Henry Kravis is a billionaire, the 57th richest person in America. He acquired this wealth by purchasing public companies with borrowed money. To pay off the debt, he cuts benefits at the company, sells its assets, and lays off employees.
This get-rich-quick scheme made him $450 million last year. Meanwhile, his tax rate is lower than teachers, firemen, nurses, even his own cleaning staff!
Yet everyday we hear another story, we live another experience, we see another example of the horrific economic pain our country is being devastated by.
It's time all of us started a WAR ON GREED.
Use this video as a funny, satirical, and poignant way of raising the issue with your friends, family and colleagues. Then start up your creative juices and figure out what *you* would do if you lived in one of Kravis' mansions for a day during the holidays. Would you feed the homeless? Throw a huge party? Sell everything on eBay?
Post a comment below with your your most creative use of Kravis' mansions, and you could be the star of our next video!
Yep, we'll pick the best idea and send a crew out to your home to film you challenging Henry Kravis to implement your idea. Then we'll make sure he sees it… and maybe a few reporters too. :)
Sara Gepp, who you can see in the video, wrote a letter to the Kravis Family. And for more on Henry Kravis and other borrow-and-buyout corporations, we've compiled some good background material here.
UPDATE: View photos of Thursdays War on Greed premiere in NYC outside of Henry Kravis' house.
Bravo Brave New Films.
Great blog here. Keep it up! Please try to include more information if possible.
regards
charcoal grill
Very good report–those that applaude the Henry Kravis's of the world
would have us believe –one gets this walthy by hard work & good
business sense.. That no one gets hurt unfairly in this type of swindle !
Another of these “venture capitalists” is Mitt Romney.–they don't design, invent,
manufacture, advertise or sell products—they just whiz-bang people & companiess
out of business with the all-powerful, “heavy money”= brute force–beware you
peasants–when the sword cometh, none will survive .
This is somewhat belated but am I still allowed to offer my opinion of what I'd do with the Kravis houses?
Regardless I'll say it anyways. If I had control over one of his houses (I'll go with one of the more exotic properties like in the Dominican Republic) I think I would have a big auction for all the useless junk and strip the main property to it's bare bones. Then you could use the money to fund a big project, like a colony for the homeless or stuff. Turn the main building into a people's library and guest rooms available to rent to make a few bucks. Knock down all the tennis courts and swimming pools and what not and build housing for the poor and a farm. Maybe the fishing spot can stay. But anyways people could live on the property and work in exchange for a place to sleep and eat. Very starry eyed and its socialism but what can you do. It would be nice though… My 2 cents anyways.
war on greed is simply a ridiculous title lol :D
war on greed is simply a ridiculous title lol :D
this makes me sick. Literally. Something here has GOT to change. Seriously. No, I mean it! Seriously….
Maybe every person who sees this film, and agrees that greed has become the dictating force in America, will write or call every member of congress, every news media outlet in their state, every one of their friends and family members…well, you get the idea…until we take action, things will never change.
dumbass
Anybody notice these folks never criticize Soros as a “greedy capitalist?”
I would have a silent auction of everything in that mansion. I would plan an elegant event with donated food etc. and the benefits would go to a nonprofit I would set up to pay for a high-powered lobbyist to work for change to the disability programs enough to at least allow all of us unlimited work attempts without being penalized by losing our health care and eliminating these income limits for the disabled that are totally out of sync with today's living costs. I am absolutely certain Mr. Kravis won't miss these belongings
http://commodityconsultant.com
This is the amazing Wesolution to all the world's concern. This needs to be implemented immediately.
I would start a company in the manufacturing sector. It will manufacture things like textiles, toys and various household goods. I will open state of the art facilities in the U.S. that will have the best tools of the trade and a high degree of automation. I will employ highly trained engineers to operate and maintain the high tech machinery, skilled laborers to handle to bulk of the manufacturing work and unskilled laborers to handle everything else. All workers will be given ample opportunity for advancement and all employees will be shareholders, so that way they can derive the full benefit of their work they do and the wealth they generate.
Of course, this enterprise will go completely bankrupt within a few years as there will be no way in hell we could possibly price our products low enough to compete against companies that outsource their manufacturing jobs to China. However, in the meantime, all our employees will be paid competitive wages, even though profits will be very low.
So basically, I'll just donate it to a bunch random poor people, like everyone else.
he's donating a portion to fund drug treatment and force major health plans to put more into drug treatment; he's also going on a speaking tour and lobbying for tax fairness for the middle and working classes;
very starry eyed and its socialism but what can you do
when we could be the star of our next video ??