At the beginning of each year the World Economic Forum is held in the Swiss
city of Davos. And, Oxfam releases its briefing paper on economic inequality to coincide with that forum,. This year (2017) is no exception. Last years briefing paper stated that there was“shocking new evidence of an inequality
crisis that is out of control.”One of the figures quoted in last year's paper was that the richest sixty-two people in the world had as much wealth as 3.6 billion people – the poorest half of the world’s population. Surely, such a statistic is worrying, unsustainable and should be a call for drastic action. If we thought that was bad enough, the figure quoted in this years paper is almost unbelievable. Oxfam now reports that just eight (that's right – eight) men own the same amount of wealth as do the poorest half of the world’s population.1
Oxfam has done its research. These figures come from sources such as the Forbes Billionaires listing and the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2016. Hardly sources that are easy to dismiss.
Instead of analysing or reviewing Oxfams briefing paper, I thought I’d post a Poem for Davos this week. I know its not very good, so excuse the poetic travesty. Go read the briefing paper itself. Its available online at www.oxfam.org
A POEM FOR DAVOS
Economists, politicians and advisors aplenty
To Swiss Davos they have come again
Vowing once more to share the wealth
Put an end to poverty, misery and pain.
“Poverty, schmoverty, we’ll have it solved,
Trickle-down,” the economists proclaim
“That’s our theory, that’s our plan”
GDP, that's their simple game.
What sort of world is this
Where the wealth and riches of one percent
Leaves those in need and poverty
Unable to even pay the rent?
Millions of men, women and children
Find only unclean water in their tanks
Whilst Field Marshals and Generals
Buy missiles, guns and tanks.
CEOs sit, dodging taxes and buying politics
From corporate towers on high
Getting paid in options, shares and millions
The poor left to scramble, beg and die.
When half the world lives in poverty
How is it that we tolerate
Growing riches and mounting wealth
Amongst the super-rich - this Gang of Eight?
Notes:
1. An Economy for the 99%, Oxfam Briefing Paper, January 2017
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