The Plan Is To Privatise EVERYTHING. Here’s How | Aaron Bastani meets Brett Christophers

Asset management companies like Blackrock, Vanguard and Macquarie have avoided real scrutiny for decades, but their secretive activities are starting to attract attention from political researchers and academics. What do these companies do, and what risk do they pose to society?
Author and academic Brett Christophers sets out to answer this question in his new book, Our Lives in Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own the World.
He sat down with Aaron for a crash course in the world of asset management, discussing the dangers of financialisation, how UK infrastructure has been gutted by privatisation, and what we can learn from the case of the City of Chicago vs. Morgan Stanley.
00:00 Intro
01:45 What are asset managers, hedgefunds and private equity?
06:02 The power/influence of asset managers.
20:28 Who are Blackrock?
23:52 Asset managers and housing?
39:17 Asset managers and care homes.
41:17 Chinese infrastructure
45:23 Asset Managers vs. UK Infrastructure
01:02:38 Asset Managers vs. Chicago
01:06:32 How these companies ruin cities.
You can buy Brett's book here: www.versobooks.com/en-gb/prod...
Novara Live broadcasts every weekday from 6PM on KZbin and Twitch.
Episodes of Downstream are released Sundays at 6PM on KZbin.
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[@dinoflame9696]

Easily the most important conversation of our age, this guy gets it.

[@johnkruk6929]

A rude awakening to the dangers of privatisation of public assets into the hands of asset management funds , this being counter productive to the needs of a society . We need to learn to control all of our resources & assets . Thank you both , Brett Christophers & Aaron Bastoni .

[@ericfaria9914]

I live in Brazil you don't know the real trheats LOL first world bblind as always, ty bitcoin for exist

[@leeyoung9469]

I fear it’s far too late…the horse has long bolted. The Labour Party aren’t going to protect the few public services that are left. RIP our once cradle to the grave is no more. Even the state pension is on life support. Future generations are, like the USA, on their own.

[@rostovskypeter]

The scariest thing I've seen working as a capital markets intelligence salesman is a CEO of a retirement community whose previous background is that she worked as a CLO investment manager for a few decades. There's no way she didn't see every old person as a line on a spreadsheet with a maturity date.

[@buzoff4642]

No elements of humanity are on spreadsheets. A fundamental flaw in Economics education.

[@rostovskypeter]

@@buzoff4642 I mean you know, numbers can tell a story. But if your whole career you've been trained to manage "expiration" and to make sure that when one expires, another moves in - I wouldn't trust that person near my grandmother

[@BusterCapInYoAss]

"keepin' it real'?!

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

Just you watch how they crank up the hatred against the elderly and the "boomers" to take away their pensions and property and keep it to themselves. Also watch how the spiteful nasty Left help them do it

[@michelegosse7116]

From the 80s, Europe, the professional heads, directors, of every productive plant , of institutions, were replaced by financial "managers" , and the workforce called "resources" - without any Union protesting -, with everybody brainwashed with the lure of being modern and more "effective".

[@Wraithing]

Increasing amounts of public money is being funneled as a benefits system for billionaires. But the asset management problem is that so many people's pensions and insurances depend on everyone being screwed by these non-governmental, low responsibility, middleman leaches. So you can easily end-up having your home sold to the asset management firm to pay your extra fees for the care home they own, that ends up killing you because they underinsured you for their own profit - but you've got to support them because governments no longer take responsibility for protecting the health and security for the citizens of their nation. It's a World of Progress indeed. And we're all knackered. Thanks for this interview Aaron.

[@buzoff4642]

What percentage that is gleaned from investments and what percentage actually makes it to the people (pension cash and benefits) is undisclosed. However, even a low 2% annual fee, compounded annually does its damage. In the US, PBS/Frontline's "The Retirement Gamble" says you'll be lucky at retirement to get back $.33 for every $1 you put in. And worst: "investors" are also persons, but there's a thick layer of non-discloser to stereotypical person giving over their monies. 1) there is no political spending disclosing and what's best for the corporation can be directly against my interests as a human being - water quality, national economic stability, etc.. 2) abstracted as "diverse investment", investor has no clue where their money is. I asked at work, where exactly is "my money", the dollars I'd put in the company pension. The question was kicked around and forwarded until it died. Polaroid used it to fund their business, until the whole scam blew up.

[@Wraithing]

@@buzoff4642 That's rough. Hope it doesn't work out too bad for you in the long term, but I agree: the human cost of this is terrible; the scale is vast; and the power of the people protecting this dreadful idea for their own self-interest makes the possibility an practicable solution for the good of the majority problematic to say the least. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge on some of the real world effects.

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

Just you watch how they crank up the hatred against the elderly and the "boomers" to take away their pensions and property and keep it to themselves. Also watch how the spiteful nasty Left help them do it

[@SycoticReaperMk]

The government isn't supposed to are care of you, your socialism is exactly what the rich use to do this

[@robwilton9539]

The basic plan is for the rich to own the Earth. The model is that of plantation owner and slaves. Plantation owners with slaves in the past were in the most profitable business possible, so this is where the super rich want to be. Self administering slaves are the way ahead. In the past, slave owners housed and fed the slaves and the slaves bred more workers. Today they want to own your home and make you pay the cost of it. They want to feed you with food you have produced for them and that they charge you for. They want you healthy and they charge you for it too. Basically they want you to work for nothing and breed more slaves. Today though, breeding does not increase the workforce quickly enough so they want governments to import more slaves from countries where they do not have this business model running yet.

[@KaliboAklan-un8ug]

Good to know Hashirama's will of fire didn't die out from all of the mind f*ckery they are advertising

[@robwilton9539]

Oh I think the majority of human beings are still susceptible to the temptation of greed over loyalty and love takes a back seat when personal fortune is in decline. @@KaliboAklan-un8ug

[@diogenebladi4469]

I dont think they want us healthy they make us sick and make us pay for bad Care service

[@volkana1977]

that´s one of the reasons why I decided to be childless. I refuse to bring a person to this world to be another slave to the system. Antinatalism is revolutionary.

[@ccahill2322]

@robilton9539, They already have their "strategies" working in those countries they send the "migrants" from. They "appoint" racketeer elites in those countries so they can get the resources for next to nothing. Those countries many or all with great potential wealth, are kept poor as part of the big picture. When they can't "appoint" their controllers the can organize a coup.

[@Superfantastictop10]

Watching this in installments. Too depressing. We're all fucked, aren't we?

[@dogeared100]

Vote 3rd party for a start.

[@Wraithing]

Yup! System has to change. It's the power supply for the doomsday clock. Sadder than impotent futility & frustrating as Hell.

[@nisardar2652]

New World Order- few will own everything, rest will be slaves, according to them- worked perfectly fine in Roman times….

[@digitaldemocracyai-rob]

Absolutely not. We are on the cusp, we are beginning to see the truth, time to act....we have nothing to fear, but fear itself. Let's go.

[@nizzie16]

@@dogeared100 what third party? We have three left-Wing parties here in Germany. Each is more useless than the next. Unless there’s an actual radical global movement happening in the next few years that is willing to make big changes we'll keep drowning slowly but surely.

[@mattantonelli4273]

At least 71% of shares in England’s nine privatized water companies are owned by organizations from overseas including the super-rich, banks, hedge funds, foreign governments and businesses based in tax havens.

[@paulkeeling6442]

Yes and they have been pouring raw sewage into our rivers and coastline for too long and say they can't afford to treat it yet pay huge bonuses

[@robplazzman6049]

And yet I'm continually told that a strong point of Mrs Thatcher was that she put the UK first !

[@buzoff4642]

I fail to see how adding a profit requirement atop a public commodity in any way makes it "better". Especially when held as a monopoly - the exact opposite of the justification of capitalism, the benefits of competition.

[@jabrazil416]

Water in Brazil is state-owned. Expensive and poor quality.

[@paulkeeling6442]

Water is privately owned in Britain and they are still pumping RAW UNTREATED SEWAGE INTO OUR RIVERS AND COASTAL RESORTS SO KIDDIES ARE SWIMMING AMONGST TURDS AND TAMPONS !!! YET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE STILL BEING PAID MASSIVE BONUSES YET THEY WANT GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO TREAT THE SEWAGE . SO THE MONEY SHOULD NOT PAY IMAGINARY PROFITS FROM WHAT IS ALREADY UNDER PROVIDED ESSENTIAL HEALTH 😅​@@jabrazil416

[@XykcTepa]

If you replace every use of the word the word interesting by the guest with the word sickening/disgusting this interview makes much more sense.

[@aktarmiah6]

It angers me how the British Public has lost its back bone. Unable to see through the corruption and doing something about it. Aaron as always asks the right questions. Top guy.

[@alfiecdyson]

Let’s declare holy war

[@mikecook1537]

Why does anyone really care?

[@bomination.]

it's not a lack of back bone it's a lack of knowledge, which is not their fault, it down to the lying cheating capitalists.

[@shadowofmyfutureself]

When did the British public have backbone? When we were well educated?

[@mikecook1537]

@@shadowofmyfutureself people are very well educated as we have some excellent universities in the UK. Oxford & Cambridge for example.

[@rcjdeanna5282]

I feel like a daring protester using the public library faithfully. The takeover of public works is hastened by the flight into personal tech instead of participating in our civic life. It's easier for my grandchildren to push the Amazon app for a used book than to go to the library and learn the responsibility and blessing of their library card. So if the takeover keeps going it is the fault of our lazy addictions to personal tech...which, by the way, is also ruining our eyes and general health.

[@buzoff4642]

Absurd pin point generality. The use of (tax free/tax subsidized) Amazon for purchases does far more damage than which version of books they're reading. FYI, audio books are available via libraries also.

[@uglee4877]

Thank you Aaron and Brett. This is a massively profound discussion and explains most of UK history over the last 25-30 years (anybody remember Mandelson on the yacht with his billionaire friends?). Our political leadership on all levels has been utterly dire, incompetent, spineless and just plain dumb most of the time. We/they let the wolves into the sheep pen and now this is where we've ended up. it is beyond depressing because now we are all exhausted and don't have the strength to fight back. Best of luck to future generations!

[@hilaryporter7841]

Agree. This video needs playing on a loop on main stream television until the population is finally well versed into what has been done to them. Neither the Blues or the Reds have the right answers, they will both make matters much worse.

[@ilfautdanser9121]

They're not incompetent or spineless, they're part of it.

[@23erisx]

THIS!

[@user-kp3ii5vi8h]

there would be no future generations

[@PazLeBon]

Conservatives stand exactly for that type of politics but the people keep voting them in, even in the face of proven lies and cheating and incompetence. So it seems the problem has to lie with the public themselves, whether that is education being incompetant too or whether the national media is misguiding people somehow

[@silondon9010]

Royal mail privatisation has destroyed the service with completely unachievable workloads for postal workers and tracked items prioritised over letters, which are some times left for days 😢

[@zuzanazuscinova5209]

Does anyone still use letters these days?

[@brandonmiteraa9909]

What are letters?

[@robwilton9539]

What I don't understand is how Royal Mail got to keep the "Royal" in the brand. Henry must be turning in his grave.

[@AngryVet44]

Same with the US postal service.

[@romeo20maypole68]

Thank you Aaron and Brett. Deep facts; if only , if only, someone ( a principled politician) had the courage to stand up to do the right thing.

[@andrewbarry1380]

no chance the goverment is same beast the game was lost for us decades ago......weve only just found out were fucked they have taking the lot and their not giving it back

[@MsHumble4]

Politicians do know. Problem is : blackmails used to control them… Or also: have you noticed how fast they all get rich so fast ??? See about the USA. In some ex-colonies, they also got furniture to their houses from the best wood and all made for free.

[@susanWilder2175]

It’s up to the people.

[@g1fcg]

This country is unfortunately being run by a xenophobic, fascist, dictatorial government - their model is to get rid of state schools, NHS, and anything that benefits the 'average' person. People have less and less 'rights' - people will die if they have their way! regarding infrastructure we are going backwards - I can see it ending up a feudal system at this rate!

[@dogeared100]

Same in us.

[@Madonnalitta1]

People have less of everything because it wasn't built for so nany people. Most of British infrastructure was built in the 70's. Neither government has invested enough in public services to keep up with Britain's greater population. There is no left and right, they will both screw you whilst you argue amongst yourself. All are owned by money. We (the people) are not our governments masters.

[@vincemarshall8550]

well the great reset is about fuedalism and the labour party are all in with it

[@Danuxsy]

that's the point of capitalism.

[@BlueFace33388]

we are in a techno feudal society now, beyond capitalism.

[@RobertojavierSilvaharth-ub3pz]

"That's how clever people make lots of money". I beg to differ; this people are amoral but well connected to an amoral government that facilitates their deals and benefits through shares or kickbacks.

[@billB101]

Basically legal theft.

[@gamble9437]

Very interesting talk, however we all know the private sector has been gutting public services and the public in general for almost 30 years. The next interview should be how do we stop it and build a strong economy that works for everyone.

[@johnfowler4820]

We keep speaking out. The best solution as described by Mattias Desmet in " the psychology of totalitarianism". I can not recommend this book enough.

[@buy.to.let.britain]

central banks have already privatised money, when they removed the gold backing. its all 100% private and bought with fake £s.

[@chippyminton8711]

@@johnfowler4820 It won't be speaking out that changes anything , it will be taking to the streets. For too many years people have been protesting and all the time the establishment have just laughed at us and ridden roughshod over us. It will be revolution that changes the nation !!

[@23erisx]

Think longer. It hasn't been 30 years. It's been OVER 50 years. It was starting in the late 50's if not before.

[@misscogito9865]

@@23erisxyep, around the time game theory was developed. I believe this theory, while applicable within a narrow set of contexts, as it was popularised and expanded into decision making fields, it effectively justified psychopathic behaviours, which became the modus operandi for anyone pursuing wealth. To extract wealth from society, you first need to predict their decisions. Most predictable decisions are made in the absence of alternative choices. You do that by destroying the competition. While the capitalist worshipper will tell you that this competition drives value, but in the society becoming increasingly poorer, where the public services are the only choice for the majority, it’s predation. Capitalism seems like a definition coined by a short-termist asset manager. It was never here to stay, but making that argument (it’s the best system we ever had and the alternatives are worse), got more locust on board.

[@Sarah_in_London]

Every hardworking person should be able to buy their own house. My fiance and I are both teachers in west London and we have been totally priced out of buying and are even struggling to rent something reasonable. Asset Management companies have absolutely no place "investing" in housing. Housing is a basic right and it makes me sick to think that some companies are using their enormous capital to affect markets and increase profits off the back of hard-working individuals.

[@conscientiousobjector5988]

Or better yet, people should be FREE which means a guaranteed right (not a privilege) of land ownership. Problem is...we are analogous to Palestinians in a world of Israelis intent on running things. Know a foreshadowing when you see it.

[@Madonnalitta1]

"There are no human rights, we made them up. Like Santa Claus, the Easter bunny - s#@t like that. They're an idea, and cute. They're a cute idea" - Carlin

[@baka_ja_nai]

>Housing is a basic right Not under capitalism.

[@Wraithing]

@Sarah… The pension firm you're paying into (and potentially health insurance, life insurance etc…) relies on the asset management firms owning the houses you can't afford. It's a feature of the system, not a bug. See the system and, if you don't like it, start teaching the kids to see it too.

[@brianwheeldon4643]

This is Auckland and Wellington and other places in New Zealand too, where it's been some form of this sort of operation for decades. People here over 60 years of age or so love it. It's Capitalism on steroids. It's never-ending

[@colterino]

I’ve been saying it for years. You’re either corporate or you’re out of luck. Until and unless people unite to boycott and strike, nothing will change. There, I’ve said it. We don’t vote with ballots, we vote with dollars. Money is power in while we still have some we need to learn how to use it. Good luck. Learn every day 😊

[@matiasjonsson5457]

We need to revitalize peoples ability to live using ancient low-power and low-consumption methods so that we can progress towards not needing money. Mud houses, native plant gardening, etc. Gandhi, despite his controversies, proved it in india: if you don't spend a dime on imperial industries, they collapse overnight because they are made mostly of debts.

[@thelouster5815]

Boycotts don’t work.

[@mikeoglen6848]

Do you really want to live in a Mud Hut with no heating, no running water and labouring 18 hours day in your garden to produce a few potatoes and root vegetables to live on?@@matiasjonsson5457

[@jazclarke4438]

The best action will be to stop paying. Coordinated no pay days/months cut it off at source. Don't pay for travel, don't pay for water, don't pay for energy. If you work at a train station, let everyone on for free. etc

[@MeatPuppet1962]

I boycott and strike, its quite effective.😊

[@marygarrapa3537]

Thank you so much Aaron. Now we know that whoever we vote, the number of homeless people will never go down. If anything, it will increase. The number of babies will go down, though, as young couples struggle to pay rent for a one bedroom flat and both have to work fulltime, with lots of overtime, even, maybe.

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

Just you watch how they crank up the hatred against the elderly and the "boomers" to take away their pensions and property and keep it to themselves. Also watch how the spiteful nasty Left help them do it

[@davemedlyn071]

Well done Novara…….. keep the truth coming. I depend on you for my news. Season greetings to you all from the Republic of Ireland .

[@hasanmahmood30]

I am with your jouney novara. Love from Bangladesh.

[@BusterCapInYoAss]

Be vigilant against these vultures, protect your people and culture! A Westerner.

[@jozette-pierce]

Asset management is predatory, and should be against the law. Put the predators in jail.

[@an_occidental_observer]

they own the jails and judges

[@daveuk1324]

Brilliant exposé of "State Capture" by what are effectively legalised Mafia organisations. We all know something has gone wrong, but this starts to unpack what that actually is. Keep up the great work!

[@Fidelista23]

I've been banging on about this in Australia since 1988 and left the Australian Labor Party over electricity privatisation. It's destroying society and increasing poverty as we speak.

[@tealkerberus748]

I've been off grid for the last fifteen years, and I'm grateful every day that I'm out of that mess. I just wish the supermarkets and other businesses I still have to pay money to weren't building the ever-increasing price of electricity into the price of everything I have to buy from them.

[@davidking5765]

If anyone wants an example of how poor the private sector is at building infrastructure you only need to look at HS2 in the UK - the escalation of costs (and of course the failure to complete the project) shows that the Private sector is totally unreliable when it comes to building anything. The escalation of costs was utterly astronomical.

[@BeanFace-oj2en]

Hs2 was just a silver spoon to drip cash to the dog's mouth

[@philliprowe9473]

I don't understand, how is hs2 private when it's government led?

[@kevinmartin9800]

True but it was because the project was government managed. The govt can’t organise a piss up in a brewery.

[@gerhard7323]

​​@@philliprowe9473 The public deficit is equal to the EXACT penny of the private surplus. These 'public' projects will often just get strung out and costs added and all it does is bloat the private surplus enriching the relative few at the expense of the public deficit. The latter of which is socialised ie everyone gets to pay for it one way or another.

[@gerhard7323]

I've long said this and it's never been acknowledged and sometimes shouted down. The housing market supply in this country is deliberately stifled as a matter of policy because mortgages ie debt are one the primary drivers behind money creation. The absolutely last thing government wants is affordable housing for all.

[@scottydogbigg2991]

Humanity is waking up, and the scales on their eyes are falling off. The people of the world will rise up and take back our freedom. We are legion and they are few. They will be running for their lives once the people turn their anger towards them.

[@user-vc7kt6yi3w]

The British don’t like to protest…..

[@aquari_2344]

Yes, public investment CAN be implemented incorrectly and corruption is commonplace. But corruption is literally the business model of asset managers. so private investment CANT be done without corruption.

[@jmc6687]

Ironically the money we save in our investments and ISA's is being used against us to price us all out of our homes !

[@fenlander7114]

That and mass immigration to drive up demand, in a world where we are told AI is busy removing the need for workers in all sectors

[@buzoff4642]

That is the point, anonymous use of power via the funds alienated from their owners. Discovered that when I bought/owned Berkshire Hathaway. Hey, wait a minute, where's my annual vote card for the stocks in my 401k, mutual funds? Oh, the broker votes all of those shares. Ditched 100% of holdings, based on the big wall between owner (me) and corporate governance. It isn't in my interests, - for $2.13 an hour for tipped workers, at hotels, restaurants, etc. to inflate restaurant profits, but I get the bill subsidizing their food/housing/medical for their non-living wage - big Pharma and "pharmacy benefits managers" to scalp funds via insurance premiums, which are coming out of my back pocket. - to spike the value of my house via a tight market, so my property taxes skyrocket on "unrealized gain", something stockholders evade when holding stock, business evades via "accelerated depreciation" of their assets

[@peterw.gstettner7737]

Thats why you need skyrocketing national debts. If the nation, the community is bankrupt, privatization becomes much more easy. So all these crises - like covid - extending national debt disproportional is a very good thing...

[@slbe9721]

Yes, from one bubble to the next, I was always hoping that somebody someday would come and burst the asset management bubble.

[@user-ns8qx8nh5e]

They cheat people out of their money, that is their game. it's like borrowing money to enter a monopoly game that has been running for 100 years and the two guys running it will continue to lend you money until you run out they take your assets and add them to the gameboard, and keep adding boards to make it look to the newcomers like there are profits to make.

[@toiletrollholder]

I've been told that if you continue to play Monopoly as per the rules, the last man standing continues to play against the Banker. The result is always that the Banker wins 💰

[@user-nv8ub8ty4d]

Novara keep it up. Well done.

[@greenvector]

I think most thinking people will know this already, but it’s nice to have it laid so neatly. Good job.

[@user-gu7dc7jw7d]

Has helped me understand the structures and scope.

[@23erisx]

Most people don't think, they react.

[@macbird-lt8de]

all seven of them?

[@buzoff4642]

Two major flaws. - not a conspiracy/collusion?!? Davos, World Economic Forum, Aspen, etc. What do they think, internationally these effects are coincidence? - well covered constraints on demand, and totally avoided the Far Left third rail, importing demand - open border immigration. As the public has fewer or no kids and the native population shrinks, the demand would be naturally soften.

[@corinnapetry65]

I live and work in Chicago and have become an absolute expert on finding free parking on side streets that don't require resident permits. [However, you won't find that opportunity downtown, so I take public transportation whenever possible.] In the other neighborhoods, I am willing to walk two blocks to avoid paying for parking. There is an argument to be made that high parking fees hurts businesses.

[@buzoff4642]

"hurts businesses" Yes indeed. I no longer make a quick stop for a bite to eat, after dropping off the Mr at Boston's south station, nor head there for the day - jacked up parking fees. We no longer go to Chicago twice a year for mini vacations, due to the blanket No Smoking In Any Hotel Rooms rule. Nor Connecticut. Nor NYC. Vicinity day trips only. We rarely eat out, I can't see supporting the $2.13 an hour for tipped workers businesses. Pharma, offloaded to only what's essential, in the moment. Long haul, "I want you to take this ...", no thanks. Amazon, only ordered 2 phone covered for the Mr, in 10 years. Offload the feeding the beasts.

[@tealkerberus748]

Curbside parking fees damaging local businesses has been proven empirically literally every time any urban government has removed or disabled parking meters in the streets outside those businesses. It is always more profitable for businesses to replace that government revenue with extra taxes on their business than to see their customers driven off by even the smallest parking fees. But no matter how often it's proven, urban governments keep returning to parking meters like an addict to a drug that's killing them.

[@buzoff4642]

@@tealkerberus748 Similar with suppressed public transportation, minimized to subsidize the car/gas/oil businesses.

[@thecelt4807]

private power is the real unseen enemy we all should be aware of , its manifestations into collectiveism and by default control over governments is key to understanding its destructive toxic potentials

[@therealtea9786]

Yea & my mates R trying to steal my property portfolio which is what this interview is all aboot in HA code nice one Aaron

[@michaelstimpson1137]

I was thinking the same thing. Money is being sucked out of the economy despite the economy allegedly "growing" people are getting markedly poorer and the problem is making people sick and they're starting to die prematurely. You can't see a gp in the UK without making an appointment days ahead, yet I'm in Croatia and took my son to see the gp, we walked in and were back home in 30 minutes, so what's wrong with the UK? Croatian doctors get paid about a quarter of a UK GP. I believe that now GPs have been privatised, they get paid not buy the number of people they see but the number of people that are registered with them. I work within the NHS (for a private contractor owned by an investment bank) my patients sometimes can't get referred by their gp, it seems, and I'm not sure if it's correct but the gp will have to pay something for that referral.

[@maxdunford2517]

One of Tony Blairs great ideas....

[@buzoff4642]

What's wrong?!? The answer's right here: "I work within the NHS (for a private contractor owned by an investment bank)" How does adding profit to healthcare in any way improve it? Monopoly isn't capitalism, nor have any of the benefits of it.

[@Colston3]

Short-termism is the biggest problem we face.

[@amparoconsuelo9451]

What you are discussing is happening in the Philippines. The frustrating part is that the government allows and ignores it inspite of the knowledge of consequences.

[@odetocycling]

Whenever I have a spare hour spare I watch one of Novara's in-depth analyses like this one. Always learning and expanding my understanding of the mechanisms that underpin modern life, politics and economics.

[@debbiewilcox8890]

REDACTED is also brilliant

[@momo8200]

"You will own nothing, and love it" - your masters of the universe

[@Madonnalitta1]

Bingo.

[@jmaitlandthomas]

Ironically this quote is from a presentation about shared ownership of assets such as cars and appliances to reduce overproduction and wasteage, which asset managers would hate 😅

[@brandonmiteraa9909]

​@@jmaitlandthomasno they wont you see you will rent those things from them, still gotta pay both davos and the elites win haha youll rent a car for more than buying one and share it with 5 other renters

[@digitaldemocracyai-rob]

Unless they owned the cars and appliances@@jmaitlandthomas

[@buzoff4642]

@@digitaldemocracyai-rob Depends. Uber, Lyft, AirBNB, Amazon operate on You Own and Are Responsible For the Asset(s), we skim a percentage on sales going through our platform. Wild. I can't imagine a postage stamp charging more, depending on what's in the envelope. Airfair more, depending on how much jewelry your wearing. Etc.

[@fattoad2668]

How many homeless adverts are there asking for help,( as well as others) designed to make us believe we are victims of circumstance when all along it's been deliberately set up to profit the greedy.

[@brandon_youtube]

Incredible and shocking. And whichever way we vote it will have no effect on the influence of Asset management on society. This is what Sanders an Corbyn was shouting about but the typical newspapers easily convinced the UK public that they were communist. In fact they were against asset management and the financialisation of everything. But calling someone names resonates more with the public...

[@buzoff4642]

I don't know that people are convinced the opposite of oligarchy is communist, it seems they're more stunned by the (foolish deflection) accusation.

[@MsHumble4]

Oh ! Nice to listen to NOVARA ! You do give me the HOPE for a better World for EVERYONE !

[@hilaryporter7841]

There used to be a Monopolies & Mergers Commission that packed a punch that was cut off at the knees. There is now a desperate need for an Asset Management Control Commission.

[@merbst]

Economic Rent Seeking

[@3X3NTR1K]

This was always the ultimate goal of capitalism. Not only are such assets forms of capital, but the most valuable kind. The only higher prioritiesare the tools to acquire them, secure them, and keep them out of public hands. We usually think capitalism is all about the money, but nope! Fundamentally it is a tool for extracting assets. Our assets. Money itself was never the *point.*

[@buzoff4642]

Hmmm, that would be interesting. Money that has expiration dates. Use it, or loss it. That used to be the case, high tax on dormant profits. It slowed the accumulation, as it was sheltered with R&D. Now it's stored up, until there's enough to buy/shut down competitor(s). Anti-trust too has been gutted, at least in the US.

[@SycoticReaperMk]

This is literally socialism. Capitalism doesn't use the government to help the rich have monopolies

[@3X3NTR1K]

@@SycoticReaperMk That's adorable.

[@3X3NTR1K]

@@SycoticReaperMk Multiple billion dollar companies are paying less taxes than you, and I mean YOU specifically, because they pay literally zero taxes. What they do spend money on is lobbying (aka legal bribes) to both parties to get those tax cuts. And them they buy up other companies and become bigger, and bigger, and bigger... And that, child, is how monopolies are born! Buy yeah, sure, most aren't exactly zero. Doesn't matter. Its the same game, the same effect, they make money hand over fist, rip off everyone they can, fire as many people as possible, capital is collected and everyone else get hosed. Oh and by the way, if you're testy about taxes being taken and sprnd? You know, like infrastructure, health care, all that stuff? Not paying it is more expense. European "socialist" countries have free to use healcare, and spend far FAR less than us for it. How much are YOU paying?

[@toiletrollholder]

We have CRONY Capitalism. CORRUPT Capitalism. CRIMINAL Capitalism. If we had capitalism as intended we would all function. The whole world would. Everyone could have a home, food and personal safety. We are ruled by hidden psychopaths 🤬

[@DougMayhew-ds3ug]

Once again, a great penetrating topic which highlights fundamental moral moral barriers being overrun under the banner of the rent-seeking monopoly capital. Only national policy can push back, which is the very thing under attack by these same financial interests. Will it ultimately end with humans being owned as well? Some would argue this has already happened, for example how politicians are bought, or how everything is getting more expensive without increased pay to compensate for it. I am convinced that productive capitalism must ultimately return upon the saturation failure of strictly opportunistic or speculative rent-seeking capitalism, because speculative capitalism eats its own foundation away. The question is what we have to go through deep depression and or war or can we have enough collective vision to steer it back onto solid ground. In regards to the immigrants working in the care homes, this isn’t just limited to the care homes it’s everywhere; the conservative argument of a replacement strategy has merit, but through the lens of cheap labor. The masses are being pulled into western countries from Third World in order to lower the cost of labor, to keep the globalist system running at the expense of wages, a race to the bottom. The proper understanding being that the default workforce has become too expensive. This is largely due to real estate speculation and general inflation tied to deindustrialization and fossil fuel restraint, raising the cost to keep a roof over family’s head. Due to the excessive wealth draining by the very speculative rent-seeking capitalism discussed above. it’s the wealth extraction that captures a disproportionate share of production, and funnels it into further generations of similar financial exploitation. Juxtaposition this against industry, which adds value and increases the power of labor, you can see the difference is crucial, one “investment” simply extracts, but the other, industry, returns more physical value than what was input. The difference between physical leverage and financial leverage soon becomes quite apparent; physical leverage is the genuine article, whereas money allows exploitation to rear its ugly head and call itself growth when it’s really anti-growth. Therefore, it is entire edifice is doomed, and that is why we need to reconsider our imperial model altogether. The best course of action would be to throw this parasitical system in the trash and replace it with industrial and technological investment on large scales, probably in coordination with the BRICS system emerging. The current geopolitical environment can only be described by the old system, fighting its last gasp against and alternative more firmly rooted and truthful developer, as opposed to the colonial, exploitative geopolitical model. The only difference between the inflation and increasing rents we see on a personal level, and the wider geopolitical expression of imperialism and colonialism is scale. It’s the same mistake at different scales.

[@Gph0367]

Great interview Aaron👍 Thank you Novara for the amazing work you're doing. Keep on exposing the truth!!!!

[@rkafulani]

The best explanation of why everything seems broken in the West. Everybody needs to watch this important video. Thanks

[@CJ-gv6bq]

So how does carbon fit into asset management. It appears to me that carbon is also being leveraged as an asset. Blackrock is a key payer in ESG and the United Nations carbon agenda. The reason why people consider the UN equity agenda as being related to socialism, including housing, is the political objective to make all outcomes globally more equal with in and among nations. As a middle class American citizen, i feel this pain every day, as money is systematically through policy and laws to redistribute wealth to migrants, and those deemed oppressed. Let's be honest. This is why Western culture is under attack.

[@LackofFaithify]

Ever heard of a company called Tesla?

[@nightrider12soul]

I saw many smaller businesses going down the drain.They struggle in competition with big companies. Capital belongs too capital and a small part of capital is invested to make more money.

[@grantbeerling4396]

To add further: 1) When sold off to a private corporation, the former democracy of the 'institution' is gone forever. You can no longer change your mind, ie Chicago. As Mariana Mazzucato says in two of her (in my opinion) best books (The Value of Everything and Mission Economy), until the myth that 'Private is good' (and free) and Public is bad (a tax 'burdon') is dispelled we shall continue on the private trajectory until we return the Piketty's prophecy of private owning 90% of everything (as in 1910) with only the fear of revolution (rise of communism) making government compromise (plue two world wars and financial collapse leading 1930s depression) and adopting a 'third way' which was Keynsianism. Not perfect, but it led to what many see as the 'golden period of capitalism' (which is Trump's wet dream of MAGA). When the government was in control, we had the closest gap in the history of income equality. Only the Nordics continued this route, again not perfect, always in flux, but that is for each generation to decide/fail/succeed but helped with the PR voting system.

[@thejfoshow1320]

Yeah that stood out to me. You literally erode sovereignty and, therefore, democracy, for the length of the contract. Even if governments technically signed up. Much like the EU actually

[@lobintool]

So, basically capitalism is taking us all to the cleaners! What are we supposed to do about it? The only two options we have to vote for in the UK are both obviously complicit in the corruption. So it seems the only choice is which would we rather get screwed by? Is it any wonder that the number of people with mental health issues is going through the roof? Can you get Rutger Bregman on your show to talk about Universal Basic Income?

[@RugbyPass81]

Better still, get Professor Guy Standing on to talk about UBI.

[@buzoff4642]

This isn't capitalism, it's corruption. Publicly paid for assets, the gov has no business giving public property to any, especially when sole provider/distributor. It's theft of public property, and, it's delivering the public into the hands of a monopoly. Universal Basic Income solves what? Taking tax monies out of my back pocket, only to send some of it back to me as UBI solves what? Living Wage, national living wage, essential to all.

[@peterwait641]

Asset management can mean loading companies with debt, asset stripping, pushing up bills and holding back wages !

[@daveuk1324]

I'd say you summed it up nicely in that one sentence. Good job!

[@5353Jumper]

Don't forget screwing vendors and reducing service levels or product quality for consumers.

[@buzoff4642]

@@5353Jumper Very easily done, Jumper, by eliminating competitors.

[@peterwait641]

@@daveuk1324 Privatisation reduces the money in circulation as profits go to the rich and not spent by workers generating tax. This then requires more tax from working and middle classes .

[@5353Jumper]

Privatization fans love to cite efficiency of corporate ownership vs government or social ownership. On the theory that corporations will reduce costs at all cost. But there are several measures of "efficiency." And spending the least amount of money is not always the best measure. In many social cases the measure would be more like "spending the least amount of money while delivering a quality service." Or a safe service, or a fast service, or a service cheap for the consumer. Often corporations cut costs by reducing service levels and product quality without lowering prices making the thing worse for the consumers (citizens). So for infrastructure and social services, privatized corporate ownership is almost never a good option from the citizens perspective.

[@admorris3898]

Exactly. They always bang on about efficiency but it's purely in the context of leveraging that for maximising cash extraction for shareholders. This is why the B-Corp model is much more progressive. It actually considers a range of metrics for the success other than monetary profit for a select few

[@PazLeBon]

whats that saying, you can have cheap, fast or good but you cannot have all 3

[@admorris3898]

@@PazLeBon The irony with that statement is that once they've achieved or have been handed a state sponsored monopoly and control over the supposedly "free" market (the neo-liberal end game). The consumer gets neither fast, cheap or good

[@PazLeBon]

@@admorris3898 oh I hear that ;)

[@buzoff4642]

The only efficiency of handing public assets to private hands is - insta profits from an asset they had no stake in creating, nor stake in maintaining - they've a captive monopoly on the users, so zero competition, forcing effective operation

[@chaoscarl8414]

What's really crazy to me isn't so much the thought of so much vital infrastructure being privatized as it's the realization that the vast majority of people seemingly think it's a good idea.

[@dubchile]

A wealth..a lifetime even, of financial investment that is going on with our money in no more than one hour and nineteen minutes. Simply brilliant. Bravo guys! 🙏

[@doltecbyal]

I love this channel. Thanks and thanks to Mr Christophers and other guests too.

[@MeleanDialogue]

This is really getting to the heart of the problem

[@timbookedtwo2375]

In order to control people you control the food and water supply, and soon the air they breathe.

[@jamilabagash149]

Like Gazza.

[@northernhammer1414]

This was a fantastic morning watch, thank you!

[@cathjones4899]

Modern Monetary Theory gives us the understanding to work out how to counter this trend. Right now many people in positions of power are gaining from financialisation which is why they are baking it in across the political spectrum as if there were no alternative. Until ordinary people understand how states fund themselves and what the real constraints on government spending are they will not rise up and demand change. Alternative media is the only chance, please do your bit Novara Media

[@carolchase2632]

Right on-point ! Impressive research with bomb conclusion. Thank you for that hard work!

[@bobearle1727]

Fascinating interview, well explained.

[@twogsds]

Excellent interview, fascinating topic and well interviewed by Aaron Bastani, the secret of a good interview seems to be asking questions that encourage the interviewee to explain their work, mission accomplished, thank you gentlemen for an informative interview whilst I make my Ketogenic Mince Pies.

[@ginalibrizzi5204]

Thank you so much for sharing this critical information!

[@SELondonUSA]

Asset Management. A very enlightening exchange about a subject I have very little knowledge. I look forward to reading Brett Christophers' book next week.

[@jonathanbailey1597]

His previous two books are worth a read too.

[@jnauttube]

The plan is not to privatize everything. The plan is to turn everything into a public/ private partnership. It's a form of economic fascism. The industries remain in private hands, but the results of production are directed towards national goals.

[@buzoff4642]

You clearly didn't listen to the entire thing. The privatizing is the absconding of publicly funded built assets. They will once again become public, once depleted and in need for restoration. Aka theft.

[@jann9507]

Thanks for your post and for having the guest. Fantastic talk on Asset management and the hegemony / scam of the dollar driving extreme poverty in the global South while keeping money/commodity/ more money cycle going.

[@Meta4Monky]

Just discovered this channel. Excellent questions and conversation

[@Tayyla007]

Me too. And I am devastated. Finland is doing The same mistakes😢

[@brianwheeldon4643]

Another great interview. Asset management of retirement villages using short to medium term funding to finance long term capital investment requirements necessitating continual raising of land prices (future capital profits), raising of short term rental cash inflows necessitating a lack of accommodation capacity over extended periods, accompanied by rising immigration. Welcome to New Zealand where the banks love it too. Thanks for interviewing Brett Christophers ps definition of asset management is asset stripping, no more, no less. Depends on the location it can merely substitute borrowing against assets and pocketing the cash, thank you very much.

[@robwilton9539]

Not sure if you are aware but New Zealand has been earmarked as the future home of the super rich. The main reason is that they deem it the least likely civilised place to be destroyed in a nuclear war.

[@brianwheeldon4643]

Nice comment​ rob. I wasn't specifically aware, but it's been talked of for years as a bolt hole from climate chaos and world War scale conflict for decades. There's Peter Thiel here and others. Being super rich doesn't correspond with intelligence or wisdom though is what I've found. ps asset stripping was a technique often used by Ron Brierley in NZ in the 1980s. Buy an asset rich lacklustre profit co cheaply and split it up selling the assets for a large net profit. society picks up the pieces and pays the unemployed workers, and so on and so on.

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

*its not a secret* its neoliberal policy and tory natural state. its what they want in very plain sight. them and their friends do politics as a money grabbing venture, its like a hobby to them or bet amongst themselves.

[@jgmediting7770]

It’s right wing economic policy no matter the flavour, full stop

[@user-gf5qm9no8q]

best to not give it such a narrow label such as 'tory'

[@RugbyPass81]

​@@user-gf5qm9no8qNo, right wing would be a better description. That said, the Tories, being the pond life that they are, are fully on board with this.

[@ltmund]

​@@RugbyPass81Depends on what you mean by right wing. If you mean Privately owned (ie by an individual) then this is not right wing. If you are referring to corporate ownership then left/right no longer fits (both the left and right reject corporations. They are neither state owned or Privately owned).

[@RugbyPass81]

@@ltmund I generally refer to the belongs of individuals as personal property which, as a socialist myself, isn't an issue for me at all and no one would take that. When I say private property I mean the means of production. The right, generally, don't want that to be given over to public ownership, whereas I do.

[@connerblank5069]

There's a special kind of irony to an industry whose majority customer base is _pension funds_ being almost singlehandedly responsible for the anihilation of affordable housing _and_ a general drop in quality for senior care.

[@mickc6700]

Very informative. The question now is what can be done to stop it?

[@samo1kralj]

put a cap on individual of 1bln , you cannot own more, sum of all companies, real estates, cars,planes etc.

[@samo1kralj]

@@CanWeAvoidMoreWar I would too, but it would be a start to have billionaires instead of multibillionaires

[@chrisperkins7331]

We could start by copying the swiss tax system on housing rent. Their law says that unless you can show that your costs have increased you can't put the rent up and the tax on capitol gain is 90%.

[@thelouster5815]

By this point basically nothing. The super wealthy and their constituents in government have amassed too much power for the common man to create change. Even if they organize.

[@6catalina0]

1:09. Asset Management is the privatization of public and private resources. The answer is to make schools, parking enforcement, prisons, utilities, gas and electricity and water government owned. The answer is to legislate that apartment and nursing homes and hospitals and business property cannot be owned by asset management companies that are only interested in turning these businesses over for a quick profit.

[@tealkerberus748]

It's not just that they're seeking a quick profit. These essential services must only be owned by structures that are in turn owned and answerable equally to all citizens of the catchment area. Not just essential services, either. Have you noticed how when businesses such as mines are owned by corporations whose shareholders live on a different continent, their management always spends less on environmental safety measures than mines whose owners live close to and downstream of the mine? People whose only connection to the mine is their shareholder dividend will never be as careful about its safety as people whose whole lives will be destroyed if the tailings dam fails!

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

Here in Australia, retail superannuation funds (one’s run by the financial industry) have such higher costs that 49 of the top 50 superannuations funds, by return, are industry funds run by trade unions. This seems to confirm what the video says.

[@shadowofmyfutureself]

Fab discussion. What we need to hear. The future belongs to US

[@rosst333]

Always great content on this channel

[@peatmetree774]

‘Stewardship’ rather than shareholders please. Totally agree.

[@leeyoung9469]

A secret? Really!

[@digitaldemocracyai-rob]

Best yet....the whole sheet and kaboodle in one episode. Awesome.

[@jllacrosse]

Great clarity on a very complex structure. What happened to Anti Trust Law Protections? Too much money in to few hands is always DANGEROUS AND LEADS TO VERY BAD ENDINGS! I would appreciate your addressing this issue & how this can be altered and reversed J

[@buzoff4642]

Enforce the Anti Trust Law.

[@markcooper4380]

Take one example, UK Energy. Gas price is below the 2022 price but we pay double since privatisation. National Grid profits, £4.6 billion, EDF UK £1.2 billion, price cap £166.00 pcm! Double. Perhaps that is why folks cannot afford energy?

[@janharvey8876]

WOW....that explains so much. Brilliant thank you will buy the book.

[@mrs.s71]

Wow! Excellent expansions. Thank you.

[@matth7448]

Im moving into my car and trying to start a business. I literally cannot save money working and renting a place. I am losing money

[@phyllishumes8431]

You explained this so well. Thank you.

[@lynnhickinbotham3784]

Great interview , thank you for exposing the truth NM keep up the great work you do , this is true reporting not a mouthpiece for the ultra rich

[@chatham43]

...and the bourgeois middle classes!

[@jamesmedina2062]

Lots of a juicy details!!! For a regular bloke on the other side of the pond it may be a little much but I try to learn anyways. Thanks!

[@thejfoshow1320]

The right attitude to have!

[@user-rf6mv3te7e]

Privatisation of public utilities is a bad idea. Some examples. : 1) The great pong of Adelaide. The sewage pipes an treatment plants in the city of Adelaide were privatised by a state government suffering from the idea that this would reduce costs and increase efficiency. The company that took over reduced maintenance staff (these guys are expensive) and no doubt paid dividends to shareholders and bonuses to directors. This was fine for a while until sewage began to back up and flow backwards to the sources (lack of maintenance). 2) the problem in Auckland. Privatisation of the electrical grid was done by the government of the day. Again, maintenance was reduced and bonuses paid to directors for their skilful management. After a while, The whole of the Auckland CBD was without electricity and businesses that stayed open relied on diesel generators.

[@joshfoster8632]

Brett Christophers makes some fascinating points...

[@videobyredjade]

Thank you

[@alanmalarkey]

Good and interesting stuff, thanks

[@UK75roger]

Thanks again Aaron

[@dreweduk]

fascinating conversation

[@theresabarzee1463]

Brett & Aaron! Fabulous discussion. Any reason not to hold up Brett's book!?

[@ZhTra]

It would great if NM can make a list of all authors that they have interviewed through this year.

[@Sophia-bf5wm]

Yeah! Or maybe a new years eve video where they chill, drink and go down the list and say what they all think 🍻

[@petertaylor4954]

They will leverage crypto doublespeak and call it "tokenization" and hail it as a victory for freedumb.

[@keithwilliams744]

It’s not rocket science that running public services for maximum profit yields lower net service outcomes at greater expense.

[@jherbert7417]

When are you going to interview the author of ’How They Broke Britain’?