Why Inequality Never Went Away: Wealth Supremacy from 2008 to Today [rewind]

Synopsis:  “Wealth Supremacy”: Uncovering How The Global Economic System Drives Inequality

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Description [original release date September 8, 2023]: As we look back on this conversation first recorded in 2023 — fifteen years after the 2008 financial crash — its warnings and wisdom feel even more urgent today. The extractive systems that fueled the crisis haven’t disappeared; in many ways, they’ve tightened their grip. But so have the movements, ideas, and communities committed to building something better.

In this re-air, Laura revisits a powerful conversation with Marjorie Kelly, author of Wealth Supremacy, and Edgar Villanueva of the Lumbee people and founder of the Decolonizing Wealth Project. Together, they break down “capital bias” — the rules that prioritize wealth over people, manufacturing, and the planet — and explore how this bias continues to deepen inequality and undermine democracy.

But they also point toward possibility. If wealth supremacy is a story we’ve been taught, can we unlearn it? What happens when Indigenous perspectives, community-centered economics, and a spiritual shift in how we value life begin to guide our choices? This episode offers not just critique but clarity — and not just urgency but hope.

Whether you’re hearing this for the first time or returning with fresh ears, this conversation is here to inform, inspire, and uplift. Change is not only necessary — it’s already underway.

“. . . Big capital is out there right now buying water rights . . . Communities are saying no . . . Water needs to be declared a public trust. You have these two completely different worldviews, which show us we can have a financialized world or we can have a democratic world . . .” - Marjorie Kelly

 “. . . Capitalism was completely founded upon the enslavement of Black people in this country. That is the blueprint for our economy. I don't know how to take racism and harm out of that existing system without completely imagining a new system . . .” - Edgar Villanueva

Guests:

Marjorie Kelly: Distinguished Senior Fellow, The Democracy Collaborative; Author, Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today’s Crises

Edgar Villanueva (Lumbee): Founder & Principal, Decolonizing Wealth Project

*Recommended book:

“Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today's Crises” by Marjorie Kelly Check out the Book

(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

•  How to Make a Democratic Economy, Watch / Download Podcast

•  Decolonizing Wealth Through Indigenous Leadership: Edgar Villanueva, Watch / Download Podcast

•  *Saket Soni:  How Trafficked Workers Pulled Off “The Great Escape”  Watch / Download Podcast

Related Articles and Resources:

•  Action guide for advancing Community Wealth Building in the United States, by the Democracy Collaborative  Read Here - Download

• “*Private equity profits from climate disaster clean-up – while investing in fossil fuels,” by Nina Lakhani, The Guardian  Read Here

*features Sakit Soni

•  Ending the extractive economy before it brings an end to us, by Neil McInroy, Democracy Collaborative,  Read Here

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