The Epstein scandal could be the match that sparks unprecedented transformation
Last edited Tue Nov 18, 2025, 04:51 PM - Edit history (1)
Epstein is SOOO much bigger than "who's on the list."
It is a decades long obscenity and corrupt, knee jerk protection of the rich and powerful over multiple administrations.
It is the embodiment of the corrosive effect the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many has on any society that allows it.
The blowback could transform the adoration of wealth and power so many have held onto into a recognition of the magnitude with which such power inevitably corrupts.
It could be the match that starts a firestorm that burns down resistance to reversing the current flow of dollars from the many to the few.
It could be the wake up call that we must end the obscene accumulation of wealth and its corruption of our society, and the beginning of transformational laws: minimum wage that reflects the increase of worker productivity over the last five decades, inheritance tax, wealth tax, progressive tax on income, higher tax on capital gains than earned income.
As we advocate for these things, we MUST do more than cite vague benefits, like strengthening safety nets, blah, blah. In addition to Universal Health Care, we need to be levying these taxes for something truly transformative -- something like Piketty-style "Inheritance for all"
I think Piketty's Inheritance for All is a tangible benefit that we need to start calling on our electeds to start the drumbeat for now. That would put us on the path to achieving it -- or something even better -- before the youth of today are our age.
We will never build the political will for such transformative change if no one is advocating for it.
Silence and surrendering in advance on anything the Democratic consultant class deems "unwinnable" helped bring us to this point.
I know many object to using AI summaries, but this one on inheritance for all does a better job of summarizing than I could:
What it is: A universal, one-time payment given to every citizen at age 25.
How it's funded: By significantly increasing wealth and inheritance taxes on the wealthiest individuals and estates.
How much: The amount is proposed to be around €120,000 or $150,000-$180,000 in other contexts.
The goal: To counteract the inequality created by inherited wealth by providing a "starter capital" for all young adults, thereby increasing their financial power and life choices.
Context: It is presented as one part of a broader "participatory socialism" plan, which also includes other reforms like higher income taxes and worker co-determination in corporations.
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