Eat the rich (slogan)
"Eat the rich" is a political slogan associated with anti-capitalism and far-left politics. It may variously be used as a metaphor for class conflict, a demand for wealth redistribution, or a literal call to violence. The phrase is attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778). History. Origin. Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, President of the Paris Commune, gave a speech to the city during the Reign of Terror on 14 October 1793 in which he said: The phrase was initially a criticism of the French nobility, but it was later popularized in France as a response to  the perceived failures of the French Revolution that perpetuated poverty in the country. Modern usage. During the Cultural Revolution in China, hundreds of wealthy citizens and intellectuals were cannibalized as part of the Guangxi Massacre. With no ongoing famine at the time, it is believed that these acts were motivated by politics rather than desperation. In the 21st century, the phrase is used in response to wealth inequality and food insecurity. In the United States, the phrase was used by the crowd at a rally for progressive Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren in 2019 in approval of Warren's positions on  wealth redistribution, including her position on the wealth tax. In 2020, protestors of Amazon constructed a prop guillotine in front of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' home. In South Africa, the phrase "eat the rich" was used by the Land Party as its campaign slogan for the 2021 local government elections. In 2021, United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the Met Gala wearing a dress inscribed with a variant of the phrase, "tax the rich". The phrase has trended among leftist circles on major social networks online. It became prominent on TikTok in the late 2010s, with users posting videos  critical of the rich. Many of these videos also targeted more mundane first world behavior, directing the phrase toward people that study abroad, pay for a Spotify subscription, or have a second refrigerator. In many cases, these videos were produced to demonstrate hypocrisy of those that use the phrase while enjoying the comforts of a first world society. Usage of the phrase was noted to have increased following the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. In popular culture. The phrase has been used for the title of a 1987 film and a song for the film by Motörhead. It was also the  title of a 1993 song by Aerosmith. The book "Eat the Rich" was published by P. J. O'Rourke in 1998. The comic series "Eat the Rich" debuted in 2021. Many films have been described as "eat the rich movies". This theme was particularly notable in 2019 with the releases of films such as "Parasite", "Knives Out", and "Ready or Not". Criticism. Rhetoric targeting the rich is criticized for being prejudicial, perpetuating stereotypes, and engaging in classism. It can also serve to dehumanize people wealthier than the speaker and poses risks of inciting violence. Left-wing critics of the term argue  that it's used hypocritically by those in the middle class that relatively comfortable lives. In 2020, Kim Kardashian criticized the movement on Twitter, arguing that the rich are not compelled to disclose every philanthropic donation they make simply to avoid criticism. Wealth taxes, a common meaning for "eat the rich", are criticized as being impractical or counterproductive due to fears of capital flight, the process of valuation, ethical concerns, and what critics say is a poor track record of success. Those in favor of "eat the rich" politics are also accused of falsely claiming that billionaires have the ability  to end world hunger. The concept of "eat the rich" has also been found to bias jurors against defendants charged with white-collar crimes, even if the defendant is not wealthy or if the evidence exonerates the defendant.