The South African Civil Society Information Service

The Global Superclass: Who Keeps Their Power in Check?

31 Jul 2010

Wealthy, influential, international and highly networked is how the elite of the world are described by Al Jazeera's Marwan Bishar. These people have so much money and power that they transcend the laws of national governments, operating at a completely different level according to a set of rules, defined largely by themselves. 

In the last three decades, the global economy, global governance and global accountability has increasingly been shaped by a few tightly networked individuals who own or run energy corporations, arms and other manufacturers, international media conglomerates, global financial institutions, international organizations, sovereign funds and notorious lobbies.

According to Bishar, at the core of this group are 1,100 billionaires whose wealth is equal to that of 2,5 billion people. To enhance their wealth, these people and other millionaires are heavily invested in political, military, cultural and information domains. And, they build networks with political and cultural icons to make up a truly global ruling class.

This edition of Al Jazeera's Empire seeks to explore who keeps the power of global elites in check.

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You can find this page online at http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/257.19.