Podcasts about third base a one percenter makes

Billionaires. They should be objects of scorn rather than envy. While they ride around in their super-yachts and private jets, producing the climate-damaging pollution of entire nations, they're doing things to extract even more wealth, harm your health, diminish democracy, and rig the whole system in their favor. How did this happen? Why do we tolerate it? How can we stop the billionaires? And can we get a hold of our own super-yacht for Crazy Town pleasure cruises? Chuck Collins returns to Crazy Town to offer insights from his new book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet. Originally recorded on 10/3/25.Sources/Links/Notes:Chuck Collins, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet, The New Press, October 2025.Chuck Collins, Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good, Chelsea Green Publishing, September 2016.Chuck Collins, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, Polity, January 2022.Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:Episode 10, "Tackling Inequality, One Pair of Lederhosen at a Time"Episode 43, "Overproduction of Elites and Political Upheaval, or... the Story of Rich People Doing Stupid Things"

Chuck Collins, the heir to the Oscar Mayer fortune, gave away his millions to progressive political causes when he was in his twenties. Ever since, the resident of Guilford has fought to expose how the rich make themselves richer at everyone else's expense.In his new book, "Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet," Collins shows how the actions of the top .01% have dire consequences for everyone else. He argues that when the system is rigged to favor to rich, working people pay the price in higher taxes, fewer affordable houses and a health care system stripped of both health and care. Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits Inequality.org. He writes the Oligarch Watch column for The Nation. He is the author of a number of books, including "Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good"; and with Bill Gates Sr., "Wealth and Our Commonwealth," a case for taxing inherited fortunes. Collins says we are living through a new Gilded Age. In the first Gilded Age, which lasted from about the end of the Civil War to 1900, “there were 400 wealthy families that by some estimates may have had 40 to 50% of all the wealth in the country,” Collins told the Vermont Conversation. But from 2020 to 2022, “the flow of billionaire wealth, not just to the 1% but the top one tenth of 1% in the billionaire class, is dizzying.” He said that the combined wealth of US billionaires went from under $3 trillion at the beginning of the pandemic to $7.8 trillion by the end.“Pretty much everything you care about is undermined by that concentration of wealth and power: your health, your housing, the quality of your environment.”Collins warned of the danger of “billionaire capture.”“You have the billionaires lining up behind one particular presidential candidate who has totally delivered for the billionaire class to the point where our political system is captured. ... They are using that government shutdown as a way to shrink government and lay off workers. And we're not even going to publish unemployment rates and the data necessary for us to understand what's happening in the economy.”Collins believes that change will come from both the grassroots and from “cracks within the billionaire elites that we should be paying attention to,” such as those who want to address climate change.“As people start to see how their pockets are getting picked, they will wake up and want to push back on this oligarchic capture of our society.”Collins says that change begins by taxing enormous wealth, reinvesting in social programs, and in grassroots mobilizations such as “No Kings Day” that represent “an awakening that we have never seen.”“We have to say, Look, we're not going to vote for people who are going to be lapdogs of the billionaires. ... We're going to see people run for Congress and win and run for higher office saying, I want an economy that works for everybody, not just the billionaires.”

The concentration of wealth in the hands of a select few has become a global problem that poses a threat to the basic functioning of our societies. According to a landmark new analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies, Oxfam, the Fight Inequality Alliance, and Patriotic Millionaires, “A wealth tax of 2% on the world's millionaires, 3% on those with wealth above $50 million and 5% on the world's billionaires would raise $2.52 trillion dollars annually. This would be enough to lift 2.3 billion people out of poverty, make enough vaccines for the whole world, and deliver universal health care and social protection for all the citizens of low and lower middle-income countries (3.6 billion people).”In this segment of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc discusses the extent of global wealth concentration and the far-reaching implications of instituting a global wealth tax with Chuck Collins, one of the co-authors of the report. Chuck Collins is the director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits the IPS website Inequality.org. He is also the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.Tune in for new episodes of The Marc Steiner Show every Monday and Thursday on TRNN.Pre-Production/Studio: Dwayne GladdenPost Production: Stephen Frank

The concentration of wealth in the hands of a select few has become a global problem that poses a threat to the basic functioning of our societies. According to a landmark new analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies, Oxfam, the Fight Inequality Alliance, and Patriotic Millionaires, “A wealth tax of 2% on the world's millionaires, 3% on those with wealth above $50 million and 5% on the world's billionaires would raise $2.52 trillion dollars annually. This would be enough to lift 2.3 billion people out of poverty, make enough vaccines for the whole world, and deliver universal health care and social protection for all the citizens of low and lower middle-income countries (3.6 billion people).”In this segment of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc discusses the extent of global wealth concentration and the far-reaching implications of instituting a global wealth tax with Chuck Collins, one of the co-authors of the report. Chuck Collins is the director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits the IPS website Inequality.org. He is also the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.Tune in for new episodes of The Marc Steiner Show every Monday and Thursday on TRNN.Pre-Production/Studio: Dwayne GladdenPost Production: Stephen Frank

There's been a lot of news this week—so much news, in fact, that one of the biggest global stories in recent memory has seemingly gotten buried under the deluge of headlines. Just days ago, as Brett Wilkins writes, “what's being called the ‘biggest-ever leak of offshore data'” involved the publication of “a cache of nearly 12 million documents” exposing “the hidden wealth, secret dealings, and corruption of hundreds of world leaders, billionaires, public officials, celebrities, and others.” Like the Panama Papers (2016) and the Paradise Papers (2017), the Pandora Papers leak provides definitive evidence that the super-rich are ripping all of us off, siphoning inordinate amounts of wealth away from our societies, stashing it for themselves, and using their power and influence to rig political and economic systems in their favor.In the second segment of this week's Marc Steiner Show, Marc and Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies walk listeners through the importance of the Pandora Papers leak, what the documents reveal, and what we can do to stop the pillaging of our societies by the super-rich. Chuck Collins is the director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits the IPS website Inequality.org. He is also the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.

There's been a lot of news this week—so much news, in fact, that one of the biggest global stories in recent memory has seemingly gotten buried under the deluge of headlines. Just days ago, as Brett Wilkins writes, “what's being called the ‘biggest-ever leak of offshore data'” involved the publication of “a cache of nearly 12 million documents” exposing “the hidden wealth, secret dealings, and corruption of hundreds of world leaders, billionaires, public officials, celebrities, and others.” Like the Panama Papers (2016) and the Paradise Papers (2017), the Pandora Papers leak provides definitive evidence that the super-rich are ripping all of us off, siphoning inordinate amounts of wealth away from our societies, stashing it for themselves, and using their power and influence to rig political and economic systems in their favor.In the second segment of this week's Marc Steiner Show, Marc and Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies walk listeners through the importance of the Pandora Papers leak, what the documents reveal, and what we can do to stop the pillaging of our societies by the super-rich. Chuck Collins is the director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits the IPS website Inequality.org. He is also the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.

It was recently announced that Chuck Feeney, the Irish American former airport duty free shopping entrepreneur who was worth $8bn, had, at the age of 89, succeeded in his goal of giving away all of his money to initiatives working to make the world a better place. Every cent. He suggested that to give away a huge fortune was far more fun than holding onto it. He once wrote “to those wondering about giving while living… try it, you'll like it”.   In today's podcast we are exploring how it would be if Feeney's thinking were to be embraced by those holding the vast reserves of money that the world needs to address its complex problems right now. What if they shifted and recognised the need to let go of what they're holding onto? And how would it feel to do so?   Dr Wanda Wyporska is Executive Director at The Equality Trust, the national charity that campaigns to reduce social and economic inequality. She is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of York, a trustee of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, Redthread Youth, and Equally Ours, as well as Governor of a primary school.   Chuck Collins is the Director for the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits Inequality.org. He is author of the seminal book, Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good and co-author of Wealth and Our Commonwealth, a case for taxing inherited fortunes. His new book, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, is about the wealth defence industry and will be published in the UK in February 2021 and US in March 2021 by Polity Press.   Please consider supporting the podcast by visiting www.patreon.com/fromwhatiftowhatnext and becoming a patron.

Claudia Cragg @claudiacragg speaks here for @KGNU (Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, ) for #ItsTheEconomy with , senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies. There, he directs the Program on . Collins latest book is He has written a number of other books including '99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It', and 'Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality', 'Bringing Wealth Home', and 'Committing to the Common Good'. He has also written numerous reports about billionaire wealth during the pandemic. Discussion in this latest interview for @KGNU focuses on getting the Biden Infrastructure Bill paid for in a way that is also combined with tackling the egregious crisis of inequality in the United States. This is is so serious now, says Collins, that President Joe Biden is declaiming that, “It’s time to build our economy from the bottom up and from the middle out, not the top down.” In recent speeches promoting his Infrastructure Bill and his American Jobs Plan, President Biden said, “I’m proposing a plan for the nation that rewards work, not just rewards wealth.” In admitting that our current system rewards wealth, President Biden revealed what American financial and political elites have known for decades: that we do NOT live in a meritocracy. Instead, we live in a nation where you have to be rich to get richer. 

It was recently announced that Chuck Feeney, the Irish American former airport duty free shopping entrepreneur who was worth $8bn, had, at the age of 89, succeeded in his goal of giving away all of his money to initiatives working to make the world a better place. Every cent. He suggested that to give away a huge fortune was far more fun than holding onto it. He once wrote “to those wondering about giving while living .. try it, you’ll like it”. In today's podcast we are exploring how it would be if Feeney's thinking were to be embraced by those holding the vast reserves of money that the world needs to address its complex problems right now. What if they shifted and recognised the need to let go of what they're holding onto? And how would it feel to do so? I'm joined by two amazing guests to discuss this. Dr Wanda Wyporska is Executive Director at The Equality Trust, the national charity that campaigns to reduce social and economic inequality. She is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of York, a trustee of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, Redthread Youth, and Equally Ours, as well as Governor of a primary school. Chuck Collins is the Director the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits Inequality.org. He is author of the seminal book, Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good and co-author of Wealth and Our Commonwealth, a case for taxing inherited fortunes. His new book, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, is about the wealth defense industry and will be published in the UK in February 2021 and US in March 2021 by Polity Press. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Do let me know what you thought. My thanks to my guests, to you for subscribing to this podcast, and to Ben Addicott for production and our theme tune. See you next week when we join Wanda and Chuck at the Ministry of Imagination.

The Moneywise Guys Monday, July 6th www.MoneywiseGuys.com Phone: (661) 847-1000 Email: info@moneywiseguys.com Guest: Chuck Collins, Program Director at the Institute for Policy Studies + Author of the popular book, Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good + His new book, Is Inequality in America Irreversible? https://ips-dc.org/ips-authors/chuck-collins/

Chuck Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies' Program on Inequality and the Common Good and the Co-Editor of Inequality.org. As the grandson of entrepreneur Oscar Mayer, Chuck made the inspiring youth decision to give away his inheritance in order to authentically live a life devoted to addressing inequalities.-He is the author of the books, "Is Inequality in America Irreversible?" and "Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home and Committing to the Common Good" (Chelsea Green, 2016).-Collins is co-author, with Bill Gates Sr., of "Wealth and Our Commonwealth", (Beacon Press, 2003), a case for taxing inherited fortunes, and, with Mary Wright, "The Moral Measure of the Economy", a book about Christian ethics and economic life. As an expert on U.S. inequality and the racial wealth divide, his team's Billionaire Bonanza 2020 report continues to gain global traction.-Timestamps:6:55 - 9:00 - Chuck talks how our society is judged by least among according to the Bible and that wealth isn’t everything9:00 - 15:45 - Talking about giving away his inheritance18:23 - 20:00 - Definition of wealth as archeological history of generational advantage and disadvantage and how this leads to a racial wealth divide20:45 - 24:00 - how billionaires made more money from the COVID 19 pandemic27:15 - 29:30 - Charity Stimulus Package33:00 - 35:30 - Oligarchy and Plutocracy Prevention Program - Surtax - stop distortion of our democracy38:20 - 42:00 - Global Tax System44:21 - 48:00 - Current movements exposing white privilege and inequality as America’s preexisting condition49:50 - 52:00 - How the Media is made up of 6 primary companies and how to break them up56:10 - 57:57 - Civic Imagination, it does not need to be this way - devote yourself

“Eleanor LeCain talks about how we can reverse wealth inequality and have prosperity for all with Chuck Collins, author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good, and Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits the website Inequality.org.”  

This week, we present two stories about finding community with science. Part 1: Keoni Mahelona leaves his home in Hawaii in pursuit of science. Part 2: After growing up wealthy, Chuck Collins' thinking is transformed by his work with mobile home park tenants. Aloha. O Keoni koʻu inoa. No Hawaiʻi au. I tēnei wā, noho au i Taipā. Keoni Mahelona is a melting pot of diversity in so many ways -- ethnicity, education, hobbies, sexuality, and possibly personality hahahahaha. He's had a seemingly random journey through engineering, business, and science that's somehow thrown him into media. Today he works at a Māori social enterprise whose mission is to promote and preserve te reo Māori o Muriwhenua, and they use science and innovation to create the tools they need to achieve their mission. He hopes his story will encourage other Māori and Pacific Islanders to pursue a future in STEM.   Chuck Collins is an organizer, agitator, researcher and storyteller based at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits Inequality.org, a global web site focused on the income and wealth divide. He is author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good. In his late twenties he worked with residents of mobile home parks around New England to buy their parks as cooperatives.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CHUCK COLLINS is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies and author most recently of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good. We talk about inequality in America and the GOP’s proposed 2017 tax bill that will only make things much worse.

Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good, by Chuck Collins, is an excellent and persuasive look at wealth inequality by a man who gave away his inherited wealth when he was 26, and finds common ground and allies across the income spectrum. Chuck is a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies.

Guest Chuck Collins, Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies. speaks with Diane Horn about his most recent book “Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.”

More than race and more than gender, class and wealth are the great divide in America today.  There was a time when those with wealth represented a kind of noblesse oblige.  They had sense of obligation to the larger society that had allowed them the opportunity to succeed. Today something is different. Something that goes far beyond reaction to the "greed is good" utterances of Gordon Gekko. There is, at the heart of today's class divide, an anger at the wealth pooling at the very top. It’s fueled further by the complexity of our economic systems, the power of money to shape policy, the rural/urban divide and role of education for successful jobs. So how did we get here and what can we really do about it. Understanding this has been the life's work of Chuck Collins. He bring in his own personal experience in his new book Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good My conversation with Chuck Collins: 

Ralph talks to animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff about how animals think and feel and also to former heir to the Oscar Meyer fortune, Chuck Collins, about his book Born on Third Base: A One-Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.  

Chuck Collins joins us this week as he releases his new book Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good. Collins, a descendant of the famous meat packer Oscar Mayer, talks about his early years in the Detroit-suburb of Bloomsfield, Michigan and his gradual understanding of privilege and inherited wealth. He also talks about the effects of the Estate Tax, his life "after inherited wealth" and the many other forms of capital that contribute to the racial wealth divide today.Please purchase Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good:http://www.chelseagreen.com/born-on-third-basehttps://www.amazon.com/Born-Third-Base-Inequality-Committing/dp/1603586830