Global depression. Climate chaos. Billions starving. Why?

Most of the world’s problems today can be traced back to a single cause. Greed.

For decades, the rich went on a feeding frenzy. They piled up profits galore. They devoured the world’s resources and ignited global warming. They grabbed more and more wealth for themselves at the expense of everyone else.

One per cent of the UK population now own 34 times as much wealth as the bottom 50 per cent. Never in human history has so much been owned by so few.

How the rich caused the slump

With more cash than they could ever dream of spending, the rich went on a gambling binge. Instead of using their wealth to create jobs and fuel the real economy, they squandered trillions in the casinos of global capitalism.

Greed has also corrupted the political system with politicians pocketing expenses for everything from 32-inch TVs to having their moats cleaned and making money playing the property market.

Now the orgy of greed has turned sour. But who will pay the price?

The Scottish Socialist Party has launched a European-wide Make Greed History Campaign. The reckless rich caused this crisis – and they must foot the bill.

Why we need a wealth tax to create jobs

In Europe today, the wealthiest one per cent of the population own liquid assets worth $10 trillion dollars.

A modest, one-off wealth tax of just 10 per cent would generate a trillion dollars to create eight million jobs across Europe.

Scotland’s share of that tax would amount to £6.5 billion – enough to create and sustain 80,000 jobs over the next three years, with an average annual salary of £25,000.

We could build tens of thousands of new homes to rent. We could reduce class sizes by employing thousands more teachers and learning assistants. We could insulate every home in Scotland.

Call it a ``wealth tax'', call it a ``crisis tax'' – or even call it a ``greed tax''. It would be a mighty step out of recession, paid for by those who caused the crisis.

The Scottish Socialist Party stands for a green socialist Scotland in a green socialist Europe, an independent socialist Scotland.

Sign up now to support the SSP's campaign to Make Greed History.