Ukraine Invasion May Be Start of ‘Third World War’, Says George Soros

THE GUARDIAN: Veteran philanthropist tells World Economic Forum civilisation ‘may not survive’ what is coming

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to be the “beginning of the third world war” that could spell the end of civilisation, the veteran philanthropist and former financier George Soros has warned.

In a ferocious attack on Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Soros warned that autocratic regimes were in the ascendant and the global economy was heading for a depression.

Soros, who has become a hate figure for the hard right in the US, also heavily criticised the former German chancellor Angela Merkel for cosying up to Moscow and Beijing.

With the mood in Davos already downbeat due to the war in Ukraine, Soros ramped up the gloomy rhetoric to new heights.

“The invasion may have been the beginning of the third world war and our civilisation may not survive it,” he said. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos | DW News

Millionaires at Davos Say 'Tax Us More'

Millionaires Marlene Engelhorn and Phil White joined a Davos protest calling for higher taxes on the wealthy | PHIL WHITE
BBC: A handful of wealthy attendees gathered in Davos are calling on world leaders to tackle the cost of living crisis by pushing up taxes for people like them.

They took to the streets on Sunday alongside left-wing activists to call for fairer tax systems worldwide.

Political and business leaders are at the first in-person World Economic Forum (WEF) since the pandemic began.

But criticisms are mounting over the way the wealthy have profited in the last two years.

UK millionaire Phil White said: "While the rest of the world is collapsing under the weight of an economic crisis, billionaires and world leaders meet in this private compound to discuss turning points in history.

"It's outrageous that our political leaders listen to those who have the most, know the least about the economic impact of this crisis, and many of whom pay infamously little in taxes. The only credible outcome from this conference is to tax the richest and tax us now."

Mr White, who represents a group called Patriotic Millionaires, made his money as a business consultant. He said he was joining left-wing and anti-poverty campaigners calling for change at the annual meeting of influential business people and political leaders because the current economic system was failing.

Over the past decade, a growing number of millionaires and billionaires in the US and Europe have spoken out, calling for governments to impose higher taxes, including wealth levies on the richest.

While only a small number of millionaires were in Davos to attend the protest, the campaigners have sent an open letter to all Davos delegates, signed by millionaire supporters in several countries. » | BBC | Monday, May 23, 2022

Millionaires ask to pay more tax »

Coronavirus: Disney heir and Ben & Jerry’s call for higher taxes »

Millionaires Call On Governments Worldwide to ‘Tax Us Now’

THE GUARDIAN: Group of 102 wealthy people say tax would help tackle gulf between rich and poor

Gemma McGough, a British entrepreneur and founding member of Patriotic Millionaires UK.Photograph: PA
More than 100 members of the global super-rich called on Wednesday for governments around the world to “tax us now” to help pay for the pandemic response and tackle the gulf between rich and poor.

The group of 102 millionaires and billionaires, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, said the current tax system is rigged in their favour and needs to be rewritten to make taxation fairer for hard-working people and restore trust in politics.

“As millionaires, we know that the current tax system is not fair,” they said in an open letter published on Wednesday. “Most of us can say that, while the world has gone through an immense amount of suffering in the last two years, we have actually seen our wealth rise during the pandemic – yet few if any of us can honestly say that we pay our fair share in taxes.”

The super-rich signatories, who brand themselves as “patriotic millionaires”, called for the introduction of “permanent wealth taxes on the richest to help reduce extreme inequality and raise revenue for sustained, long-term increases in public services like healthcare”. » | Rupert Neate Wealth correspondent | Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Power-Mad Tony Blair Defends Billionaire Festival

Global Billionaires Are Terrified Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Billionaires, CEOs, and other people who have devoted their lives to money are gathered in Davos, Switzerland, and they all seem to have one thing on their mind right now: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The billionaires at the summit are freaking out over her idea to raise marginal tax rates on income over $10 million to 70%, which is actually not as high as it had been in the past. Her policies are popular, and that’s what scares these billionaires, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

Shutdown : Trump boude le Forum économique de Davos

LE POINT: Le président américain, en plein bras de fer avec les démocrates au sujet du mur, « annule respectueusement » son déplacement en Suisse.

Donald Trump reste à Washington. Le président américain a annoncé jeudi qu'il ne participerait pas comme prévu au Forum économique mondial de Davos, qui aura lieu du 21 au 25 janvier, mettant en avant la paralysie partielle de l'administration fédérale. « En raison de l'intransigeance des démocrates sur la sécurité aux frontières et de l'importance de la sécurité pour notre pays, j'annule respectueusement mon voyage très important à Davos, en Suisse, pour le Forum économique mondial », a tweeté le président des États-Unis. » | Source AFP | 10 janvier 2019

Trump to May: 'We Love Your Country'

Donald Trump and Theresa May hold a bilateral talk at Davos 2018. Trump used the opportunity to confirm his 'great relationship' with the prime minister and announce his love for the UK

UK Prime Minister Theresa May Gives a Special Address in Davos

French President Emmanuel Macron's Speech at Davos 2018 (Replay)

Davos 2017 - Special Address by Theresa May Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Trudeau Parties at Davos While Canada's World Standing Plummets

Ezra Levant of TheRebel.media looks at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent trip to Davos, Switzerland. Trudeau violated protocol by giving an amateurish speech mocking his predecessor, then took selfies with movies stars. Is that what he was elected to do?

Is This the Best that Canada Can Kick up for PM? Pathetic! Embrace Feminism to Improve Decision-making, Says Justin Trudeau

Canadian prime minister uses platform at World Economic Forum in Davos to stress importance of gender equality in politics and business

Read the Guardian article here

Stupid Cameron! Donald Trump Helps Extremists by Creating 'Clash of Civilisations,' Says David Cameron

THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has made a rare foray into the American election, warning that Donald Trump was helping the extremists' cause

Donald Trump is helping extremists by creating the idea of a "clash of civilisations between Islam and the West," David Cameron has said.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Cameron, in an unusual intervention in domestic US politics, said the Republican presidential candidate was “making a fundamental mistake" of trying to blame all Muslims for the ideology and actions of a few.

"I think that's wrong," he told the youth-focused American news website, Mic.

"In many ways, it actually helps the extremists, because they want to create a clash of civilisations between Islam and Christianity, or Islam and the West." » | Harriet Alexander, New York | Friday, January 22, 2016

My comment:

Since when has speaking the truth about Islam been the cause of problems? Do you really think, Mr Cameron, that denying the facts will make things better? If so, what an idiot you are! Donald Trump recognises the problem that Islam is, he recognises the problems it causes.

You say that what is going on is a perversion of the "great faith" of Islam. I would say, and I dare say that Donald Trump would say, that that is a load of BS. How can you possibly call a political ideology that is Islam a "great faith" when it the source of murder, mayhem, beheadings, stonings to death, amputations, clit-cutting, and so much else besides? You, Mr Cameron, are either stupid, or else you have taken leave of your senses.

Clearly, the sooner we get rid of you, the better! – © Mark Alexander

US-Börsenguru Soros: "Die EU wird wegen der Flüchtlingskrise zerfallen"

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Für US- Börsenguru George Soros steckt Europa wegen der anhaltenden Flüchtlingskrise in einer schweren Krise. "Die EU ist dem Untergang geweiht und wird zerfallen", diagnostierte der Milliardär. Europa sei derzeit "wie ein Kino ohne Notausgänge, in dem Feuer ausgebrochen ist". Die einzige Chance zur Rettung sieht er in einer gemeinsamen europäischen Asylpolitik.

Soros sei von Anfang an ein großer Unterstützer der EU gewesen, sehe aber jetzt, dass sie führerlos dahinvegetiere. "Es gibt eine echte Panik und keine Abhilfe", sagte der 86- Jährige im Interview mit Bloomberg TV am Rande des Weltwirtschaftsforums im Schweizer Davos. » | red | Freitag, 22. Januar 2016

West's 30-year Vendetta with Iran Is Finally Buried in Davos

Hassan Rouhani

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – AMBROSE EVANS-PRITCHARD: The Iranian nuclear deal is on. Hassan Rouhani's charm offensive in Davos has been a tour de force, the moment of rehabilitation for the Islamic Republic. His words were emollient.

"The world hasn't seen a speech like that from an Iranian leader since the Revolution," tweeted Ian Bremmer from the Eurasia Group.

Anybody betting on oil futures in the belief that Iran's nuclear deal with great powers is a negotiating ploy – to gain time – should be careful. There is a very high likelihood that the sanctions against Iran will be lifted in stages, leading to an extra 1.2 barrels a day on the global market just as Libya, Iraq, and the US all crank up output.

“One of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. Without international engagement, objectives such as growth, creativity and quality are unattainable," said Rouhani.

"I strongly and clearly state that nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy,” he said. Read on and comment » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Iran's President Announces New Policy of 'Constructive Engagement' with Outside World

Iran's president seeks to mend relations with the outside world - but speech sparks angry reaction from Israel for what it 'misses out'

Read the Telegraph article here | Szu Ping Chan in Davos and Colin Freeman | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Oxfam: 85 Richest People as Wealthy as Poorest Half of the World

The InterContinental in Davos

THE GUARDIAN: As World Economic Forum starts in Davos, development charity claims that growing inequality has been driven by a 'power grab' by wealthy elites

The world's wealthiest people aren't known for travelling by bus, but if they fancied a change of scene then the richest 85 people on the globe – who between them control as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population put together – could squeeze onto a single double-decker.

The extent to which so much global wealth has become corralled by a virtual handful of the so-called 'global elite' is exposed in a new report from Oxfam on Monday. It warned that those richest 85 people across the globe share a combined wealth of £1tn, as much as the poorest 3.5 billion of the world's population.

The wealth of the 1% richest people in the world amounts to $110tn (£60.88tn), or 65 times as much as the poorest half of the world, added the development charity, which fears this concentration of economic resources is threatening political stability and driving up social tensions.

It's a chilling reminder of the depths of wealth inequality as political leaders and top business people head to the snowy peaks of Davos for this week's World Economic Forum. Few, if any, will be arriving on anything as common as a bus, with private jets and helicoptors pressed into service as many of the world's most powerful people convene to discuss the state of the global economy over four hectic days of meetings, seminars and parties in the exclusive ski resort.

Winnie Byanyima, the Oxfam executive director who will attend the Davos meetings, said: "It is staggering that in the 21st Century, half of the world's population – that's three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus."

Oxfam also argues that this is no accident either, saying growing inequality has been driven by a "power grab" by wealthy elites, who have co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the economic system in their favour. » | Graeme Wearden | Monday, January 20, 2014

Davos 2013: Femen Stage Topless Protest
Ukrainian protest group Femen, angry over what they perceive as sexism and male domination of the world economy, ripped off their shirts and tried to force their way into the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Feminist Group Take Topless Protest to Davos
Ukrainian protest group Femen protest half-naked at Davos as they demand more female representatives at the World Economic Forum and on political bodies worldwide.

Read the short article here | Saturday, January 28, 2012