The Rise of the Global Elite

“The already wealthy have emerged from the global recession in an even wealthier position. What does the rise of global elites mean to power and influence at home and abroad?”

That’s the blurb from TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, the latest Canadian news show to tackle the issue that explains so much of what is going on: rising inequality. This “debate” advanced the discussion, making the links between the economics and the politics of the growing concentration of incomes, wealth and power.

The CCPA has been at the forefront of bringing attention to the problems triggered by growing inequality. Our concerns were echoed and expanded by experts from Columbia University, the Rotman School, and the Atlantic Magazine.

There was no disagreement on the worrying significance of these trends, even though two of the panelists represent the business press and a business school, and a third has made the history of privilege the focus of his study.

Here’s the link to a lively and fascinating 36 minute discussion on The Rise of the Global Elite.

The panel included Chrystia Freeland, editor at Reuters and author of the superb article in the January 2011 edition of Atlantic Monthly “The Rise of The New Global Elite”; Shamus Khan, professor in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University; Partha Mohanram, professor at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; and yours truly, author of “The Rise of the Richest 1% in Canada”.