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Welcome to the Corporate States of America. If you have any doubts about where the real power in this country lies, consider this:
1. In the Corporate States of America, health care "reform" consists of gutting all efforts to put real competition back into monopolized markets while at the same time putting into place fines for those who don’t buy insurance from the monopolies.
2. In the Corporate States of America, "contractors" outnumber military personnel in war efforts. "Contractors" also are immune from all laws and are able to kill indiscriminately in "security" operations and to carry out extrajudicial killings with drone missiles that also kill large numbers of civilians.
3. In the Corporate States of America, practically the entire treasury of the country is put into the hands of the "banks" to rescue them after they bankrupt themselves due to a poor investment strategy based on pure greed.
4. In the Corporate States of America, laws are written to provide immunity after the fact when it is discovered that communications companies have assisted the government in spying illegally on the citizens.
5. In the Corporate States of America, laws are written by lobbyists and transcribed by the legislature.
6. In the Corporate States of America, news is scripted by corporate-owned politicians and transcribed by the media.
7. In the Corporate States of America, taxes are for low level employees only.
8. In the Corporate States of America, elections are investments.
9. In the Corporate States of America, Christmas is a joyous time, concentrating up to a third of annual revenues into a single month.
I’m sure I’ve missed a number of other good examples. Please feel free to add them in comments.
32 Comments
In the Corporate States of America, the greatest ROI (return on investment) is found in buying politicians.
You may see this as similar to “elections are investments,” but I think there is a subtle difference. The campaign contributions are a part of it, but IMO the jobs for relatives and those promised (and delivered regularly) for the pols themselves after their “public service” are the meat of the problem. Politicians can be bought well after elections are over.
Great list.
Especially #8.
Very good point. Both the buyer and seller are always open to deals, as you point out.
Great, spot-on diary.
MayDaze @1: Right on.
In the Corporate States of America, prisons are privatized, and funds paid to private prisons are then plowed back into lobbying for stricter laws and sentencing guidelines, in order to steadily expand the pool of “clients” that can be drawn from the underclass.
Another excellent investment!
We’re only a step away from Soylent Green.
Great list, Jim!
Maybe something a bit more explicit about the two-tiered system of justice that we owe to the Corporate States?
great list
In the corporate states of America, “slash and burn” tactics are applied to businesses, resources and people. Tanks and cannon are not required, they finance the purchase with an instrument, and then destroy what is required to gain what they will. A town, a country. A planet. It isn’t new. It was once called Blitzkrieg. It was designed to make changes so fast that there is no return.
Number 2 touches on that, but it could be expanded beyond telecoms, for sure.
In the Corporate States of America, a corporation is a legal person yet will virtually never face criminal charges no matter what it does.
In the Corporate States of America, money is free speech.
In the Corporate States of America, self-regulation is the best regulation; alternately regulators are appointed from industry.
In the Corporate States of America, corporations are given every favor and advantage, because, according to Serious Economists, corporations *will* produce jobs; but when those jobs don’t materialize, those same Serious Economists hasten to remind us that, being private entities, corporations don’t *have to* produce jobs. Repeat until dead.
Aka: The Corporate Bill of Rights.
Great Diary.
Great additions, thanks.
So true…
oy.
The other term for what you describe is the Fascist States of America, I am sure you know. Perhaps the most in your face proof that it is corporations that matter in the USA, at least recently, is the fact that 60 to 70 percent of the population is in favor of a Jason Hacker type Public Option, yet it would be a cold day in hell when anything like that could ever come out of even a Democratic Party dominated government.
Another awesome diary, thanks Jim
I was rereading something recently and what the author said meshes very well with you’re diary. This is part of what she said
I wish I’d have said that
Indeed.
Wow, that does describe the situation very well.
vey.
This deserves a t-shirt printing ASAP. Could be quite the fund raiser.
Thank you Jim.
In the corporate states, “political reality” dictates that the law will be the opposite of what the people want. Statues of David Broder adorn the shores, like Easter Island.
Very good.
I might remind You that we have become the Corporate States of America at the hands of the voters.
Those bought by the Corporations are the people in the Congress that have re-elected, and re-elected by the voters, giving them the power and position to be bought.
Those who take the most money and have the most influence are the old timers that heve been there for thirty or more years. They are not the junior reps or senators who just got there.
The Constitution says they should go to Washington for a short time. So when the ignorant voters keep them there for decades they are at fault.
The voters of this Country really get upset when someone tells them it is their fault, because everybody on both sides of the isle thinks they are the smart ones. This has allowed the two parties to use them, and to divid the Country, while accruing more power for themselves.
The best way to get the Corporations out of our Government is to get the people who cater to the Corporations our of our Government. That means don’t vote for incumbants, or for members of the two parties. Yet in the next election You will see the same people re-elected and members of the two parties elected.
Then we all will ask why we can’t take back our Government from the Corporations? The answer will be apparent to those with eyes, in who gets elected.
Hope for change you can believe in?
*********
“A one-page proposal gaining traction in Congress could turn back the clock on Wall Street 10 years, forcing the breakup of banks, including Citigroup Inc.
Lawmakers in both parties, seeking to prevent future financial crises while soothing public anger over bailouts and bonuses, are turning to an approach that’s both simple and transformative: re-imposing sections of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act that separated commercial and investment banking.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aeQNTmo2vHpo&pos=10
I could have lived without that mental image of David Broder statues.
The similarities between the US today and Spain in about 1665-1700 is quite astounding – a glorious world-spanning empire in terminal decline, passing laws that prevented taxation of the nobility (as well as laws authorization the sale of noble titles to wealthy merchants wishing to escape taxation). A ton of unnecessary wars, including the legacy, in the mid-17th century, of Spanish engagement in the 30 years war in Germany, which left the crown irrecoverably bankrupt). Massive corruption. Religious extremism. The inquisition (expell Moriscos and other groups once a decade or so, seize their possessions and give ‘em to rich people).
There is also a strong personal resemblance between shrub and Charles III – last of the Habsburg kings of Spain. Charles was insane and alcoholic.. the product of way too much inbreeding.
Sorry, Jim, but the Dean was in the Oregonian this morning, whining about how Obama was practically a commie, and better straighten out quick. Misery loves company, so I shared.
I’m trying to put together an FDL gathering in Portland, can you e-mail me at nospam dot nathan at gmail dot com
Your position is only operative to a certain extent. First of all citizens of states are actually competing against citizens of other states to have more money returned to them than they contribute. The way to even that out is to fund states from the Federal Government exactly to the extent (in proportion) they contribute into the U.S. Commonwealth. That de-motivates seniority and small states from raiding the Commonwealth.
The other kink is exemplified by Obama’s meteoric rise. From out of nowhere, he says the system is broken. Elect him to fix the system. He gets elected. He immediately reverses almost all his populist promises with impunity. Obama had zippo seniority, but he was a Magnificent Hustler.
It’s hard to defend against that type of anti-democratic con if it is repeatedly and successfully used to subvert the will of the majority.
Funny u should mention it but were clearly on the path that prescient 70′s movie laid out for us. The oceans are dying as we speak from acidification due to the massive amounts of CO2 were dumping into them daily. After they die in 20 or so yrs. no more sea food! Temps could reach over 8 degs. higher by 2100 if we just keep on driving etc. We will since the Corps. are now in the drivers seat.