At times one encounters the views
Of a few with a billion to lose,
Who imagine a threat
From the left-leaning set
Like the Nazi pursuit of the Jews.
Despite holding fast to the reins
Of the Congress and capital gains,
Of the Congress and capital gains,
"Our wealth," they will say,
"May be taken away,"
Which reality scarcely explains.
"May be taken away,"
Which reality scarcely explains.
The proportion of income that went
To the point oh oh oh one percent
Has been higher in fact
In the age of Barack
Than the last GOP president.
To compare to the Final Solution,
A more accurate view
May classify you
As a bag that is suited for douchin'.
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Retired billionaire venture capitalist Tom Perkins provoked scorn and derision this week with his comments that the rich in this country face a potential wave of persecution comparable to the Nazi Kristallnacht. This was the opening act of the Holocaust in 1938, when uniformed thugs smashed, burned and looted Jewish businesses and institutions in Germany.
In a letter to the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Perkins sought to "call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany's war on its 'one percent,' namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the 'rich.'"
Many institutions of capitalist success rushed to distance themselves from Mr. Perkins, including his old venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which appeared ready to excise the name of one of its founders.
However, before dismissing Perkins' words as the rant of some crank, it may be appropriate to recall some of the almost-as-paranoid remarks made by American billionaires before and during the 2012 election. For more perspective on the persecution complex of the plutocracy, see the thoughtful essay by Josh Marshall in Talking Points Memo.
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Here, until I learn how to embed links in the mobile version of Blogger, are the links referenced above:
Steven Schwartzman's comparison of higher taxes on private equity with Hitler's invasion of Poland: http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-schwarzman-taxes-hitler-invaded-poland-2010-8
Josh Marshall's attempt to explain Tom Perkins' paranoia: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-brittle-grip-part-2
Mr. Perkins' letter: http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304549504579316913982034286?mobile=y
Tweet from Kleiner Perkins in response: https://twitter.com/kpcb/status/427185213261623297
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