Pop quiz: Should the phrase "tax the rich" be considered "just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs"?
If you answered, "No, of course not, I'm not an oblivious buffoon who would conflate racism with a pithy slogan for economic justice," congratulations: You have a scintilla of self-awareness and, perhaps, a soul.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Vornado real estate baron Steven Roth, who uttered these words on an earnings call, literally speaking them into a telephone with many, many other people who were listening in and now know that this white billionaire actually feels this way.
"I must say that I consider the phrase 'tax the rich'—quote, 'tax the rich'—when spit out with anger and contempt by politicians both here and across the country, to be just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs, and even the phrase 'from the river to the sea,'" Roth said.
It has been a big week for thin-skinned, well-heeled individuals speaking out against the idea that they should be forced to contribute additional, infinitesimal amounts of their fortunes to benefit society. As usual, the person to blame for all this is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.