Stinking Rich

Billionaires are an ultra-elite social class whose numbers are growing alongside their obscene wealth while others struggle, suffer or even die. They represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it? A set of dangerous and deceptive inter-connected myths portrays them as a force for good :- the heroic billionaire asserts they are gallant protagonists of the American Dream gone global - the generous billionaire pretends that their philanthropic efforts and personal good deeds should be lauded for generosity and benevolence - the meritorious billionaire insists that extreme wealth is a worthy reward for individual hard work and talent - the vigilante billionaire claims to be able to solve the world s biggest problems where bureaucrats and politicians have failed.Each of these myths enables billionaire wealth and power to set us back to old-style feudalism and plutocracy.Offering a trenchant critique, this incisive book testifies to the growing international political will to take concrete actions in supporting economic justice and democratic equality.