The Dutch Historian who savaged the Davos Elite

Larry Elliott catches up here with Rutger Bregman, the man of the moment, who savaged the assembled billionaires at Davos. He reveals that his outburst about tax avoidance was, in large part, brought about by his reaction to the week and the gap between the rhetoric and reality of the week.

The fallout from Rutger Bregman's appearance at Davos continues, with Nik Cohen writing very eloquently hereabout the issue. The best bit for me is the notion that higher marginal tax rates are incompatible with growth and the exchange between Michael Dell and an unnamed US economist.

When the marginal rate of tax on the richest was 70% between the 1930s and 1970s, the US economy grew far faster than it is currently doing. But perhaps the most illuminating part of the exchange is the fact that the likes of Michael Dell are so convinced that they are right - a lovely example of a significant cognitive bias.