"Eat the rich" – why anger at the wealthy has become a trend and what Musk, Trump, and Bezos have to do with it.

"When there is nothing to eat, people will eat the rich." This phrase is attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and although it was uttered back in the 18th century, it is again at the forefront today. The slogan "Eat the rich" has returned to the public sphere mainly thanks to Donald Trump and American billionaires. The US president has repeatedly been criticized for his close ties with the richest people on the planet, and Elon Musk even stated that without his support, Trump would have lost the election.

The protest in Venice was even louder: when billionaire Jeff Bezos threw a lavish wedding, activists greeted the guests with signs reading "Bezos, out of the lagoon" and "Eat the rich." Everyone was there – from Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio to Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashian-Jenners.

In times of escalating economic tension and class anger, the wealth and privacy of the rich are under closer scrutiny. Social media increasingly criticizes bloggers, celebrities, and anyone who displays luxurious travel, designer goods, or lavish parties during the war. This is our local manifestation of the same conflict that, in the West, translates into memes and slogans like "Eat the rich."

Some studies even suggest that wealthier people tend to be less empathetic; researchers speculate that money isolates them from the need to develop and rely on their communities.

Together with clinical psychologist Oleksandr Konev, LIGA.net is investigating:

• Why is anger towards the rich becoming a trend?
• The aesthetics of "old money" and sophistication as a status symbol: why do we admire and simultaneously condemn the lives of the wealthy?
• Is it possible to be an "ethical billionaire"?
• Why does wealth reduce a person's compassion and empathy?

The slogan "Eat the rich" is back in the spotlight because people are witnessing firsthand how unfair the world is. After several years of economic turmoil and the exorbitant enrichment of certain individuals, inequality no longer seems distant or theoretical. Private jets and new records of the wealthy on the stock exchange flash across social media daily, while the majority of society barely cope with prices and bills, explains Oleksandr Konev for LIGA.net .

"From the perspective of A. Beck's cognitive model, this is a classic chain: 'trigger – automatic thoughts – emotion – behavior'."

• Trigger: photo/information about windfall profits.
• Thoughts: "the world is unfair", "I've been robbed".
• Emotion: anger.
• Behavior: hate speech in comments, manifestations of various forms of aggression.

Therefore, the slogan sounds like a verbal form of defensive aggression.