The Wall Street Journal runs a section, each week, that it calls, "Mansion." On Friday, February 7, 2025, the headline story in the "Mansion" section was dedicted to "Smoke Tree Ranch," which is located in Palm Springs. The Journal identified Smoke Tree Ranch as "Real Estate's Secret Society."
Pictured above is an image that ran in The Journal, in connection with that headline story. The picture depicts "the circa-1930s home of former Marvel Enterprises CEO Eric Ellenbogen and his husband Dominic Ramos-Ruiz ... the oldest house in Smoke Tree Ranch."
According to the article, "Smoke Tree Ranch [is] an under-the-radar community ... a far cry from the flashy, celebrity-studded enclaves Palm Springs is known for."
For those who are not billionaires themselves, I believe that it's fair to say that this rather downbeat description of the pictured home is what passes for billionaire modesty in Palm Springs. My own personal reaction is that the picture is plenty "flashy" enough, and I am pretty clear that this is not a home I could afford. In fact, in the newpaper, it is revealed that this home sold for $3.95 million in 2021. Admittedly, that is a lot less than some of the real estate featued in The Journal's "Mansion" section, but I don't buy the suggestion that Smoke Tree Ranch is a community of "just regular folks." Clearly, it's a community of, by and for the billionaires and near-billionaires who want to come across with a more "democratic" vibe!
Let's not be fooled! Here is what is happening in our society today - at least the way many see it. There is an ongoing and concerted effort by what Bernie Sanders has long called the "billionaire class" to consolidate its ownership and control over the United States of America, and particularly over its politics.
Don't be misled. "We, the people" and "they, the billionaires," are two very different and distinct groups, and the political question now presented to us all is quite clear - and quite important, too. "Who's going to get to run the place?"
Elon Musk (and our elected president) are playing for the billionaires. Unless we're willing to let those with the gold make the rules for all of us, we've got to suit up ourselves, and stake our claim to political, economic, and social leadership of the country.
And we're not going to be able to do that "under the radar," either!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment!