ignore those who voted for them afterwards - has nothing to do with any concept of democracy.
Why not? The source of legitimacy comes from the people as things are run in their name and they do choose who is in charge. This meets the criteria of democracy. You just think democracy is a utopian system which it isn’t and is heavily flawed. The public will never be good enough to not pick liars that promise them the world. Accept it.
@12theotherandrew I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda. No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US.
I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda. No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US. @12theotherandrew
I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda. No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US.
Unpaid for tax cuts is unnecessary wasteful spending. Let’s start there. We need to stop this nonsense and start making Trump and Musk pay their taxes.
BrutusHungwell. Yes. This comment is bang on target. Musk and Trump must pay taxes like the rest of us. Tax avoidance can be just as detrimental as tax evasion and the tax avoidance industry must be curbed. Thanks for another interesting and informative video Richard.😢
A tax cut is uunpaid? You're delusional. Tax is paid. What's interesting is you can't say how much you need and for what. Start off with those pension debts. How big are they?
A tax cut is not government spending. Sending millions in aid to places like India that has their own space programme. That's wasteful government spending.
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless" -Thomas Jefferson
This worries me too. Especially since we pay these people to serve the American people. I do not pay Musk. And frankly think he should be sent back to South Africa. He has sucked alot out of this country and wants more and more. He is just like Trump.. I can't stand to hear him or look at him. There is more to life than "extreme intelligence". There is common sense, wisdom and balance. When I see him talking on the short clips I cringe. He loves to hear himself talk.
I don't think he is intelligent in the true meaning of the word. He speaks a lot of hot air and he relies on the genius of others and tax payer subsidies?.
@@aislingmcdonald6778 He'd blow you away in a puff of wind, he outclasses you so badly. You ought to know about being a bag of hot air. Watch more of Musk's interviews He is crazy motivated, energetic, insightful, decisive.
It starts resembling 1700 Poland and Lithuania where oligarchs dismantled State "to defend freedom" which later led to partition of Poland and Lithuania under protectorate of Russia (whom was fantastic protector of all freedoms)
In 2012, in a BBC R4 interview with NASA space medicine consultant, Kevin Fong, Musk categorically stated he would be conducting routing human-rated return missions to Mars and for peanuts per passenger ticket by 2024. It's December 2024 and nothing to show for it. So, here we are again, this time in politics - classic Musk - over promise and under deliver.
@@nuttall47 How much of the putting rockets into space and developing two of the biggest companies in the world do you believe Musk has actually done himself? Was it mainly a solo effort, or were several thousands of other people we've never heard of doing the vast majority of the research, development and production?
@@rfrisbee1 What does that have to do with anything? SpaceX bid on a proposal to have certain things done with a certain amount of money, and they are years behind schedule with all the money spent. If SpaceX couldn't meet the requirements of the proposal they shouldn't have bid for it. Doesn't matter who works on it.
@@aryaastark9201 It has a lot to do with the comment I was replying to, unlike your reply to mine! My point was in reference to the implied adulation of Musk who some seem to believe does more than ride on the coat tails of actual scientists and engineers.
Thinking that any of us live in a functioning democracy is a touch on the delusional side. Money has always talked and always will. The Dance Macabre of Left and Right is just for show.
I have been campaigning for a change in the election voting system for donkeys years. No Campaign for this has made one single thing any different and I don't believe it ever will. Every vote I have ever cast has been a wasted vote, because I live in a very safe seat. Democracy in the UK is a sham
PR is even more of a sham. Who controls who becomes an MP in a PR system? The party. The selection committees control the party list. It will be down to 20 people.
We have relatively low limits on paper, financially. If you look at the revolving door of political office/lobbying/industrial jobs you'll see how rewards are linked at a personal level.
It is no accident that musk has chosen the title doge for his position in government. The doge being the absolute rule of the republic of Venice and its oligarchs.
The Venetian Doge was NOT an absolute ruler. He was elected by a council of noblemen. He took an oath of office which strictly limited his powers. He had to rule alongside the Great Council, the Senate and the Council of Ten. The Doge's family members were banned from holding office while he was in power, to prevent the creation of family political dynasties. The Venetian system wasn't perfect, but it was far less absolute than European monarchies were at the time.
@Pocketfarmer1 he chose Doge because he is known as the Doge father as he regularly promotes doge coin (cryptocurrency) it is a meme coin. His factory workers asked him to promote it.
1) From bondage to spiritual faith 2) From spiritual faith to great courage 3) From courage to liberty 4) From liberty to abundance 5) From abundance to complacency 6) From complacency to apathy 7) From apathy to dependence 8) From dependence back into bondage.
Prior to the last election every platform was for the left and its previous owners banned a president. Musk allows free speech no matter how distasteful that can get . Him buying x levelled the playing field not captured it.
@@lestrem11 LOL the west is disgustingly corrupt we just can't get away with blatant human rights violations. Democracy is a scam. The ruling class stays where they're supposed to.
Democracy is NOT just about voting on things. Democracy is about rule of law, justice, a representation mechanism, and a free press. There is no one version of democracy.
Just look at our democracy and compare with what they have in the US for representation. Then have a look at the democracy in N. Korea. Ours is badly faulted but we have a lot to lose by letting it be eroded further.
The biggest threat to democracy is the increasing number of people who are committed to an ideology which would abolish it. Democracy would also benefit from a more critical analysis. "Yes Minister" is about the cadre with their own agendas. Who was really the power pulling Biden's strings. Proportional representation is not an automatic solution to anything. Here in Sweden, we have a perfectly proportional system, but the result is that after elections, politicians do a stitch-up between themselves. We have much the same problems as the UK, despite the different electoral system. The underlying problem is a poorly informed public.
I.e. money controlling the media. People will always be stupid herd animals for the majority of them, so it's necessary to keep the herd going in the right (left?) direction. People like Murdoch fully realize this and bought the media to push their nefarious agenda. And nobody thought that was a bad idea? The left should have put a lot of money in their side of the media but neglected it, saying the wanted them to remain 'independent'. Not wanting to get their hands dirty in a fight is what they meant. Now the left media are in the hands of right wing extremist billionaires. Happy times coming. /s
Well, yes, but PR is nonetheless a better system than first past the post, as we have in UK. Where the present govt got 2/3rds of MPs with 1/3rd of the votes.
I don't think anyone claimed PR is the solution, but rather a piece of it. Other pieces include much tighter controls on party funding and as you say, a better informed public. The latter is the most difficult part; most people don't want to educate themselves. Rather all they want is simple answers to complicated problems that don't have perfect solutions. I e. We get the politicians we deserve.
@@229andymonDid you not read what he said, he has first hand knowledge of PR and its failures. I have spoken with the Dutch. They have PR, its a total failure, it took them 18 months of infighting to form a government from 16 parties. What we need is a single party who are totally accountable to the people and who work for the people. Not a competitive bunch of liars all chasing power and self wealth. Add to that we make censorship illegal and we'll have something that has a chance of success.
All billionaires are a threat to democracy. Any special interest group, by definition, wishes to distort policy to their whim, usually against the interests of the majority. Unfortunately, we the people, have decided not to fund our political parties via taxation, and instead encourage this abhorrent behaviour via "donations for favours".
Wild that it was Musk who went to Trump saying he didn't like this bill, then Trump opposed it, which led to even some of the Republican writers of the legislation withdrawing support.
We need more people like you in the US because , regardless of how educated the rest of the world , they will affect the rest of us as well. And that's the dilemma.
i like your thought process. your point of view is not alarmist but seems to reflect big picture thinking. it is hard to steer a course these days. thank you for your perspective.
As a number of scholars are saying now, we in the west do not live in democracies. We vote but don"t choose. We don't participate and parties are often not democratic themselves being managed. Once in power leaders often ignore pre election policy statements. Rule of law is also often a sham:too expensive to use, prohibiting demonstrations etc. So Musk is just another very wealthy guy trying to use wealth to influence affairs. I would add academia has in large part sold out as have the media.
And why is there inequality? It's because teh state has looted people's wealth. Where are the trillions people have paid it for their old age? All gone. Replaced by a debt so large they have hidden it off the books. And debt is just negative wealth. That's why you get income inequality. Plus you have the mass importation of poverty.
@@JohnPark-xf2gq More like he's realized terra forming Mars is a non starter (would take centuries), so he's trying to turn Earth into a world government by influencing and aligning right wing political parties around the world.
The USA has for a long time seen itself as the example of what a democracy should look like (although I have always doubt that). But now the USA start to become even a darker 'example'. It is good we realise the danger that is coming to us...
The worst UK politicians are nowhere near as bad as the worst US politicians. _There's_ something to make my oldish heart glow with national pride. Maybe.
@@billB101 they could be insta fix. We can invade a country for oil at the drop of a hat with emergency legislation. It’s a choice, don’t kid yourself. My solution would be state funded payments to all political party achieving a vote share of 10% at the last election. Parties under this can get donations but they are capped. It’s hardly radical an idea.
Spot on. All political financing should be always in the spotlight otherwise the one person one vote is meaningless. I asked a canvassing MP to explain to me the rationale behind lobbying. He looked surprised and said ‘ to get expert opinion.’ In fact he didn’t seem to have a clue about vested interests . Musk and his father have an unhealthy interest in British politics. I wonder what has happened in their family history in relation to their South African origins.
That's exactly what Musk has done. He has 'blown the lid off' political financing simply by doing exactly the same thing in clear view, for THE WHOLE WORLD to see. He has quite brilliantly exposed Political corruption using the exact same tactics transparently. There's no hiding for them now !
@custossecretus5737 A democracy that isn't looking after its people who voted, but looking after the billionaires and corporations who donated to the politicians elected.
@@danyoutube7491 Standard practice. Like cancelling elections because you are going to lose. Looting money Taking bribes Being a lawyer for archtects of genocide....
No unelected individual should have any direct say on how policy is decided. A billionaire telling the poor what their entitled to,or if they will survive or not.
There is actually no democracy in the UK. When power is essentially held by the oligarchy both overt and covert and when there's no change in state policy both domestic and foreign then democracy is a farcical exercise. The democracy we have is a facade. There is a change in the party and the man or woman in no. 10 but the policies remain the same because those things are set by the corporations both civil like banks, insurance companies, hedge fund management, venture capitalists, other businesses and military like weapons manufacturers. In other words the bosses of the Military-Industrial Complex.
The latter does litterally frighten me to the core Richard and I'm a person that does not easily scare friend. The very thought that someone like Mr Farrage could buy the Vote, to gain power and would evan go to another country first to find that backing. We saw what happened during Brexit how gullable and unitellagent the British Puplic had become, evan those that regret it now. Such a life changing decission as that should never have been chucked out on the streets for the general populas to contemplate without proper debate. We had all better start agreeing it could happen. Whats musk going to want for his seventy eight million £ ? Nothing is hurting me more at the moment Richard, as to see how the British Puplic has allowed its self to become so dumbed down. Kind regards Robert.
Yes, he is. Of interesting note - Musk is a fan of the Deus Ex game series. The main antagonist is a wealthy industrial billionaire named Bob Page. The character uses government agencies to become the most powerful man in the world, all without being eligible to hold public office. Page plans to merge with an Artificial Intelligence in order to become something comparable to a god, and the player must stop him before he achieves his goals of global domination.
At present we are testing democracy to destruction. When universal suffrage was introduced a bit more than 100 years ago there was a debate about the impact. In the 1920s professional marketing entered politics - before that parties laid out their stall and you voted or didnt. As we dont have anything like an honest contest of ideas / policies id argue we have a very distorted democracy compared to what was enabled when universal suffrage was implemented. Validating stupidity and weaponising ignorance is not democracy its manipulation. Big bucks enables you to do it more effectively. Id argue that the huge wealth behind utterly captured western politics is as bad or worse than less democratic states - As Churchill said "Democracy is the worst system of government except for all the other systems tried from time to time"
Musk could offer 8 million dollars, to each representative in the House and Senate, if they swear total obedience to his wishes...and that would still be less than one percent of his total wealth. Knowing how self-interested, greedy, and contemptuous of others most politicians are, I am very pessimistic about the future of the US as a functioning democracy.
I totally agree about Musk not being allowed to donate. I also agree that the unions should not be allowed to donate to Labour. There should be a limit on donations from any individual and donations from companies or any other organisations should be banned.
My main concern is how to survive all of these financial and political crisis, especially in light of the US political power scuffle. The government has really called things more difficult for its citizens, and we can't sit back and bear all the consequences of the bad governance.
I think investors should always put their cash to work, especially In 2025, we'll start to see more market diversification. I'm hoping to invest about $350k of my savings in stocks against next year. Hope to make millions in 2025.
I suggest that hiring a portfolio coach is a smart move and that in this case, patience is your best friend. I make a lot of investments and cannot afford to take the risk of doing it alone. Instead, since the rona outbreak began in late 2019, my portfolio has been maintained by a qualified advisor. I only need about $86k more to reach my one million dollar ROI goal
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Well said I really. Like this guy(not in a creepy way) as he speaks very logically and lays his ideas out so simply that even a simpleton like myself can understand it. He should go into politics.
So sad so many comments about democracy is no longer here. Democracy has come in many flavours and is constantly evolving but that can't happen if you've already given up on it🤷🏻♂️
You're kidding yourself. We've never had democracy! It's a lie and the people know it, which is why voting numbers have been falling for years. In the UK & US we have two party dictatorships, it can't be anything else because it's only the corrupt who are able to reach the heights of power.
"People do support Reform (Party) and their voices should be heard as a result". Except it's not the people's voices that are being heard, is it? It's the voices of Musk and Trump that are being echoed across this country, not the people of Clacton-on-Sea. Reform are not a democratic party in the sense that the Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems or The Greens are. It's a different thing and needs to be treated differently as a consequence.
They were Steve Bannon's little mouthpiece and now Musk is paying them, to spread fascist ideology, whilst pulling a shocked Pikachu expression, whenever the word is mentioned.
`I think Richard is speaking of both Medicare and Medicaid when he mentions "Medicare". Those are two federally-funded health-coverage systems. _Medicaid_ is primarily for low-income families and individuals, while Medicare is primarily for those over-65-years and those with permanent disability. Some people qualify for both programs simultaneously, so Medicaid can cover some/all of the costs that those with Medicare must pay.
I really hope there's any responsible people left who will stop Musk's interference. I'm on the verge of falling into complete hopelessness and I don't believe there's even a place to run and hide from it.
Democracy is one of those “ the more you hear it the more you believe it things”. Domestically we live in an oligarchy, internationally a kleptocracy. So asking can democracy survive? is a moot point.
Each person is equal unless they went to Eton(or roughly similar). Then we get bowled over by Eton products and Eton wars and Eton civil servants and Eton at Oxbridge and Eton entitled and Eton fees of £63000 a year(to most people might as well be £63miliion). How democratic is that year after year decade after decade century after century?
@quillo2747 no one took Britain's hand and made them colonize half the world, deal with the consequences and try not to be racist while you're at it, your wealth was built on these people's past sufferings, present ones often, as well
We’ve all been asking for keeping foreign money and influence away from our politics for a while, but unfortunately because our last government let people continually fill their pockets from foreign funders they were against stopping it.
Absolutely right. It's those that seek power for its own sake who then go on to bypass democracy by installing these so-called experts/consultants by stealth.
Starmer had a meeting with Larry Fink in No.10. Labour sent 100 activists ( volunteers of course ) to help Democrats in last election. Labour has accepted many donations from foreign entities. Please explain the law regarding this issue, TDS is not reason enough to be blindly biased…or is it?
Cost to buy Twitter: $44 billion
Cost to buy America: $250 million
Who knew American democracy was so cheap.
The Dems spent $1.2 billion.
That says it all
Elroy knew. He is the ultimate opportunist. It is his particular form of genius. IL Doge.
Musk is the ultimate argument against income inequality. Although, sorry Brits, Farage is small potatoes. Musk wants the US treasury.
much much cheaper than using guns and tanks …
The problem with rich people is that they are deluded by their success and/or status. In short they think they know best about everything and believe their interests are worth more to society than the interests of others when in reality the opposite is true.
Musk's inane macroeconomic commentarys a good example
That is A problem.
The main problem is that their material interests are diametrically opposed to yours and mine.
In my generation I saw the british tore down their traditional institutions, naming and shaming them as relics of imperialist past and became enamoured with American version of success the great and the good...that is the ronber barons and of course their technoprenaur incarnations.
Rich people are only a problem when they support the wrong side.
stupid people are the same
I think billionaires are a threat to democracy.
How?
and I think you are bang on the money ! We need to get past the propaganda keeping us in this Left V Right, my team always right, your team always wrong, distraction loop. The real fight is
those at the bottom versus those at the very top, who seek total power
over us. There's a word for being governed by big business and individual oligarchs !
@@peterreid2888 Forgot to actually watch the video?
@@danieladams5495 he forgot to actually have a mind of his own and perhaps think that someone dangling a carrot may not be the answer, but what that has to do with democracy, I don't know, unless you think you are superior, and the plebiscite may be influenced by social media, those uninformed Americans, all voting that way, it's X here and tik tok there, actually degrading the informed, because the MSM, don't inform, the 'government' definitely don't, so degrading those that actually make a different choice however they come to it, shows you to be shallow both in knowledge and empathy I wish you a good day sir.
Not all, alot do do good stuff, it is just the worst get all the spotlight.
His main focus is to give Tax Cuts for The Rich‼️
I can’t believe in times where’s normal hard working class and honest middle class are struggling to keep a roof over their heads these money hungry billionaires want more!!
@@jenlin6715 what's even more amazing is that the people vote against their own interests.
@@jenlin6715 I can, unfortunately. For the mega rich, and some moderately rich who aspire to be like them, there comes a point after which the size of their wealth is relatively immaterial, they have everything they want or could want so they turn to collecting wealth instead. They are interested only in the size of the gains in their wealth. They want to accelerate the rate they get more wealthy. This is why the very thought of taxing them is so hard to broach, the idea that these few people might be taxed to the degree that prevents their wealth growing it unthinkable to them so they spend on political influence and corrupt the legislation of any country they can to maintain their position.
@@jenlin6715 It's a disease. (Better known as greed)
@@jenlin6715 Gee mate, Even the Sumerian King Urukagina had to reform their tax systems because the rich accumulated too much, and that was 4400 years ago. So this is always an issue we need to combat.
The framers of the Constitution wrote provisions to negate a financial takeovers of our institutions but the Supreme Court approved the Citizens United case leading directly to this oligarchy..
Corrupt u.s. supreme court members ..
McConnell laid the foundations of america's demise. He should have got "Denied".
@@rickatatastan2695 The Reagan era was the point in time when things really started to fu#k up, but it's all academic now, the point is LOOK UP at the real enemy NOT left or right.
@@englishsteve1465 That's true. You can have a thumbs up.
@lakeliving2013 I appreciate your comment, but have to ask why you use the word 'oligarchy' instead of 'kleptocracy'? Is our situation not dire enough yet?
Mar-a-Lago is iconic eye candy for the Banana Republic we've become.
We don’t grow bananas. In fact, we grow hardly any apples. The EU gave subsidies to Kentish fruit farmers to grub-up their orchards. That was before 23rd June 2016.
@@TennesseeJed A
it sounds like the lair for a bond villain
@richardclarke1576 I know, right‽
We havent been living in a democracy for a while now mate.
We have never lived in a democracy. We live in a parliamentary democracy
Parliamentary democracy: where you get offered a bowl of lemons to choose from, when you really want an apple.
Were we ever? If so, when?
Genuinely curious.
@@fylbikeNo, we don’t.
It can’t be a parliamentary democracy without being democratic, which it is not.
@@custossecretus5737 😂
Not just a threat to democracy, a threat to humanity as a whole!
Limit election spending to all parties to 10m with a 2.5% p/a inflationary increase.
Above inflation increases eh!
It’s like the end of the Roman Empire in the west right now
We are in end stage capitalism
Stake holder capitalism coming inbound........
It nearly ended in 2008 but the free market was saved by the hated state intervention.after that we got the tory goverment who did nothing to indicate to the bankers that their is a consequence for their greed.None of them went to prison,and the banks went out of public ownership as soon as the tories could justify and for their benifit and not the country's.even now the torys in disguise are undoing the measures that would protect us from their greed.
The East looks a damn sight worse.
Living outside the West I agree with you
One of the advanced symptoms of empire collapse is decadence.
I can think of no clearer example of that than paying one person $30,000,000,000+ per annum and expecting to get away with it, without consequences.
For democracy to be under threat you would need to have it in the first place - which neither us nor the Americans have. The ability to cast a vote every few years in favour of some carefully selected and disingenuous individuals - who can, and do, ignore those who voted for them afterwards - has nothing to do with any concept of democracy.
Well said, it’s all pointless in the end. Mark twain said “if voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let you do it”
Why not? The source of legitimacy comes from the people as things are run in their name and they do choose who is in charge. This meets the criteria of democracy. You just think democracy is a utopian system which it isn’t and is heavily flawed. The public will never be good enough to not pick liars that promise them the world. Accept it.
The democracy we have is so much more than just casting vote every few years.
I agree BUT it could be and likely will be a lot worse. Just watch the US over the next 4 years.
The UK has Parliamentary democracy. That's out chosen and preferred system. We do not want direct democracy.
A man, such as Musk, with so much money is a threat to everything.
Yet he could be the solution to so many problems. Money tends to corrupt and unlimited money to corrupt absolutely.
@12theotherandrew I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda.
No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US.
I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda.
No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US. @12theotherandrew
I don't see him assisting the most unfortunate in society. The truly destitute. He claims homelessness is nothing but a lie and propaganda.
No matter. Musk has had ample opportunity to be charitable, and instead, he's just penalised the most needy in the US.
TH-cam removing comments from here 😡
x 3
Unpaid for tax cuts is unnecessary wasteful spending. Let’s start there. We need to stop this nonsense and start making Trump and Musk pay their taxes.
BrutusHungwell. Yes. This comment is bang on target. Musk and Trump must pay taxes like the rest of us. Tax avoidance can be just as detrimental as tax evasion and the tax avoidance industry must be curbed.
Thanks for another interesting and informative video Richard.😢
"Unpaid for tax cuts is unnecessary wasteful spending."
Hmm. 🤔
A tax cut is uunpaid? You're delusional. Tax is paid.
What's interesting is you can't say how much you need and for what.
Start off with those pension debts. How big are they?
A tax cut is not government spending. Sending millions in aid to places like India that has their own space programme. That's wasteful government spending.
@@quillo2747 Soccer program? Dude, they have their own space program!
I just discovered this channel and I really like it. Thank you for your informative commentary.👊
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless" -Thomas Jefferson
This worries me too. Especially since we pay these people to serve the American people. I do not pay Musk. And frankly think he should be sent back to South Africa. He has sucked alot out of this country and wants more and more. He is just like Trump.. I can't stand to hear him or look at him.
There is more to life than "extreme intelligence". There is common sense, wisdom and balance. When I see him talking on the short clips I cringe. He loves to hear himself talk.
go to china, Commie, you'll fit right in there.
We don't want Musk back in south africa,he will put our money loving greedy politicians on his payroll,very quickly😂😅😂send him to Mars😂😅😂
I don't think he is intelligent in the true meaning of the word. He speaks a lot of hot air and he relies on the genius of others and tax payer subsidies?.
@@aislingmcdonald6778 He'd blow you away in a puff of wind, he outclasses you so badly.
@@aislingmcdonald6778 He'd blow you away in a puff of wind, he outclasses you so badly. You ought to know about being a bag of hot air. Watch more of Musk's interviews He is crazy motivated, energetic, insightful, decisive.
It starts resembling 1700 Poland and Lithuania where oligarchs dismantled State "to defend freedom" which later led to partition of Poland and Lithuania under protectorate of Russia (whom was fantastic protector of all freedoms)
Don't go on his social media and don't buy a Tesla
One dollar, one vote is the democratic system
We have a kakistocracy currently.
Is Elon Musk a great big threat to the humanity? ABSOLUTELY!
In 2012, in a BBC R4 interview with NASA space medicine consultant, Kevin Fong, Musk categorically stated he would be conducting routing human-rated return missions to Mars and for peanuts per passenger ticket by 2024. It's December 2024 and nothing to show for it.
So, here we are again, this time in politics - classic Musk - over promise and under deliver.
Ooh, I bet you have put rockets into space and developed two of the biggest companies in the world and can teach us a lot.
@@nuttall47 How much of the putting rockets into space and developing two of the biggest companies in the world do you believe Musk has actually done himself? Was it mainly a solo effort, or were several thousands of other people we've never heard of doing the vast majority of the research, development and production?
@@rfrisbee1 What does that have to do with anything? SpaceX bid on a proposal to have certain things done with a certain amount of money, and they are years behind schedule with all the money spent.
If SpaceX couldn't meet the requirements of the proposal they shouldn't have bid for it. Doesn't matter who works on it.
@@nuttall47
Tedious rubber stamped reply. Would you really like me to seriously respond to it?...
@@aryaastark9201 It has a lot to do with the comment I was replying to, unlike your reply to mine! My point was in reference to the implied adulation of Musk who some seem to believe does more than ride on the coat tails of actual scientists and engineers.
This is what happened to Rome. Individuals became as wealthy as the Republic.
Thinking that any of us live in a functioning democracy is a touch on the delusional side. Money has always talked and always will. The Dance Macabre of Left and Right is just for show.
I have been campaigning for a change in the election voting system for donkeys years. No Campaign for this has made one single thing any different and I don't believe it ever will. Every vote I have ever cast has been a wasted vote, because I live in a very safe seat. Democracy in the UK is a sham
PR is even more of a sham. Who controls who becomes an MP in a PR system? The party. The selection committees control the party list. It will be down to 20 people.
@@simonfunwithtrains1572
What about the succesful vote for Proportional Representation in Parliament ?
One would think, or hope, that any party that got a cash boost from an oligarch, would be soundly defeated based on those grounds alone.
How can we make sure such a party is actually defeated?
@keyboarddancers7751 That would be up to the voters who support him, unfortunately.
@@antinatalope I think this is one of the intrinsic vulnerabilities of liberal democracies - those pesky voters!
@keyboarddancers7751 Pesky uninformed voters, at any rate.
It's incredible that such funding would even be allowed in the UK.
I suspect the possibility was so unthinkable that nobody thought it necessary to take steps to prevent it.
We have relatively low limits on paper, financially. If you look at the revolving door of political office/lobbying/industrial jobs you'll see how rewards are linked at a personal level.
It is no accident that musk has chosen the title doge for his position in government. The doge being the absolute rule of the republic of Venice and its oligarchs.
The Venetian Doge was NOT an absolute ruler. He was elected by a council of noblemen. He took an oath of office which strictly limited his powers. He had to rule alongside the Great Council, the Senate and the Council of Ten. The Doge's family members were banned from holding office while he was in power, to prevent the creation of family political dynasties. The Venetian system wasn't perfect, but it was far less absolute than European monarchies were at the time.
@ Certainly the doge was not hereditary, but no doge ever sent someone to their death?
The UK government appoints "tsars" in various subjects. This is a Russian word derived from the Latin "Caesar" that means "emperor".
@Pocketfarmer1 he chose Doge because he is known as the Doge father as he regularly promotes doge coin (cryptocurrency) it is a meme coin. His factory workers asked him to promote it.
@@stebro450 Why do you think he chose that name?
1) From bondage to spiritual faith
2) From spiritual faith to great courage
3) From courage to liberty
4) From liberty to abundance
5) From abundance to complacency
6) From complacency to apathy
7) From apathy to dependence
8) From dependence back into bondage.
Medicaid is the health insurance for low income children, not Medicare.
It's not just the money. It's his social media foghorne.
Remember Cambrige Analytica? X is 10 times more potent
Prior to the last election every platform was for the left and its previous owners banned a president. Musk allows free speech no matter how distasteful that can get . Him buying x levelled the playing field not captured it.
What makes you think we have a democracy to lose?
Serious question.
Try Russia, China or N.Korea, child.👋
@@lestrem11 LOL the west is disgustingly corrupt we just can't get away with blatant human rights violations. Democracy is a scam. The ruling class stays where they're supposed to.
Seriously?
Democracy is NOT just about voting on things. Democracy is about rule of law, justice, a representation mechanism, and a free press. There is no one version of democracy.
Just look at our democracy and compare with what they have in the US for representation. Then have a look at the democracy in N. Korea. Ours is badly faulted but we have a lot to lose by letting it be eroded further.
OF COURSE HE IS!!!
The biggest threat to democracy is the increasing number of people who are committed to an ideology which would abolish it. Democracy would also benefit from a more critical analysis. "Yes Minister" is about the cadre with their own agendas. Who was really the power pulling Biden's strings.
Proportional representation is not an automatic solution to anything. Here in Sweden, we have a perfectly proportional system, but the result is that after elections, politicians do a stitch-up between themselves. We have much the same problems as the UK, despite the different electoral system. The underlying problem is a poorly informed public.
I.e. money controlling the media. People will always be stupid herd animals for the majority of them, so it's necessary to keep the herd going in the right (left?) direction. People like Murdoch fully realize this and bought the media to push their nefarious agenda. And nobody thought that was a bad idea? The left should have put a lot of money in their side of the media but neglected it, saying the wanted them to remain 'independent'. Not wanting to get their hands dirty in a fight is what they meant. Now the left media are in the hands of right wing extremist billionaires. Happy times coming. /s
Well, yes, but PR is nonetheless a better system than first past the post, as we have in UK. Where the present govt got 2/3rds of MPs with 1/3rd of the votes.
@@229andymon
Either way we end up with the uniparty which has long outlived its relevance. The problem could be the people, not the system.
I don't think anyone claimed PR is the solution, but rather a piece of it. Other pieces include much tighter controls on party funding and as you say, a better informed public. The latter is the most difficult part; most people don't want to educate themselves. Rather all they want is simple answers to complicated problems that don't have perfect solutions. I e. We get the politicians we deserve.
@@229andymonDid you not read what he said, he has first hand knowledge of PR and its failures. I have spoken with the Dutch. They have PR, its a total failure, it took them 18 months of infighting to form a government from 16 parties. What we need is a single party who are totally accountable to the people and who work for the people. Not a competitive bunch of liars all chasing power and self wealth. Add to that we make censorship illegal and we'll have something that has a chance of success.
All billionaires are a threat to democracy. Any special interest group, by definition, wishes to distort policy to their whim, usually against the interests of the majority. Unfortunately, we the people, have decided not to fund our political parties via taxation, and instead encourage this abhorrent behaviour via "donations for favours".
Wild that it was Musk who went to Trump saying he didn't like this bill, then Trump opposed it, which led to even some of the Republican writers of the legislation withdrawing support.
We need more people like you in the US because , regardless of how educated the rest of the world , they will affect the rest of us as well. And that's the dilemma.
Elon musk must be stopped at all costs
i like your thought process. your point of view is not alarmist but seems to reflect big picture thinking. it is hard to steer a course these days. thank you for your perspective.
As a number of scholars are saying now, we in the west do not live in democracies. We vote but don"t choose. We don't participate and parties are often not democratic themselves being managed. Once in power leaders often ignore pre election policy statements. Rule of law is also often a sham:too expensive to use, prohibiting demonstrations etc. So Musk is just another very wealthy guy trying to use wealth to influence affairs. I would add academia has in large part sold out as have the media.
In some countries democracy is 'for sale'. The US is one of those.
No society works for a longer period with this type of extreme income inequality.
And why is there inequality? It's because teh state has looted people's wealth. Where are the trillions people have paid it for their old age? All gone. Replaced by a debt so large they have hidden it off the books. And debt is just negative wealth.
That's why you get income inequality.
Plus you have the mass importation of poverty.
Typical oligarch!
He is trying to purchase the world!
More like destroy the world then escape with his mates in the elonmobile rocket machine probably propelled by lots of hot air?
@@JohnPark-xf2gq More like he's realized terra forming Mars is a non starter (would take centuries), so he's trying to turn Earth into a world government by influencing and aligning right wing political parties around the world.
Musk is trying to become the skeletal king of a dead planet.
The USA has for a long time seen itself as the example of what a democracy should look like (although I have always doubt that). But now the USA start to become even a darker 'example'. It is good we realise the danger that is coming to us...
We've been living under a kakistocracy for decades.
The worst UK politicians are nowhere near as bad as the worst US politicians. _There's_ something to make my oldish heart glow with national pride. Maybe.
Those who make peacefull revolution impossible . Will make violent revolution inevitable. ( Luigi Mangione)
Labour seem to be incapable of acting quickly. It’s utterly ridiculous to be honest. Why can everyone else see it but not Labour?
Perhaps they are getting foreign money too?
Labour can't see it,because it is bloody well in on it.
These issues are not instafix, that's why. Labour absolutely know this.
I mean, what instafix would you apply to this problem if you could?
@@billB101 they could be insta fix. We can invade a country for oil at the drop of a hat with emergency legislation. It’s a choice, don’t kid yourself.
My solution would be state funded payments to all political party achieving a vote share of 10% at the last election. Parties under this can get donations but they are capped. It’s hardly radical an idea.
Rich people have been influencing politics for a very long time, unfortunately.
Spot on. All political financing should be always in the spotlight otherwise the one person one vote is meaningless. I asked a canvassing MP to explain to me the rationale behind lobbying. He looked surprised and said ‘ to get expert opinion.’ In fact he didn’t seem to have a clue about vested interests . Musk and his father have an unhealthy interest in British politics. I wonder what has happened in their family history in relation to their South African origins.
Might be wrong but his grandma was British with a long family history. Certainly more "British" than Fink, Gates and Ali.
That's exactly what Musk has done. He has 'blown the lid off' political financing simply by doing exactly the same thing in clear view, for THE WHOLE WORLD to see. He has quite brilliantly exposed Political corruption using the exact same tactics transparently. There's no hiding for them now !
@@PolygonSwan Where your grandparents come from means nothing lol.
We haven’t had democracy for a while
An unelected person to set some policy of the a country at his will?
Don’t you think unelected people, lobbyists already do?
Money talks louder than all the crosses on a ballot paper.
@custossecretus5737 A democracy that isn't looking after its people who voted, but looking after the billionaires and corporations who donated to the politicians elected.
If there were such a thing as democracy, it should probably steer clear?
Remember that time the CPC placed Jack Ma under house arrest?
And Starmer's done the same.
@@adenwellsmith6908 If only.
@@adenwellsmith6908 What?
@@danyoutube7491 Standard practice. Like cancelling elections because you are going to lose.
Looting money
Taking bribes
Being a lawyer for archtects of genocide....
@@adenwellsmith6908 Which oligarch has Starmer defunded?
We need a Constitutional Amendment allowing only IS Citizens to donate to politicians and cap those donations at 10% of the average US income.
No unelected individual should have any direct say on how policy is decided.
A billionaire telling the poor what their entitled to,or if they will survive or not.
Cleaning the swamp ist necessary.
man its almost like letting lobbyists exist ruins everything for everyone
There is actually no democracy in the UK. When power is essentially held by the oligarchy both overt and covert and when there's no change in state policy both domestic and foreign then democracy is a farcical exercise. The democracy we have is a facade. There is a change in the party and the man or woman in no. 10 but the policies remain the same because those things are set by the corporations both civil like banks, insurance companies, hedge fund management, venture capitalists, other businesses and military like weapons manufacturers. In other words the bosses of the Military-Industrial Complex.
The latter does litterally frighten me to the core Richard and I'm a person that does not easily scare friend.
The very thought that someone like Mr Farrage could buy the Vote, to gain power and would evan go to another country first to find that backing.
We saw what happened during Brexit how gullable and unitellagent the British Puplic had become, evan those that regret it now.
Such a life changing decission as that should never have been chucked out on the streets for the general populas to contemplate without proper debate.
We had all better start agreeing it could happen.
Whats musk going to want for his seventy eight million £ ?
Nothing is hurting me more at the moment Richard, as to see how the British Puplic has allowed its self to become
so dumbed down.
Kind regards
Robert.
Meanwhile the country is following the path of Lebanon.
Farage should be peeking through the bars not playing side kick to a nasty bond type villian ...end of!!!
Yes, he is. Of interesting note - Musk is a fan of the Deus Ex game series. The main antagonist is a wealthy industrial billionaire named Bob Page. The character uses government agencies to become the most powerful man in the world, all without being eligible to hold public office. Page plans to merge with an Artificial Intelligence in order to become something comparable to a god, and the player must stop him before he achieves his goals of global domination.
Well. That's so actually possible, that it's actually scary. Scarier.
I wouldn't be surprised if he based his current agenda on exactly that scenario.
Of course it can survive, DEMOCRACY IS THE PEOPLE VOTING ,,that is DEMOCRACY.
we should exclude all donations to political parties including from unions. Only individual donations say £20 maximum from individual british citizens
At present we are testing democracy to destruction.
When universal suffrage was introduced a bit more than 100 years ago there was a debate about the impact.
In the 1920s professional marketing entered politics - before that parties laid out their stall and you voted or didnt.
As we dont have anything like an honest contest of ideas / policies id argue we have a very distorted democracy compared to what was enabled when universal suffrage was implemented.
Validating stupidity and weaponising ignorance is not democracy its manipulation. Big bucks enables you to do it more effectively.
Id argue that the huge wealth behind utterly captured western politics is as bad or worse than less democratic states -
As Churchill said "Democracy is the worst system of government except for all the other systems tried from time to time"
A lot of that money will go misding
The real threat is the end of the world as well as the emotional damage mai tai shingtao
Why are Chinese not allowed to interfere in UK politics,.... But Musk is Okay?
I think they do. As has been shown.
And what about people paying MPs directly, to make sure they toe the line?
To be fair to andrew he was being subject to Chinese burns and I found them very painful when I was at school.
@@JohnPark-xf2gq He does like them Yang. Oh deal flippin' spell checkers.
Can democracy survive the present socialist government would be a better question
Another great video
Our Labour Government need to wake up PDQ!!
Musk could offer 8 million dollars, to each representative in the House and Senate, if they swear total obedience to his wishes...and that would still be less than one percent of his total wealth.
Knowing how self-interested, greedy, and contemptuous of others most politicians are, I am very pessimistic about the future of the US as a functioning democracy.
Critical mass.
Most of his wealth is tied up in loan repayments.
I totally agree about Musk not being allowed to donate. I also agree that the unions should not be allowed to donate to Labour. There should be a limit on donations from any individual and donations from companies or any other organisations should be banned.
My main concern is how to survive all of these financial and political crisis, especially in light of the US political power scuffle. The government has really called things more difficult for its citizens, and we can't sit back and bear all the consequences of the bad governance.
I think investors should always put their cash to work, especially In 2025, we'll start to see more market diversification. I'm hoping to invest about $350k of my savings in stocks against next year. Hope to make millions in 2025.
I suggest that hiring a portfolio coach is a smart move and that in this case, patience is your best friend. I make a lot of investments and cannot afford to take the risk of doing it alone. Instead, since the rona outbreak began in late 2019, my portfolio has been maintained by a qualified advisor. I only need about $86k more to reach my one million dollar ROI goal
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Yes true, I have been in touch with a brokerage Advisor. With an initial starting reserve of $75k, my advisor chooses the entry and exit commands for my portfolio, which has grown to approximately $550k.
Well said I really. Like this guy(not in a creepy way) as he speaks very logically and lays his ideas out so simply that even a simpleton like myself can understand it. He should go into politics.
found your content about a week ago maybe. fucking subcribed, dude. great stuff, thank you!
One thing big money creates big egos so the other billionaires won't let him get ahead of them in the social welfare line.
So sad so many comments about democracy is no longer here. Democracy has come in many flavours and is constantly evolving but that can't happen if you've already given up on it🤷🏻♂️
You're kidding yourself. We've never had democracy! It's a lie and the people know it, which is why voting numbers have been falling for years. In the UK & US we have two party dictatorships, it can't be anything else because it's only the corrupt who are able to reach the heights of power.
Can't blame people. The country is a mess, for decades whichever party got in made little difference to our managed decline.
@adam7802 So you're saying democracy is in the hands of goverment and not the people.
Musk is a threat Yes
"People do support Reform (Party) and their voices should be heard as a result". Except it's not the people's voices that are being heard, is it? It's the voices of Musk and Trump that are being echoed across this country, not the people of Clacton-on-Sea. Reform are not a democratic party in the sense that the Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems or The Greens are. It's a different thing and needs to be treated differently as a consequence.
They were Steve Bannon's little mouthpiece and now Musk is paying them, to spread fascist ideology, whilst pulling a shocked Pikachu expression, whenever the word is mentioned.
`I think Richard is speaking of both Medicare and Medicaid when he mentions "Medicare". Those are two federally-funded health-coverage systems. _Medicaid_ is primarily for low-income families and individuals, while Medicare is primarily for those over-65-years and those with permanent disability. Some people qualify for both programs simultaneously, so Medicaid can cover some/all of the costs that those with Medicare must pay.
Think the likes of Blackrock etc., are bigger threats.
Nah, its the state and its fraud.
Yawn.. They're no worse than any othe 'New World Order' company, of which Musk is the biggest one of.
Why?
The problem is that all the electable political parties who can form a government in the West have sold out to private corporate interests.
I really hope there's any responsible people left who will stop Musk's interference. I'm on the verge of falling into complete hopelessness and I don't believe there's even a place to run and hide from it.
Democracy is a waste of time. Prince William should just take over.
Democracy is one of those “ the more you hear it the more you believe it things”. Domestically we live in an oligarchy, internationally a kleptocracy. So asking can democracy survive? is a moot point.
Each person is equal unless they went to Eton(or roughly similar). Then we get bowled over by Eton products and Eton wars and Eton civil servants and Eton at Oxbridge and Eton entitled and Eton fees of £63000 a year(to most people might as well be £63miliion). How democratic is that year after year decade after decade century after century?
There's plenty influences like Lord Ali and his favours already operating.
It's already corrupt.
Pointless
At least Ali is British. Not a foreign oligarch.
@@peterjohnson1091Traditional British name like Ali, definitely wants what's best for our nations future.
@@quillo2747 Ali is as much a British name as Froggy Farāge.
@quillo2747 no one took Britain's hand and made them colonize half the world, deal with the consequences and try not to be racist while you're at it, your wealth was built on these people's past sufferings, present ones often, as well
No one took Britain's hand and made them colonize half the world, deal with the consequences, try not to be racist while at ai
YES !
Algorithm needs at least seven words to be noticed. Please, let this video go viral! 🙏🙏
We’ve all been asking for keeping foreign money and influence away from our politics for a while, but unfortunately because our last government let people continually fill their pockets from foreign funders they were against stopping it.
Time to tax billionaires out of existence.
Good luck with that, we can all sit around in poverty as markets crash, happy in the knowledge we stopped those big bad billionaires 😂
Good example of how buyable congress and the rest of our political process is.
I dont think Elon Musk is a threat - he is a symptom which shows how politics are working nowadays
Absolutely right. It's those that seek power for its own sake who then go on to bypass democracy by installing these so-called experts/consultants by stealth.
I would say Elon is a _result_ of how politics are working nowadays and he is very much a threat, perhaps the _biggest_ threat.
Perhaps the opposition should exclude Musk. Is his continued existance a threat to the people?
Starmer had a meeting with Larry Fink in No.10. Labour sent 100 activists ( volunteers of course ) to help Democrats in last election. Labour has accepted many donations from foreign entities. Please explain the law regarding this issue, TDS is not reason enough to be blindly biased…or is it?
Boring
@ I know the bias is just soo predictable.
Not just encouraging the house, he is actively threatening its members.
Threatening them in what way? That he will encourage people not to vote for them? Sounds like democracy to me!
It's been happening for years in uk politics.
The solution would be to make voting compulsory or face a fine.
Pr ,where an option on the ballot is none of the above and a compulsory vote.?
Musk is like a Bond Villain. There needs to be laws to stop these people who want to play God!