”One Percenters”について、私なりの意見をまとめてみました。
One Percenters
“米国で２０１１年に起きた、銀行や大企業の利権に抗議するOccupy Wall Streetの運動参加者が、”We are the 99 perecnt”と訴えたことが発端でこの表現が広がりました。現在、アメリカでは、トップ１％が全資産の約４０％を保有するといわれ、下の９０％の人たちが所有する資産全部より大きいのです。” （”日本からは見えないアメリカの真実” PHP) と、いうことから、一般的に富裕層と訳されています。 特にアメリカでは、大会社のＣＥＯの給与は、最低１０億円を超え、一般従業員との格差が広まっています。 今、話題となっている日産のカルロス・ゴーン元会長も、“One Percenters” を代表する存在だと考えられます。 東京地検特捜部が徹底的に会社法違反（特別背任）に関わる調査を進めるなかで、ゴーン氏の取り扱いについて国内外から批判もありますが、ゴーン氏が潔く非を認め、横領した金額の全額を返済してほしいものです。特に、ゴーン氏の祖国フランスは、正義、平等のための抗議活動が盛んな国。この機会に、富の再配分についての是正が、グローバルに進む事を期待します。
The word, “One Percenters,” was often referred to during the time of the “Occupy
Wall Street” movement when the protesters (“We are the 99%”) claimed
that “Only 1% of the people (One Percenters) take 99 percent of the wealth of the country.” The unfair distribution of the income created a huge gap between the rich and the poor in our ostensibly democratic society. One Percenters include entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, doctors, and CEOs who make at least US$ 10 million a year. Mr Carlos Gohn, ex-president of Nissan, of course belongs to this category and is now alleged to have stolen a significant amount of money from the company claiming that Nissan’s compensation for CEOs is far below the global average. A Japanese team of prosecutors are being criticized by the foreign media for badly treating Mr Gohn by confining him in prison for a long time to prevent him from destroying evidence once he is released. I hope that Mr. Gohn who came from France, a country known for protests and revolutions, for equality and fraternity, will admit his wrongdoing and return the amount he stole from the company. He once became a hero by turning ailing Nissan around, but became so greedy and arrogant and ignoring the hardship of employees who work hard only to make the ends meet. I hope this occasion will serve as a springboard for people (“We are the 99%”) to pursue a more equal society.
