Summary of Why Old Money Supports the Left
Video Summary
The video titled "Why Old Money Supports the Left" explores the relationship between wealthy individuals from Old Money backgrounds and their alignment with leftist or progressive Political Causes. The presenter, Nick, argues that this support is often misunderstood, as it may seem counterintuitive for those in elite positions to back policies that could undermine their status. However, he posits that progressive politics and taxation actually help maintain the power of Old Money by preventing the rise of new competitors.
Key Points
- Non-Economic Reasons for Support: Old Money individuals may support leftist causes due to youthful idealism, social norms in affluent areas, and personal or family influences. Wealth allows them to hold idealistic views without facing financial repercussions.
- Historical Context: Traditionally, Old Money aligned with conservative politics, but historical events like revolutions prompted them to adopt more progressive stances to pacify the masses and avoid civil unrest.
- Goals of Old Money: The primary interests of Old Money are to eliminate competition, preserve their status, and maintain a low cost of living for themselves, which is facilitated by a lower class that serves them. They often favor policies that prevent new entrants into their social and economic circles.
- Progressive Taxation: Old Money supports Progressive Taxation because it does not significantly impact their Wealth, while it burdens new money individuals trying to ascend the social ladder. This creates a stable hierarchy where Old Money retains its status.
- Social Stability and Control: By supporting social safety nets that keep the lower classes comfortable but not wealthy, Old Money can prevent rebellion and maintain their societal position. The video suggests that Old Money views the middle class and new money as greater threats than the poor.
- Technological Impact: The presenter mentions that advancements in technology, particularly AI, may not threaten Old Money as previous innovations did, potentially solidifying their status further.
Overall, the video argues that the alignment of Old Money with leftist policies serves to protect their relative power and status while preventing new competition from emerging.
Presenters/Contributors
- Nick (analyzing finance)
Notable Quotes
— 00:55 — « What if I told you actually is the other way around where Progressive politics and highly progressive taxation enable their relative power and allow old money to stay on top rather than cut them down with everybody else. »
— 04:06 — « If they wanted to keep anything they felt like they needed to give something to the lower classes because it's better to have maybe a little bit less and provide social safety nets than be killed in a revolution. »
— 11:22 — « The main enemy of old money is not the poor... The Real Enemy of the old money is the middle class and potential new money. »
— 16:10 — « The consequences of a lot of left-wing economic policies is what it does is it entrenches those who are already at the top at the expense of emerging wealth, new money or disruptive entrepreneurs shaking up the system. »
Category
News and Commentary