INEQUALITY ILLUSION
Oxfam pulling the wool over eyes on real world wealth
Leon Louw: Oxscam’s deception boils down to defining wealth as listed shares 'the rich' happen to own personally
The cellular phones of half the world’s population are worth more than the combined wealth of the world’s billionaires. Why is that not headline news? Why no coverage of the fact that poverty and inequality are at lower levels than ever? Why no excitement about humanity’s greatest accomplishment: the alleviation of destitution and disease to previously inconceivable levels? Why, instead, do the same hysterical lies and exaggerations regurgitated by Oxfam activists at annual Davos meetings cause a media frenzy? Why the uncritical assumption that they say something true, new and newsworthy and that their fake numbers are real? Why their licence to spew spurious absurdities to the effect that a few billionaires are wealthier than half the world’s population, and that SA is similarly skewed? The appetite for Oxfam flimflam vindicates the media adage that bad news is good news. To see through the Oxfam scam — the Oxscam — imagine a sports field with 100 people on the far left goal line. ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.