Sep 4, 2026 · 18 min · 9 segments
In this exclusive Plant Based News interview, Green Party leader Zack Polanski takes aim at billionaire Elon Musk, arguing that the super-rich hold disproportionate amounts of wealth, power and…
Zack PolanskiGuestI want to talk to you about the economy.
We live in unprecedented times.
You've talked as well as others about the need for a paradigm shift.
I completely agree.
I am very conflicted, uh, in terms of economic policy, and I guess I wanted to ask you what you would say to me.
I'm somebody who runs small, a couple of small businesses.
I don't want to pay more tax.
I can't afford to pay more tax.
You've got lots of commentators saying lots of different things, even far right-leaning people like Elon Musk are saying there's gonna be universal credit worldwide in some form soon.
You've talked about the need to tax the top 1%.
So why am I confused, and, and what would you say to people like me?
[laughs] And I say that partly as a joke, but actually he's the exact problem.
People who hold disproportionate amounts of power and wealth, literally a whole social media channel that amplifies, uh, misinformation constantly.
The thing I disagree with in your question is that, that it's confusing, 'cause actually I think when you take the blinkers off, it's quite clear what's happening.
A very, very small group of people, I'm talking about multimillionaires and billionaires, who own so much wealth and power, are turning everyone else against each other.
The fact that if you're a cleaner cleaning a building, you can be taxed more proportionally at the moment than the person who owns the building.
What you've highlighted is absolutely true, but in terms of the solution, like, I almost would subscribe to the idea of taxing people less, but then if you're a billionaire in the top 1% coming up with some kind of intervention.
I think the reason why it's not easy is because those with vested interests, the billionaires, again, own the newspapers, own the media, which is why everyone should support independent media and actual factual media, and because what they're doing is pushing the idea that this is incredibly complicated.
I want to talk to you about the economy.
We live in unprecedented times.
You've talked as well as others about the need for a paradigm shift.
I completely agree.
I am very conflicted, uh, in terms of economic policy, and I guess I wanted to ask you what you would say to me.
I'm somebody who runs small, a couple of small businesses.
I don't want to pay more tax.
I can't afford to pay more tax.
You've got lots of commentators saying lots of different things, even far right-leaning people like Elon Musk are saying there's gonna be universal credit worldwide in some form soon.
You've talked about the need to tax the top 1%.
So why am I confused, and, and what would you say to people like me?
[laughs] And I say that partly as a joke, but actually he's the exact problem.
People who hold disproportionate amounts of power and wealth, literally a whole social media channel that amplifies, uh, misinformation constantly.
The thing I disagree with in your question is that, that it's confusing, 'cause actually I think when you take the blinkers off, it's quite clear what's happening.
A very, very small group of people, I'm talking about multimillionaires and billionaires, who own so much wealth and power, are turning everyone else against each other.
The fact that if you're a cleaner cleaning a building, you can be taxed more proportionally at the moment than the person who owns the building.
What you've highlighted is absolutely true, but in terms of the solution, like, I almost would subscribe to the idea of taxing people less, but then if you're a billionaire in the top 1% coming up with some kind of intervention.
I think the reason why it's not easy is because those with vested interests, the billionaires, again, own the newspapers, own the media, which is why everyone should support independent media and actual factual media, and because what they're doing is pushing the idea that this is incredibly complicated.
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