Rutger Bregman

Well, I mean, this was just after I had gone to Davos and indeed I had said some nasty things about billionaires and their massive tax avoidance and their massive tax evasion. And then, you know, how they keep whining about their philanthropy. Well, maybe, you know, just start with paying your fair share in taxes.

Well, I mean, this was just after I had gone to Davos and indeed I had said some nasty things about billionaires and their massive tax avoidance and their massive tax evasion. And then, you know, how they keep whining about their philanthropy. Well, maybe, you know, just start with paying your fair share in taxes.

So then Tucker Carlson invited me on his show because apparently he liked it that I had, you know, stuck it to the global issue or something like that. And I was like, well, you know, you're also the elite, you know, you're part of the problem. Like you're, what is it? A millionaire funded by billionaires. So he didn't like that.

So then Tucker Carlson invited me on his show because apparently he liked it that I had, you know, stuck it to the global issue or something like that. And I was like, well, you know, you're also the elite, you know, you're part of the problem. Like you're, what is it? A millionaire funded by billionaires. So he didn't like that.

It's a good question. Depends on where you live, I guess. I mean, I just moved to New York and it feels like you need to be a multimillionaire even to raise kids here.

It's a good question. Depends on where you live, I guess. I mean, I just moved to New York and it feels like you need to be a multimillionaire even to raise kids here.

I guess that depends. But it's easy to forget how wealthy people are when they live in rich countries.

I guess that depends. But it's easy to forget how wealthy people are when they live in rich countries.

Where I'm from, the Netherlands, if you have just a median income, which is about, what is it, 35,000 euros annually. So what is that, $40,000 or something? You're part of the richest 3.5% in the world. So... Remember Occupy Wall Street where people were saying we are the 99% and they are the 1%?

Where I'm from, the Netherlands, if you have just a median income, which is about, what is it, 35,000 euros annually. So what is that, $40,000 or something? You're part of the richest 3.5% in the world. So... Remember Occupy Wall Street where people were saying we are the 99% and they are the 1%?

Well, actually, from a global perspective, very often the people who say that stuff on TikTok or Instagram, they're actually part of the top 5% in terms of income.

Well, actually, from a global perspective, very often the people who say that stuff on TikTok or Instagram, they're actually part of the top 5% in terms of income.

So I do think it's valuable of people who are really privileged, who went to a fancy Ivy League university or something like that, that they really realize that they are very privileged. Maybe you guys remember from 2016 when Trump was first elected, we had this big round of soul searching in the United States and elsewhere as well, all about how is this possible?

So I do think it's valuable of people who are really privileged, who went to a fancy Ivy League university or something like that, that they really realize that they are very privileged. Maybe you guys remember from 2016 when Trump was first elected, we had this big round of soul searching in the United States and elsewhere as well, all about how is this possible?

And we were trying to get into the minds of the Trump voters or in Germany, into the minds of the AFD voters or in the Netherlands. into the minds of the Geert Wilders voters. And you know what? Now that Trump has been elected again, I think, can we please not do that again?

And we were trying to get into the minds of the Trump voters or in Germany, into the minds of the AFD voters or in the Netherlands. into the minds of the Geert Wilders voters. And you know what? Now that Trump has been elected again, I think, can we please not do that again?

You know, so not another round of soul searching and looking inward and like, oh, all these calls for more empathy and compassion. Well, maybe it starts with actually practicing what you preach. I think that the big betrayal of educated elites in this country and elsewhere has not been a lack of empathy, but a lack of actually contributing to to making this world a better place, right?

You know, so not another round of soul searching and looking inward and like, oh, all these calls for more empathy and compassion. Well, maybe it starts with actually practicing what you preach. I think that the big betrayal of educated elites in this country and elsewhere has not been a lack of empathy, but a lack of actually contributing to to making this world a better place, right?

You've got so many of these Ivy League graduates, like Harvard, 45% of Harvard graduates go into consultancy and finance. What do they do for a living? Do they really contribute to society? Well, you can ask them, and quite a few polls find out that they're often very likely to consider their own job socially useless.

You've got so many of these Ivy League graduates, like Harvard, 45% of Harvard graduates go into consultancy and finance. What do they do for a living? Do they really contribute to society? Well, you can ask them, and quite a few polls find out that they're often very likely to consider their own job socially useless.