‘The super-rich know that their wealth is unfair,’ says Mr. Marlene Engelhorn, a Viennese heiress who is giving away 25 million Euros to the general public by way of a committee of 50 selected citizens, without personal input in how it is distributed. She was spotted in Davos protesting at the World Economic Forum (WEF), with a sign that said: Tax the Rich,’ Camp said as I sat down. He was already halfway through his first pint. I guess this is a slow time of year at the book store.

            ‘It’s admirable and she certainly has a point but it’s quite unusual for the rich to demonstrate against themselves. What is her message?’

            ‘The WEF is basically an exclusive club of the super-rich and some government reps promising to make the world a better place. The reality of course is nothing like it. It’s mostly hobnobbing at seminars and dinner parties albeit without the Russians this year who were notorious for their lavish, bacchanalian parties.’

‘Nobody advocates for debt-relief for the poor countries nor does anybody offer a fairer tax system or a better wealth distribution,’ I said.

‘Giving away money is not a new idea but only 2 percent of the money spent on charitable purposes by foundations around the world goes to climate protection – that alone shows that there is little to be made of traditional patronage.’

‘And the rich get richer and the poor stay poor,’ I said.

‘The five wealthiest people in the world, all men by the way, have more than doubled their wealth since 2020 while at the same time, nearly five billion people, the poorest 60 percent became even poorer. That’s from a study by Oxfam, just published before the current WEF.’

‘Go figure. A better wealth distribution by way of taxation would be a welcome thing, bring the poor up while the wealthy remain just as rich. Maybe an inheritance tax over one million dollars would be a start.’

‘I agree with you but the argument against that is the inherited money has already been taxed as income.’

‘Bullshit. As Ms Engelhorn points out: It’s normal for money to be taxed several times. Income tax on your salary, purchase tax when you buy something, Goods and Service Tax everywhere, alcohol tax when you drink or buy alcohol. Why not inheritance Tax?’

We both emptied our pints and looked out at the monochromatic scenery behind a curtain of rain. Typical weather for this time of year on the Pacific West coast.

‘What will the American people inherit if they elect Trump again?’

‘First off, they will get what they deserve. If they want to have a psychopathic gangster lead them into the wilderness of superstition, conspiracies, social upheaval and the end of democracy as we know it, then they get exactly that. If they want to be friends with dictators, criminals and murderers and hate their neighbours for their science, judiciary and common sense then they get that too.’

‘You paint a pretty bleak picture there, Camp. Like the end of the world.’

‘Well, that’s pretty well what it will be. Chaos, blame games and violence. Not for the betterment of mankind, not for social justice, not for democracy, not for the environment, not for progress and science, not for tolerance, not for peace, love and harmony.’ 

‘What people don’t realize is that they are not only choosing between two old men but between two distinctly different administrations and philosophies. Maybe this is a wakeup call for ordinary Americans, the ones that can think, compare, look around and are concerned about their neighbour’s wellbeing.’

‘Yeah, dream on. Either way it’s going to be a mess and whatever the outcome, half of the population will cry foul, not accept the results and maybe even take to the streets. A civil war is not too farfetched. Remember there are more guns in America than people.’

We looked around for our server who was noticeably absent. Vicky must be back at school. Then I spotted Rosie chatting to a customer at the bar, not paying a lot of attention to her thirsty customers. When I finally was able to catch her eye and gave her the victory sign, she gave me a friendly wave. I was signaling two beers; she was responding with a greeting.  Such are the simple misunderstandings that make this world a confusing place.