Economist Thomas Piketty: Coronavirus Pandemic Has Exposed the “Violence of Social Inequality”

[@Headington_Oxford]

So very thankful for Democracy Now! and its dedicated staff.

[@mjhzen8313]

If corporations have the right of "free speech", then they have responsibility to PAY TAXES.

[@321gimmethat]

Very well said

[@alloomis1635]

they do pay taxes, if required by the masters of the nation. that is not citizens, it's politicians. are you a politician?

[@evaroop8045]

Amazon paid zero in taxes. And there is a law put in place to protect corporations that they have the same right as a human being. It was out in place during Bush Jr. time. They set policy in our government. Fueling the corruption, in politics. $$$$$$$$$ out in the hands of politicians. Judges that side with them in court cases. Greed Over People .

[@roccopanzarino1910]

Start action today. GENERAL STRIKE 2020

[@roccopanzarino1910]

Eva Roop GENERAL STRIKE 2020. My personal action started days ago.....never will I enter a Walmart store again. That’s one target, I have many more, but Im going to choose each corporations carefully. If they avoid taxes and they are “persons” then they are my enemy. GENERAL STRIKE 2020. Join me and many others. Fight back. Term limits insist on it, corporations like banks....no more bail outs. Or bail ins, or bail always. Jail them like Iceland did.

[@julieannmyers8714]

Amy, Thomas Picketty deserves an HOUR! PLEASE interview him for a long, in-depth dialogue!

[@Gamm420]

I wouldn't even mind if it's 6 hours or more tbh. Also, PLEASE add subtitles or let him speak French and have quality dubbing available! Although, I suspect that this channel's viewers are mostly well educated and already aware of these issues. How could you reach the masses? Via mass media? I see a very little chance in Europe for that to happen soon and absolutely none at all for US media, as it is today.

[@casey7411]

Yeah they're always running out of time in interviews on democracy now....

[@mattrussillo4587]

IN ENGLISH!

[@AJusticeWarrior]

and with subtitles please!

[@victoriagodley5277]

Thomas Pickett 😍 what a treat. Thanks

[@1LaOriental]

Please make subtitles... VERY difficult to hear/comprehend what he is saying.

[@Name-jw4sj]

1LaOriental he has a strong French accent but I am able to understand what he is saying.

[@yaxl]

Learn Francais, peasant

[@gretchen1957]

@@yaxl He is not speaking French. He is only babbling no language at all with an ugly French accent. Are you insulted because you can't speak English in an understandable way either ignoramous?

[@Hirnlego999]

Don't they have transcripts on their website? (Personally I don't have a problem in understanding him, good headphones help and I'm used to the accent)

[@1LaOriental]

Yaxley Hi sweetheart!!

[@justjustgord]

incredible episode. look around, inequality is killing us all, and the planet.

[@danielbtwd]

You are right, the biggest problem is that big Corp seems to have a free riegn in destroying our environment. Yet ironically one cannot even erect a shed in one's own garden without permission.

[@grb1969]

Economists seem to know the price of everything but seldom the value of a good microphone!

[@GoldandAppel]

I had a flashback to Michael Parenti.

[@yarazooom]

@@GoldandAppel wawawaw...I had flash back to Charlie Brown

[@T-aka-T]

Ah! But ze accent! Ah! Le Francais! He could be reciting the proverbial list of vegetables for all I care.

[@sanford943]

@@T-aka-T closed captions

[@jazzsocietyofecuador]

Thomas Piketty is perhaps the most important and informed voice on economics extant.

[@IMSiegfried]

Have you read his 1000 page book? I'm just curious as I was contemplating getting a copy.

[@subhadityasen5486]

@@IMSiegfried Its been enlightening so far, is great good book I think.

[@subhadityasen5486]

@@5british5 Yea 14 hours of hard work average chinese worker puts in, guess they are all on their way to becoming millionaires.

[@subhadityasen5486]

@@5british5 Nah the british workers never worked like that ever and all those factories in China are state run ones and there are no capitalist billionaires and millionaires in China.

[@subhadityasen5486]

@@5british5 Its like everything is upside down with you...

[@vaughnz.8824]

Well recall slogging through Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century. It was extremely well researched and I assume the new book will be, as well. Good to know that there remain people willing to delve into complex issues rather than relying upon simplistic approaches which, while appealing, are wholly insufficient.

[@wanuno1]

I'm a retired teacher (maths, biology, chemistry) from Malaysia in Asia. I'm surprised by some people in US who think Covid-19 is fake. They are mad. So many people have died already. Please don't even respond. Some responses in the media can be downright rude and uncivilized.

[@jasonjolt1246]

I’m surprised you are a teacher and believe in the mainstream media so idiotically.

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

@@jasonjolt1246 Yeehaw Cleetus!

[@LaoZi2023]

@@jasonjolt1246 , you don't have to believe in mainstream media, just have to open your eyes, or are they open wide shut?

[@swagswap]

Subtitles please. I just can't follow his accent, but I want to know what he's saying.

[@gretchen1957]

Accurate subtitles, or closed captions, or interpreter!

[@swagswap]

@@gretchen1957 Yes, any of those would be fantastic! Thank you.

[@maxrobespierre9176]

Stuart Gorman Is you turn the French subtitles on, they are a mix of French and English. It may help you.

[@swagswap]

@@maxrobespierre9176 Thanks for the suggestion!

[@hojichung6997]

I don't understand a word of what Mr. Piketty is saying because of his strong accent ....subtitles please!

[@ynotamil]

His strong accent and the sound id terrible. SUBTITLES??

[@kristinabliss]

Painful!

[@marthacmd]

exactly/ needs closed captioned

[@dawnpalmby5100]

Turn them on then

[@Name-jw4sj]

I can understand it since I’ve been listening to him for awhile now so I am use to his accent. It doesn’t bother me anymore.

[@prabirkumardasgupta9824]

Such a erudite person who talks sense ! Sound quality is awfully bad !!

[@daveturner7958]

yeah, rather read the script

[@Gairuntee]

Subtitles please. The audio isn't clear.

[@leandroferrari9211]

It's his strong accent

[@geraldjensen9399]

As if there is time to subtitle an interview on a news program in broadcast in real time

[@drone124]

@@geraldjensen9399 they could add subtitles for an uploaded video

[@CirTap]

@@geraldjensen9399 as they publish the video on their website they also publish a transcript. Always.

[@gretchen1957]

@@drone124 There are subtitles when you turn them on. They are crappy.

[@HushRock]

Good God Democracy Now, do the work to put in subtitles when someone's accent is so deep; the subject is complex and his command of the subject supercedes his command through enunciation to communicate that understanding. I took French here in NYC public school and have Francophonic friends w English as a second language; this is too thick for a lack of subtitles, no guilt over potential predjudice as most of us with standard educations don't have the time to sit and watch his mouth and figure this out while discerning the depth that he is clearly capable of in this matter. I'd appreciate it if we could all realize the limits of our standard base educations, experiences and time available under the duress of our multiple predicaments to get the maximum possible understandings without unnecessary frustrations that undercut your hard work and responsibly depthfull reporting. I appreciate your efforts every day with my attention and put this forward as constructive criticism. Thank you for everything you do.

[@greggsorensen7588]

He is wonderful and visionary, but his French accent is so strong that I cannot understand him.

[@charlottecampbell4327]

Speaking too quickly.

[@vanjamatic3972]

@@charlottecampbell4327 Poor soul ❤ if he was Irish you would not understand a word. God bless you!

[@daysjours]

@@charlottecampbell4327 He speaks slower in French! I listen in French.

[@sanford943]

Here is the answerr. Closed captions

[@jps0117]

I don't mean to be piketty, but subtitles would have been a nicetty.

[@cientifiko]

please, put subtitles on Piketty

[@GoldandAppel]

I never thought the future would be like THIS!

[@shiitakestick]

I can’t understand through the heavy accent - USE SUBTITLES !!

[@jasonbrennan6240]

I understood him perfectly.

[@Marxist2]

Thank you, I thought I was the only one who cannot understand this man.

[@lissarodrigues8950]

@@jasonbrennan6240 did you listen with ear plag? Probably . I understood very little.

[@jasonbrennan6240]

@@lissarodrigues8950 nope. He had a strong French accent but I had no problem,

[@shiitakestick]

I am mortally wounded and deeply offended .

[@davidjacob5828]

Thomas needs more time please, he's awesome 👍.

[@adri122554]

Thomas is brilliant!

[@gretchen1957]

Too bad we can't realize that from his accented speech alone. Please add sub-titles we can understand!

[@petebach7221]

Great to see Mr Piketty on your show.

[@stanleyberger8654]

Thomas Piketty is pure gold!

[@keyissues1027]

It has been estimated that if each billionaire gave a $million to a charity for poor families, all poor families would be lifted out of poverty, and billionaires would still be billionaires! A win-win proposition.

[@alexgoslar4057]

Professor Thomas Piketty did a great service to humanity by exposing 100 years of inequality in the economy. I am quoting Professor Piketty in most of my workshops. The big dilemma that we are facing is the inability to find a solution to the endemic inequality. It appears to be in the Human Genome.

[@charliehustle5827]

"Biden should borrow the ideas set forth by Sanders." That's hilarious! Ah, to be so innocent.

[@Cate5244]

Please provide subtitles or transcription. Would like to know what he is saying.

[@ziziroberts8041]

Fall into poverty? They will starve to death.

[@bragekyllo4692]

We need a government of action to fight for working families ☭

[@roccopanzarino1910]

I’ve had enough. It’s an obligation of every American to defend our constitution. Well folks have you noticed how shredded your rights have become? Are you going to wait until they take every single right from you? Are you going to show your children how enslaved you are and have been but too afraid or stupid to take action? GENERAL STRIKE 2020. Do t know what to do, you can pick your own method, but non-violence is a good principle. So for me.....never again will I set foot into Walmart! Why Walmart? Because I can

[@davidcanatella4279]

Money will always be the conduit of inequality, destruction and death.

[@yarazooom]

INEQUALITY is a meaningless word. 99% of people are all equal to each other by being left out of a secure life. 1% is a TINY fraction compared to majority of ''the people'' on planet. there is POWER in number of powerless ppl. eventually ENTROPY [2nd law of thermodynamics] will tip the scales & we will rebalance

[@mjhzen8313]

Unless political leadership changes in November in America, I predict NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

[@indricotherium4802]

To get real change in the US, you need to get serious momentum behind a 3rd party. Under the present political duopoly, change is a pipedream.

[@danielbtwd]

You be the change.

[@daysjours]

Indeed...but wasn't it Mr. Biden who promised that "nothing will fundamentally change"? Google it.

[@indricotherium4802]

@@daysjours : in fact some Republicans might prefer a Biden presidency to a Trump one. Certainly Biden will do no worse a job for Republican politics than Obama did, possibly even a little better.

[@daysjours]

@@indricotherium4802 Obama & Clinton did what no Republican could. I suspect Biden would be same. Stay safe!

[@akeleven]

HERE IS YOUR SUBTITLE: the gross national product has been half what it could be because of income inequality suppressing the economy. Will Trump be ready to roll back taxcuts? WE MUST ACT. NOW with this crisis we have an opportunity for real change BECAUSE people are ready to get out and demand it! SO GET BUSY!

[@flowergardener281]

I keep telling it is not true we are not in this all together...I am sick of hearing people say this.

[@watermelonsunglop]

Great conversation, but needs subtitles.

[@studiosandi]

the federal government could have and should still be organizing the food that would normally go to schools and restaurants in such a way that it ends up on American tables. It should be unacceptable that Americans are going hungry and farmers are destroying the fruits of their labor.

[@elizabethbird5929]

@Sandi Billingsley 5/3 Sun.NPR news just announced that children in 3 southern states are not receiving any education or food support during the pandemic.

[@AJusticeWarrior]

Hey Democracy Now, can you please add subtitles, this is an important discourse that needs to be heard widely.

[@geraldjensen9399]

There is a global pandemic, Amy and crew are in lock down, Democracy Now depends on viewer donations and people are complaining about subtitles because Piketty speaks with a French accent.

[@ynotamil]

OK. Should we all applaud the bad sound quality?

[@geraldjensen9399]

@@ynotamil No, stop whining.

[@pb8601]

I'm deaf and need closed captioning. So give me a break you lovers of "equality".If you can't understand Piketty here you have a glimpse into my reality of unequal access with lousy or no captions.

[@ThomasBrennanthombre55]

English subtitles or text please.

[@christinaho2808]

I love watching this so I can be offended every day.

[@ronbaur8867]

Most people especially the one that needs it don’t know how to read and definitely wouldn’t be able to go through 1000 pages even if they do Just you comy Brusters But OK I’m listening

[@jasonjolt1246]

That’s why you looks like a demon

[@karlzipp181]

@Vox Populi Wrong again! You aren't the voice of the people. He is talking about Social Democracy. You seem to knee jerk "communism" when anyone voices a program to help people. Capitalism's problems are many, but not many will advocate removing it completely.

[@mattrussillo4587]

@Vox Populi UrAdIlDo!

[@BigMikeGuitar]

You mean the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the structural violence of capitalism? Imagine that. People fail to connect cause and effect when it is inflicted structurally, institutionally, and ideologically; where the state maintains a hierarchical power dynamic over populations which the permanent capitalist disparity in wealth asymmetry between investment capital and penniless labor serves, where no amount of disparity in wealth is too much because it simply serves the structural violence and social control enabled by that asymmetry; where authoritarian institutions punish the individual through national and capitalist mythology, fake meritocracy, and a litany of bottom feeding business models; and where populations remain ignorant of, and propagandized to, about governing ideology such as neoliberalism through market fundamentalism, privatization, deregulation, and de-taxation of the wealthy and corporations, which eviscerates working class representative democracy, living stability, infrastructure, resiliency, and social safety nets, including solidarity, organization, and the means to reform.

[@irrefudiate]

The poor sound quality of Mr. Piketty's connection or room may be fixable by a good engineer in a remix.

[@tomitstube]

suspending payments is laughable as a "solution" to any current financial problem, it has nothing to do with solving anything, it's merely a ploy to ensure they get paid. period. they will be hit with late payments and more interest, the idea that debtors are helping anyone other than themselves should be quashed. ALL of the people/countries/small businesses will be in worse shape when they start having to make payments again, there is no relief whatsoever for those in debt.

[@thehunterofdeath2180]

Wtf he said i could not understand him 🤔

[@mustbtrouble]

Audio sucks. Someone should scrub and repost. Thanks

[@anchorpoint5871]

"the level of inequality in the US is probably higher than in any other society at any time in the past anywhere in the world " thomas piketty

[@nicholaskouyoumdjian9392]

Pity there wern't subtititles.

[@Projectheureka]

Amusing! 😊

[@borountree4539]

I for one had no problem with the sound quality or the guests accent. Yes, I had to concentrate a little bit but as the topic was interesting, not a problem. I too would like a longer interview with this guest on his books.

[@djalead.7301]

No mention of voter suppression. The major problem is not lack of interest in voting,, but the inability of large numbers of eligible voters to vote. Is Piketty aware of Greg Palast's work? Why do analysts of voting in America ignore this research? "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" should be required reading and cited in each and every discussion of American voting patterns.

[@viewlesswind]

People still don't get it. As George Orwell well said, all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. If you're not inside, you're outside. Inequality is not a bug, it's a feature.

[@twistedoperator4422]

Well said

[@sanramondublin]

please somebody tell me , where was that two miles long line of people.?

[@eileenmc4746]

yes, probably footage from previous dn show

[@kathleenmancini6419]

I can't understand him either.

[@victoriagodley5277]

Piketty! Yes

[@oscarjones5297]

Of course he has a book to push...

[@tlcmeans]

I wish I could understand what he is saying .

[@PMunkS]

The press conference delivered by American doctors Dan Erikson & Artin Massihi of "Accelerated Urgent Care" in Kern County California, wherein the two physicians criticize the widely-adopted pandemic response measures, has been removed by authorities at GOOGLE for "violating KZbin's Community Guidelines".

[@surfsidefl2000]

Can't understand a word the guy said. Next time please use subtitles. Thanks.

[@twistedoperator4422]

Seeing this now.

[@highwayrockstar1]

SOMETHING BETTER BE DONE .....AND FAST!

[@maryrenaud6732]

Please activate captions on your videos, even people with very small personal YT channels do this. Alternatively, post a link to a transcript of the presentation below. As a hearing impaired person, it is very difficult to follow this important and interesting economist. Thank you!

[@Dogbertforpresident]

The Wall Street Journal announced that American Savings has increased from 8% to 13% which shows transactions and purchases are slowing down and ultimately slow down the economy.

[@patrickemmett6269]

Subtitles are often hilariously inaccurate as well.

[@jacquacooper]

Even Europe have better wage equality...my country gotta do better by/for its people, or else it’s gonna lose more influence and people smh.

[@CirTap]

What do you mean with "even Europe"?

[@MissWitchiepoo]

Can anyone imagine Trump saying so much in such a short time and it not being nonsense? Trump speakes very very slowly and like a preacher, so that the one thought he has can be repeated again and again. It would be fun if there was a computer program that could take everything Trump has said just this year and count how many words he has used and how often he has used them, put them into categories like beautiful 5000 times, Billions a billion times and so on and see how little he really says, and how he uses the same words.

[@NoWay1969]

I would love to watch this, but the subtitles can't understand him any better than I can.

[@CarlyonProduction]

Who is this Thomas Pickadee? His accent reminds me of the French economist, Picketty.

[@danielbtwd]

I think they called him pickallily at one point :)

[@stevefalcon21]

Was he speaking Frenglish , I'm pretty sure that was Frenglish.

[@mattrussillo4587]

I swore I could hear French in there too.

[@kyrieeleison1743]

Yes, he was speaking Franglais. He is not a perfect bilingual. But if you can speak french, it's not so bad.

[@hopefulskeptic42]

I understand the constraints of an operation like DN, and how often the videos don't match the subject and why. But that said...with this show the videos that you showed were an actual distraction. A much better use of monies would have been closed captioning. For those of us not accustomed to listening to a heavy french accent, it was hard to follow your guest. Closed captioning would have been very appreciated.

[@chaptermasterBurnedHand]

While Amazon tells its workers to go back to the warehouses, their tech workers get to stay at home unti October

[@bernardfong1019]

Je souhaite l'écouter en français.

[@daysjours]

Y a plein de clips de lui sur KZbin. Un mec brilliant.

[@garybezner6774]

This French individual can speak more intelligently than trump . Trump is unable to use more than a very limited vocabulary .

[@hsingkao2024]

That is the reason why trump was elected.

[@daysjours]

Dylan Ratigan on the Jimmy Dore Show said something profound about how all the media is up in arms that Trump recommends that we drink Clorox for Covid-19 "what do they expect? He's the village idiot. What is more important to cover is the colossal failure of mulit=trillion$$ healthcare system created by Obama-Biden so pathetic that we don't even have PPE or cotton swabs for tests, if they even were available - whole media networks are devoted ranting on and on about the village idiot. We have powerful Congressional leadership that gets a free ride but keep your eye on the clown show in the Oval Office." Keep that in mind.

[@jasonjolt1246]

My goodness, I didn’t understand anything!!!

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

I doubt you ever do. Your comments on here reveal a paranoid Fascist of low intelligent, poorly-educated and hideously unsuccessful. The 'fail' stamp has just been applied to your forehead. Now go away and stay away.

[@swagswap]

I find his accent extremely difficult to follow. Which is a shame, because I find his message very interesting.

[@jasonjolt1246]

Herald Events and Films / mmmmm, you look like big fan. I’ll give a kiss on your forehead as a reward. Follow me on the Instagram honey

[@dertbom]

You know your English is bad when Google auto-translates CC into your native language.

[@afriedrich1452]

If you believe that people can die from economic hardship, then you are either a diehard Liberal or a diehard Conservative.

[@postscript5549]

I had difficulty understanding Piketty due to accent and sound quality/echo. I didn't hear any practical, specific advice. Where does the money come from?

[@JonROlsen]

translation?

[@troyturton8197]

The Stock Exchange MUST GO!

[@progyandas9650]

Shit ..... this guy has kissed his nobel prize goodbye !

[@MAl-xz7lc]

I KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON I HAVE NO SOLUTIONS.. BUT GDAMNED I WILL WRITE A BOOK AND GETTING RICH👈🤓🤓🤓.

[@mattrussillo4587]

He sounds like Inspector Clouseau on speed!

[@oscarjones5297]

Please Jesse Ventura.. run for president..

[@littlesometin]

4:56 How can you pronounce Thomas Piketty like that, especially in the same sentence where you pronounce Macron later on?? WTF? hahaha

[@sandygreenleaf6586]

I wish the subtitles were English instead of French. I could hardly follow what he was saying so this was very hard to listen to

[@EM-xw6bm]

It sounds like he is speaking French with a few words in English. I am having a hard time understanding him.

[@jameskandy]

Could not hear the French guy. Very poor audio quality

[@Yo_Kelz]

French homie's background tho lmao

[@Marxist2]

It is hard to understand him.

[@lumpi806]

Je suis français et j'ai du mal à comprendre piketty : "piketty, you talk too fast , with a horrible accent !"

[@daysjours]

Il essaye de son mieux, le pauvre.

[@Blubirdmoon111]

I wish I could understand him-

[@bigdog44pc]

This may result in a dramatic drop in global population

[@lilmamasomeanlovedymond5416]

So I'm supposed to believe whites didn't know amerikkka is a systematic racist, hateful and oppressive country? 🤔 then deny their white privilige!

[@kusheran]

For those complaining about the need for subtitles, read his book, write a transcript and post it.

[@cristianerehem28]

A guy who writes a book with more than a thousand pages should have more time to speak about a subject that should be daily discussion. But as Amy said, who wanna listen to his ideas, go to the book! What are the media and interviews for? To pretend we discuss the issues. Very risky. And media is just a supermarket as the others. You even find real food but if you want it more, go to the farm. Lol. Funny. Media only offers samples not real food for thought. Interview should be a new and specific discussion that the book do not substitute. But. But. Press release. Sampa/SP, Brasil - 30/04/2020 - 13h41 (-3 GMT)

[@HolyCity2012]

Sucks about the audio.

[@sondrajean955]

Why do they provide closed captions for some & not others? What did he say?

[@jean-michel9851]

Love Piketty but wish he was less critical of Marx without having read Das Kapital!

[@petrosimac9546]

pls enable english auto translate