Inspire Change SEASON 7-289 This isn’t Capitalism - The Billionaire Illusion

This week on Inspire Change, Gunter starts a mindful conversation on the phenomenon of the billionaire illusion. Example, what we are seeing today is a distorted version of capitalism.  Today's billionaires don't pay taxes, they pay lobbyists, they pay influencers and create monopolies.  So grab that coffee or fave beverage and listen up. IF you have some thoughts to share on this conversation. Please reach out and contact us! WE INVITE all viewpoints as long as its a 2-way street conversation. We can disagree, but be respectful. 

This week our gratitude goes out to India. Previously, it was primarily the area of Mumbai that kept India at a steady #3 on our Top 10 Global listeners list, but this week, however, it’s the entire country, as you’ve moved back up from #3 to # 2.   Congratulations!! From all of us here at Inspire Change with Gunter, We appreciate everyone of you and are grateful for your likes, shares, follows and subscribes, but most of all for you continuing to inspire positive social change!
If you want to share your story of social change, feel free to reach out  to the show directly. Please see the show-notes for our contact information.


On a side note: Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's neo-noir/supernatural thriller novel Amulets of Power, Book I A Brian Poole Mystery is officially ON SALE EVERYWHERE you like to get book, but if you want a discount please consider ording direct. ANY LISTENER who order's direct will get a surprise gift. https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=3RoOA6kVQ7ZgmqSK9LdnvNyDAZZFsg9IMaLUaprPgXK

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there in the USA!

The entire team at Inspire Change with Gunter would like to bring attention to our neighbor listeners to the south of us in Mexico!  Particularly all of you in Mexico City for this week's gratitude journey.  Congratulations!!  For the first time you are only 5 spots away from the "Top Ten Global Listeners List" as you made it to #15 .  Thank you/Gracias  to each and every listener.   We appreciate everyone of you and are grateful for your likes, shares, follows and subscribes, but most of all for you continuing to inspire positive social change!

Make sure you LIKE SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW our new Official YouTube Channel of Video Shorts series: https://www.youtube.com/@InspireChangewithGunterSwoboda/videos where we will be adding new videos and content every week from Gunter and our guests.  https://www.youtube.com/@InspireChangewithGunterSwoboda/videos

Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's new novel Amulets of Power, Book I - A Brian Poole Mystery trilogy.  CHECK OUT the critic's praise:

Editorial Reviews
"Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's entrée novel weaves you in a deep and captivating story of thematic and impactful visuals of traditions and the obligations that come with it.  The reader will be hooked and ready for the next book in this trilogy." - The Associated Press

"Captivating character development and unforeseen plot twists; the novel guarantees to enthrall readers with its seamless merger of historical depth and contemporary drama, ensuring a riveting and electrifying read." -Publishers Weekly

"Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's debut novel Amulets of Power blends noir detective with the supernatural; set in London, England." - KTLA News

Visually impactful1" - Australian Post Observer

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https://www.booktopia.com.au/amulets-of-power-book-i-gunter-swoboda/book/9780999266861.html (Australia)

DON'T FORGET to join LEGENDS OF POWER SWOBODA-JOSEPHSON VIP Inner Circle. It includes a Pre-Order of Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's book which you can order here by joining the Legends of Power Swoboda-Josephson VIP Inner Circle - Its only $80 per year and you get a lot of benefits, events, and it includes membership into the Changemaker Collective here:https://www.bonfirecinema.com/bonfirevip

Watch the promo video narrated by the amazing https://markredfieldstudios.com and then  JOIN the Legends of Power Swoboda-Josephson VIP Circle that includes the Changemaker Collective! https://youtu.be/9JkFFWv7s0I?si=0yA7GjwWen-3OhRI

All points, viewpoints, discussions and subjects discussed on this podcast are those solely of the opinions and research  of Gunter Swoboda  for educational and information purposes. If yo

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, listeners, it's good to siboa here with some exciting news.
We're on the lookout for sponsors to join us on
our incredible journey with Inspired Change with Conta. If your
organization cares deeply about meaningful conversations around masculinity, self development,
and mental health, we'd love to partner with you. Our

(00:24):
podcast has a wonderful, dedicated audience committed to personal growth
and positive social change. By sponsoring Inspired Change with Conta,
your brand will connect with listeners who truly value thoughtful
discussion and support initiatives that promote real transformation. We're incredibly

(00:47):
proud to be ranked number one in Australia and number
five in the USA on feed spots top men's mental
health Podcasts. For more information on how to become sponsor,
please reach out to Miranda Spegner sap On, our showrunner
and executive producer. We'd love to explore how we can

(01:09):
work together to inspire change.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Thank you for your continued support, and let's keep inspiring
change together.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
You're listening to Inspire Change, the broadcast that strives to educate, motivate,
and empower men to challenge traditions of masculinity to guide
us through the intricacies and intersections of emotions, relationships, and
male identity is renownced psychologists, author and speaker Gunter Swubota.
This is Inspire Change.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Before I begin the actual podcast, I would like to
respectfully acknowledge the gategor people of the Order Nation, who
are the traditional custodians of the lane on which I work.
I would also like to pay my respects to their
elders past and present. Welcome everybody to another episode of

(02:02):
Inspire Change with Gunta. I'm your host. Welcome everybody to
another episode of Inspire Change with Gunta. I'm your host,
and I do a podcast that fundamentally challenges the narratives
shaping our world, starting from patriarchy to mental health issues

(02:23):
and also, you know, from time to time some social commentary,
and over the last probably a month, I've been compelled
to think about a particular issue more than i'd like to,
because in a way it's certainly not within my reach

(02:44):
to change. But I think that if we can stimulate
a collective thinking around this, we could actually make a
difference in the world.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
So what am I talking about, Well, I'm talking about
the phenomena of what I call the billionaire illusion, and.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
We need to think about what that means. So let
me get into it. Over time, you've probably heard that
billionaires are proof that capitalism works, and that if you
work hard, innovate, take risks, you two can climb to

(03:28):
the top. But here's the thing. Fundamentally, that's not capitalism,
at least not the traditional capitalism that we've been taught.
What we're seeing today is a distorted, unrecognizable version of it.

(03:49):
In fact, i'd argue that this is something entirely different.
Classical capitalism had rules. It was about competition, pricing, investment,
and risk. You build wealth by creating value, not by
buying influence, monopolizing platforms, arieting asset bubbles. Today billionaires just

(04:16):
don't compete. They consolidate, they extract, they don't pay taxes,
They pay lobbyists, and they get subsidized. So let's look
at what's really going on. Now. This is not in depth.
You know, the books can be written about this topic,

(04:36):
but I still want to venture into a space that's
going to help people to think about this differently, to
not buy the kool aid that's constantly served up on
the politico economic buffet that we're subjected to Like all buffets,

(04:56):
if it's out there too long, it goes off. So
let's take big Tech. This is a really good example.
Once they were symbols of innovation, these companies now function
more like utility monopolies. Google controls information, Amazon controls commerce,

(05:21):
Meta controls attention, Black Rock in the United States controls housing.
Now the question here is are they competing or more importantly,
are they just maintaining control. And what about wealth itself?
Billionaires aren't getting rich from building factories or hiring workers.

(05:45):
They're getting rich from stock market games, algorithms, real estate inflation,
and interest bearing assets. They've shifted from being capitalists trenchers.
They sit on capitol and the system rewards them for
holding it. That's not a free market. That's a aristocracy

(06:09):
or feudalism with a facelift. And here's the kicker. The
whole system relies in the state. Billionaires literally depend on subsidies,
tax loopholes, friendly regulators, public infrastructure, which, by the way,
they didn't pay for. And when the system crashes, they

(06:33):
get bailed out while everyone else is told to tighten
their belts. See.

Speaker 5 (06:38):
In essence, the billionaires don't take any risks we the people,
the public do we hold and suffer the consequences of
the risks out there.

Speaker 6 (06:54):
Now, the other part of this is that we've all
heard of the term self made billionaire, but how many
really are self made? In fact, I'd probably argue none.
Each tech legends built their empires on government funded research
like the Internet, or uninherited wealth the legacy, or by

(07:17):
exploiting global supply chains propped up by weak labor laws.
So let's get it straight.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
Let's stop worshiping worshiping them, and let's start interrogating the system. Now,
if you think this doesn't affect you, think again. When
bilitionnaires hoard wealth, they concentrate, bower, they influence elections. Look

(07:52):
at what happened in the US with Elon Musk and
the Republicans also influence media, education and even public health policy.
This isn't a market, This is a monarchy without crowns. Now, ironically,

(08:16):
Donald Trump Taco has actually set out to create a
monarchy of sorts with him as the king. So he
gets it as unintelligent and uneducated. He may be, he's cunning,
and he actually gets it. So the question that arises

(08:40):
from all of this is what do we do Well, firstly,
we need to stop calling this capitalism. You know, if
we are going to be accurate, we need to start oligarchy,

(09:02):
rent here economy, plutocracy, kleptocracy is something that also fits
into this definition. And then what we need to do
is we need to reclaim the idea of a fair economy.
Now let's keep this in mind. The kleptocracy, the plutocracy,

(09:23):
the rentier economy, or the oligarchy will not take this
line down. They will fight back. But we need to
reclaim a fair economy. And how do we do that Well,
we need to begin to break up monopolies. We need

(09:44):
to rain in speculative finance. We need to tax wealth
not just income. And we need to invest in public
goods and in my view, health education, how's it utility
are public goods? There is no room in this for privatization.

(10:10):
And finally, the thing that we need to do is
give labor a real seat at the table rather than
disenfranchising it, because that is the way they control the
large section of the population. Now, let me spell out

(10:34):
the truth in this. Capitalism in its ideal form, was
meant to decentralize power, not concentrate it. It was supposed
to create opportunity, not dynasties. And what we have today

(10:56):
isn't capitalism. It's a ghost wearing its skin. So the
next time someone says billionaires a proof that the system,
the capitalist system works, you need to ask for whom
and at what cost. This isn't the invisible hand. It's

(11:16):
a clouded, closed fist. Okay, So let me give you
three examples of billionaires and how this sits. So I'm
going to talk about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Gina
ryan Hart in Australia. Okay, So obviously the first two Americans,

(11:38):
the last one is Australia because we've got a global
movement here. So Elon Musk is in the technology and
an energy and aerospace sector. His estimated wealth in this
year is two hundred and ten to two hundred and
forty billion. Now, despite the fact that he's often celebrated

(11:59):
as the typle self made entrepreneur, Musk's empire Tesla's SpaceX
URALNKX is heavily intertwined with public funding, market speculation, and
monopoly positioning. Right, so he lives by public subsidies, labor
dynamics and platform power. Okay, so Tesla's benefited from billions

(12:23):
in tax credits and energy subsidies. So that's just a
good example. So in summary, Musk is not simply innovating.
He's extracting warth through a blend of state support, media spectacle,
and stock inflation. That is not classic capitalism. That's techno

(12:45):
feudalism with a pr budget. So let's look at Jeff Bezos.
Sector is e commerce, cloud infrastructure. Current estimated wealth one
hundred and seventy two one hundred and eighty billion. Bezos
built Amazon into one of the most powerful corporate entities
in history, not through market competition, but by undercutting rivals,

(13:08):
exploiting labor, and dominating infrastructure. One of the key strategies
is tax avoidance. For years, Amazon paid little to no
federal tax despite enormous profits. He also employs anti competitive practices.

(13:31):
Third party sellers often find their data mind and undercut
by Amazon's own private label products. So summary, Bezos didn't
win in a free market. He designed the market in
his favor. His wealth is a product of monopolistic leverage

(13:51):
and systemic asymmetry, not productive equality. So let me give
you Genna Reinhardt. Her is mining and resources estimated wealth
this year thirty to thirty five billion Australian. Now she's
Australia's richest person. But her wealth didn't come from her

(14:13):
innovation or entrepreneurship. She inherited mining leases from her father
Lang Hancock and expanded them in an era of deregulation
and high commodity prices. So its inheritance legacy, its resource extraction.
Her wealth has started to control over finite natural resources

(14:34):
iron all primarily on indigenous land, and she gets regulatory
favors and has an massive amount of political influence. So
Ryan Hart exemplifies rent here capitalism, accumulating wealth by controlling
what others need rather than producing new value.

Speaker 7 (15:00):
The fact that she has it at leases that don't
have a finite limit to them, you know, it's sort
of like add infinitum is a really serious problem in
of itself.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
So the point that I'm making finally, is that none
of these individuals are actually capitalists in the original sense
of the word. They are architects of closed system, insulated
from competition, shielded from risk, and enriched by policies that
favor the few over the many. So it's not a

(15:42):
pretty picture. We need to do better and the big
question is does our planet ecologically actually have room for
billionaires who appear to be more parasitic than generative. So
thanks for joining me on Inspired Change with Gunta. If

(16:03):
this episode resonated, share it, discuss it, challenge it. Because
truth isn't earned, it's earned. So until next time, keep questioning,
keep changing, and keep inspiring, firstly yourself and then others
until the next time. This is me signing off.

Speaker 8 (16:22):
Hello Divana. Here this week our gratitude goes out to India.
Previously it was primarily the area of Mumbai that kept
India at a steady number three on our top ten
global listeners list. But this week, however, it's the entire country,
as you've moved back up from number three to number two.

(16:43):
Congratulations from all of us here at Inspire Change with Gunter.
We appreciate every one of you and are grateful for
your likes, shares, follows, and subscribes, but most of all
for you continuing to inspire positive social change. If you
want to share your story of social change, feel free

(17:03):
to reach out to the show directly. Please see the
show notes for our contact information.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Love to hear from me, and if you're interested, please
check out my work on www. Dot Goto Savoda dot
com or www Dot Goodman gret dot com.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Thank you for listening. To inspire change a broadcast is
for us to educate, motivate, and empower men to challenge
traditions of masculinity.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
For more information on

Speaker 3 (17:34):
The Making Good Men Great movement, or for individual or
group coaching sessionps with Gunter, visit goodmangrade dot com