The Beatles, with an assist on backup vocals by none other than Mick Jagger, had this hit song in  1967:

“Baby, You’re A Rich Man”

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Now that you know who you are.
What do you want to be?
And have you travelled very far?
Far as the eyes can see

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
How often have you been there?
Often enough to know
What did you see when you were there?
Nothing that doesn’t show
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man too

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way
Now that you’ve found another key
What are you going to play?
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby, baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man too
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby, baby you’re a rich man too (fade out)

That was over 50 years ago and guess what, things now are even worse!

The super rich have always been way on top of us working stiffs, but this is ridiculous!

Just go onto any television show, whether it be the cooking shows my wife loves, or the news talk and sports talk shows I frequent, and the slew of mega millionaires is too much! People in this mainstream media are raking in mega fortunes, while the suckers like us watch them religiously… 

Ditto for most of our Two Party/One Party politicians, many of whom are super rich to the hilt! Question is how in the hell can any of these people know what it is like to be a few paychecks from the street? Or on a more softening instance, how can they know what it is like to have to worry about raising a few kids while staying afloat with the mortgage or rent payments?

As far as health care, that really pisses this writer off. You think any of those aforementioned super rich citizens need worry about paying for a Cadillac top of the line health plan costing on average $ 15k a year? Go online and Google the wealth of such people and see for yourself. Yet, many of them act like regular working stiffs when they get in front of the camera.

Bill Clinton could get up to $ 750K for a speech,

Barack Obama a healthy $ 400k, George W Bush $ 175k, Hillary Clinton around $ 200k a pop.

All of the top former politicos earn mega thousands for speeches.

Now, do you think they are getting paid by working stiff unions or such organizations? Come on, they are ALL being paid by Fat Cat corporate groups… and so many of us still support these vultures. One should ask just how much of those hefty speaking fees they all receive goes back to help those in need? You know and I know that at best these politicos may donate 10% of what they earn and just keep the rest. Why not? This is ‘free market’ Amerika.

Just follow the path of good old Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who likes to claim

“I am the only person on this debate stage who is NOT a millionaire”.

To date he has at least 40 billionaires and spouses who donate mega bucks to his campaign. If for some reason (hope springs eternal ) this 38 year old who came from seemingly ‘out of nowhere’ does not get the nod, just ‘Follow Da Money’ in the next year or two. We will see how much he is going to be earning for himself.

I would suggest it will be Mega Millions! And why not, aren’t we a ‘Free Market’? Yeah, free for the super rich to earn as they please while us working stiffs stand to watch the parade leave us. Folks, as long as we continue to live within a system that allows private money to run things…. the billionaires and mega millionaires will subsidize those who ‘Suck up to them’ to be elected. Yes, Bernie Sanders is an anomaly to this process, but watch what the Fat Cats who run things, including his own Democratic Party, will do (as they already have) to thwart him. The only answer is to have Complete Public Funding of ALL elections in this nation of ours!

The Zoo mentioned in that Beatles’ song where the rich man keeps his money is in reality the Zoo that our republic has become. In addition to the aforementioned ideal of public funding of ALL elections, how about this one: A flat 50% Surtax on any income over one million dollars per year. Let everyone file federal taxes at the current ceiling of 37% for the 1st million dollars they earn. After that, half of the rest they can keep and half goes to the Treasury. Think what can be done with all that extra revenue. Just use your imagination.

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Philip A Farruggio is a contributing editor for The Greanville Post. He is also frequently posted on Global Research, Nation of Change, World News Trust and Off Guardian sites. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn NYC longshoremen and a graduate of Brooklyn College, class of 1974. Since the 2000 election debacle Philip has written over 300 columns on the Military Industrial Empire and other facets of life in an upside down America. He is also host of the ‘It’s the Empire… Stupid‘ radio show, co produced by Chuck Gregory. Philip can be reached at [email protected].