Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky interviewed billionaire Tom Perkins on Thursday, who was in the news in late January for daring to discuss his very valid concerns about class warfare in America in a Wall Street Journal letter, as discussed at Liberty Unyielding.
As was noted at the time, Perkins’ concern that the treatment of the “one percent” could lead to another Kristallnacht became the focus of indignant news articles everywhere. Perkins noted that “frustrations” which have been “building up for a long time” served as the catalyst for the letter. He cited the “demonization of the rich,” particularly an attack on his ex-wife, author Danielle Steele, as prompting his letter.
With an apologetic tone, Perkins said that he “spilled a little more blood” than he had planned, but was not sorry he wrote the letter.
Some of the more notable points during his interview:
- If Germany had America’s gun laws, there would never have been a Hitler.
- People do not really understand what the “1%” is actually contributing to America.
- Income inequality is caused by “policy failures,” such as social, fiscal and monetary policy, an example is the “war on poverty.”
- The rate of poverty is worse now than at any other point in history.
- The incredible debt held by the United States cannot be paid back.
- Teacher’s unions make it impossible to have quality schools in inner cities.
- If people don’t want to learn, they won’t. People need to be proactive in their own wealth creation.
- President Obama is an “amateur.”
- The demonization of the “1%” is new under Obama. Instead, people should strive for wealth creation.
- The top ten percent is “carrying the government.”
- President Obama “made an immense political mistake” by pushing through Obamacare without one Republican vote.
- Once the wealthy are taxed out of existence, the “99%” will have to pay for the government. Everyone will be paying higher taxes.
Watch the entire interview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHiOc3TXNU
