Stock Market Record: Wall Street Celebrates, Workers Suffer
May 22, 2024
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Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the stock market hitting 40,000, highlighting how it benefits the wealthy while workers suffer. They delve into wealth inequality, corporate behaviors, and the need for systemic change to address economic disparities.
Rising stock market benefits mainly the wealthy elite, with the top 10% owning around 80% of stocks.
Booming stock market contributes to gentrification and diverts resources from urgent societal needs like climate change mitigation.
Deep dives
Stock Market Boom Benefits the Wealthy
The stock market reaching over 40,000 points primarily benefits the wealthiest individuals as the richest 10% own around 80% of the stock. Stock buybacks, which surged drastically from 2% to 68% of corporate profits by 2016, contribute to enriching the top executives and board members who make decisions to buy back shares in their companies.
Wealth Redistribution and Impact on Working Class
Over the last few decades, wealth distribution in the US has become increasingly uneven, with the rich getting richer and owning a substantial portion of stock. This shift in wealth towards the wealthy has led to the stock market's rise as more rich individuals invest, while the poor and middle class, who cannot afford to participate significantly, experience wealth decrease.
Social Impact and Consequences of Stock Market Boom
The booming stock market fuels gentrification in cities like New York as wealthy individuals drawn to the market affect housing affordability, displacing middle and lower-class residents. Additionally, the focus on stock market gains diverts resources from urgent societal needs, such as climate change mitigation. The current system, with wealth accumulation at the top and increasing misery at the bottom, perpetuates inequality and societal costs.
On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss The Dow Jones stock index closed above 40,000 for the first time in its history last Friday. Wall Street uncorked the champagne to celebrate this milestone, but working people are totally left out of the stock market boom.
Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.
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