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Joseph Stiglitz: "Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg lack moral values and have more propaganda tools than the Nazis"

Updated

The Nobel laureate in Economics warns against the "oligarchy" emerging in the US with Donald Trump. "Unleashed markets have put the world on the path to 21st-century fascism," he says

Joseph Stiglitz in a file picture.
Joseph Stiglitz in a file picture.AP

Approaching his 82nd birthday, Joseph Stiglitz (Gary, Indiana, United States, 1943) is one of those global references of the left who can afford to joke about the lessons of economists like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek, the fathers of neoliberalism. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001, the professor at Columbia University jokes in his latest book, Path to Freedom (Taurus), about the "closed brotherhood of economists," whose school of thought "is taken seriously." So much so that "it is taught in graduate schools and several of its members are Nobel laureates."

Stiglitz, who praises Pedro Sánchez - "he is trying to protect Spain from the avalanche of misinformation" - and received Pablo Iglesias in his office at Columbia, is convinced that it was the "unleashed markets" of Friedman and Hayek that have put the world on the path to "21st-century fascism." If the fear of neoliberals was an Orwellian world with an all-powerful government, what we have now are magnates leading private companies with an almost Orwellian power to shape us. Still, there is hope, he says. And this as he speaks to us via video conference from his office just after the start of the newTrump era. While his followers proclaim themselves as defenders of freedom, Stiglitz asks, "Freedom for whom?"

"The worst of the Trump era has already begun: he has undermined the rule of law by pardoning those who tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power."

"The right has created cultural wars as an artificial distraction to avoid discussing the real problems of our society."

"The rebirth of democracy will begin in two years: first, the Republicans will lose control of Congress, and two years later, the US Presidency."

"The real power was 'soft power': that people would imitate us. But the 'American way of life' is over, and admiration for my country has never been lower than it is now."