Champagne capitalism

Champagne capitalism – Monterey Herald 4-18-2021

One would expect that self-avowed communists would practice what they peach about advancing equality and condemning the unfair distribution of wealth. But not the co-founder and communist icon of Black Lives Matter, Patrice Cullors. As it turns out, she has a rather emboldened streak of capitalism. Cullors recently purchased a secluded $1.4 million mini-compound in the Topanga Canyon section of Los Angeles.

But there is more to the story. After she purchased the Topanga property through a corporate entity, real estate sleuths did a little more digging. It turns out that Cullors and her apparent spouse, Janaya Khan, actually own in totality four expensive homes. In the past, such self-indulgent bosses in the Soviet Union were dubbed “champagne communists.”

Of even greater mystery, Cullors’ Topanga property is located in an area that is mostly white with only a 1.4 percent black population. Why would she buy a property in a neighborhood of people she claims to be tainted with systemic racism?

None of this makes much sense, except that those who preach noble principles are often the ones who violate them.

–Lawrence Samuels, Carmel