The website ReclaimDemocracy.org (scroll down slightly to flashing images) depicts the American flag with corporate logos replacing the stars(states). The symbolism speaks volumes about our corporate-run government. Huge international corporations, with help from the White House, Congress, and state and local politicians, using the tool of privatization, are insinuating themselves into all levels of government.
Their M.O. is to manufacture a “crisis”, to overstate and downright lie about the object of their takeover (turnpikes, for example) and to convince the public, with the assistance of “experts” and corporate talking heads on TV and radio, that the only solution is to privatize the government entity or function.
The privatizing corporations seek the steady stream of annuity-like income that only our tax dollars can supply. Of course they tell us they can do it better and cheaper. That’s lie #1. They benefit by government getting larger, not smaller. They see the cash cow of easy tax dollars filling their private cash registers as their last great growth sector. Sucking at the government teat is their goal and hidden agenda. Water privatization has shown that costs to taxpayers rise quickly and water quality (as in “boil water” advisories) and maintenance, declines.
If the corporation is a privatizer of our prisons, it actually benefits by having more crime and more prisons. It is in the corporate interest to enact more laws which a citizen can be discovered to have “broken”, leading to a larger, more profitable prison population. Citizen activists and other “insurgents” can see where this may be going! As my article in last month’s CommonSense2 “The Corporate Takeover of America” illustrates, fascism results when corporations and government become one!
The corporate/privatization agenda is not going unnoticed, however. Ordinary citizens such as myself are catching on, as are conservative and liberal commentators. Phyllis Schlafly, a well-known conservative, has blasted the idea of privatizing our highways. Former presidential candidate John Edwards routinely attacked corporate dominion over our lives and pointed out Blackwater’s privatized mercenaries (soldiers by any other name) are being paid 10x what our men and women in uniform get paid and all from our tax dollars!
Even the mainstream Reader’s Digest in January 2008 featured a Special Report called “You’ve Been Had! How the government wastes nearly $1trillion of your money every year.” The report points out that government could do things more cheaply itself, but instead overpays private companies to do them.
One example cited was the privatization of the Medicare program which continues to this day. “Rather than moving to trim fat, the government continues such questionable practices as paying private insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans an average of 12 percent more per patient than traditional Medicare fee-for-service.” This costs us $15 billion per year on average, according to the report. See “The Death of Medicare” in the November 2007 issue of CommonSense2.
Reader’s Digest continues, “Another money-wasting bright idea was to create a giant class of middlemen:Private bureaucrats who administer the Medicare drug program are monitored by federal bureaucrats-and the public pays for both.”
When people say the government does this or that what they really need to do is remind themselves that it is really the corporate-government. Irrational behavior by “the government” actually is quite rational and purposeful when we remember that the profit-seeking corporations behind the scene are running the show for their own benefit. Conservatives especially need to acknowledge that government is now run by and for corporations.
THE CORPORATE GRAVY TRAIN EVEN TOUCHES THE IRS
I always thought of Lockheed Martin as a military contractor. Little did I know that this corporation sorts our mail, totals our taxes, cuts Social Security checks, and counts the United States census, according to The Fox in the Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy authors Si Kahn and Elizabeth Minnich. They cite a New York Times report that nearly 80% of Lockheed Martin’s revenue comes from the U.S. government. Good deal if you can get it, I suppose!
Finally, the Associated Press (AP) reported in December of 2007 that the IRS paid a contractor $188,000 to provide one person to do clerical work over 11 months and that the “work could have been done by an employee with a ranking of GS-7, eligible for a starting salary of around $38,000 plus benefits.” One can see why government by corporation costs taxpayers more than old-fashioned government employees, who, by the way, help maintain a healthy middle class. Outsourcing and contract work is another attack on the American middle class being perpetrated by our corporate rulers who have a short-term perspective and little loyalty to America.
Kahn and Minnich tell us that “of the 6.75 million people who worked directly or indirectly for the federal government in 2003, only 1.75 million were public employees. The remaining 5 million worked for corporations with federal contracts.”
Perhaps this explains the Reagan era legerdemain proclamation by conservatives that they reduced the size of government. Of course the riddle of the disappearing government worker can now be explained as well as the rising costs and inefficiencies of a corporate-run government.
As Mussolini explained, the merger of corporations and government equals fascism. We can patronize local businesses and avoid corporate chains but better yet we can inform ourselves and try to relay the information to fellow citizens and politicans at all levels. The corporate takeover is happening at local, state and national levels of government. It is real and is not in the best interests of democracy, freedom or liberty. It is only common sense that we inform ourselves and spread the word. And you have to decide to which flag you pledge your allegiance, the corporate flag of America or the flag of the United States of America.
RELATED BOOKS
Shock Doctrine:The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Naomi Klein
The Bush Agenda:Invading the World One Economy at a Time
Antonia Juhasz
Betraying Our Troops:The Destructive Results of Privatizing War
Dina Rasor
Note: This article by Ron Stouffer first appeared in CommonSense2 in February 2008. Since the Citizen’s United case, it seemed timely to reprint it for our readers.
Ron Stouffer comments:
I am always amazed that the Tea Party types don’t recognize the dangers posed by fascism. The threat to freedom and liberty from corporate domination of government should concern them greatly. For them to believe that government and corporations are adversaries, as one told me recently, amazed me. That Blackwater-type corporations might be replacing the U.S. military and a privatized “Army” may be getting larger every day should concern them. But as I see repeatedly, they seem to prefer authoritarianism and conformity. The Patriot Act, Big Brother snooping on our phone calls and emails, NAFTA rules which usurp national, state, and local autonomy should be big “talking points”to lodge against the current administration as well as the previous ones. Instead, they insist on “birther” conspiracies, etc. When it comes to staying out of foreign wars(entanglements to our Founders), Tea Party types seem to love perpetual wars and military adventures—-in spite of Ron and Rand Paul’s counseling against wars. The contradictions go on and on. Too bad we can’t all be pledging our allegiance to peace, freedom, and democracy and examine what each of these terms means. Time to turn off Fox, etc. and figure it all out…..
onenastybeast comments:
Ron, have you ever attended a Tea Party gathering in Berks? I find it difficult to believe you have and still be able to write the foolishness you do. I don’t even know where to begin.
Darwin26 comments:
Brilliant capsulization of the current ‘cycle’ of Capitalism on Steroids.
We are Slaves, the Exploitation is insurmountable United Citizens legislation by the SCOTUS has us with our backs to the Wall; Meanwhile The Capitalists run up or should i say run down the coffers of America …it is their mantra, mantle, be all end all- PROFIT! with Neo-Lib Disaster Capitalism and of course the Hegemonic WAR Culture Super Killing Maiming Machine.
T-klaner + Banner Worship = self righteous racists
Bob Johns comments:
Ron: What you have said can’t be OVER-STRESSED!! The “Citizen’s United” case had the chilling effect of disenfranchising Americans as individuals.Power now shifts to Corporate Lords,the top 2%, at the expence of the 98% who used to row this ship of state.Untill woldwide G-20,WTO lovers encouraged ,through bribing, financing their political friends to support transnational corporate tactics resulting in, softer regulation designed, to undermine smaller poorer governments worldwide.This will be “The One World Government” that the religious fanatics have been whineing about since the 70′s and Jerry Fallwell. Rest In P***.
.
onenastybeast comments:
Since corporations have always been able to make political contributions through PACs, how did this decision change anything? Conversely, I guess all the whining about corporate control that was done before the decision was just so much political chatter and blather.
callmeslick comments:
as long as the source of contributions, be it from Corporations, Unions, individuals or whatever, and so long as the contributors are legal voting US citizens, I have NO problem whatsoever with folks giving what they want. It can easily be turned upon a candidate, if a sufficiently anti-corporate electorate were extant, once the sources are revealed. My issue is with the sheer expense of running a political campaign on any private funds, it literally begs for corruption, and more importantly, turns the folks who should be focused on the public good into squandering time and energy on fundraising. There should be fundamental changes in the whole electoral process, but, as with much of our current reality, that change will take time and patience and clarity of focus, something few(in or out of politics) in this nation have the will to develop.
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
Once again, myself and most everyone I know don’t believe for one second that we aren’t moving “fast enough” …such a fradulent argument indeed!
We are arguing that we aren’t moving towards liberty, freedom, and peace at all. In fact, we are moving in the opposite direction… so who needs Repubicans and conservatives? The Obama Administration and the rest of the Corporate Democrats of the DLC are every bit as much enemies of the Constitution and America as most Republicans and conservatives.
Until we are wise enough to clean up our own party of these un-American corporatists, we have no hope of reform through political means. This will undoubtedly lead to violence, as this nation suffered many times throughout our bloody history, though not much in the past 70 years other than the Vietnam Era.
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
Also, the most ignorant thing spoken lately is this belief that public opinion drives the politicians.
Nonsense!
Money for their campaigns is infinately more important.
It was stated on these threads that Universal Healthcare was not pushed by President Obama because he doesn’t have a mandate from the people.
Really?
Public opinion polls average at 66% of all Americans desiring Universal Healthcare, while the same polls average at 87% of all Democrats desiring Universal Healthcare. In fact, I can’t find any other issue in America that enjoys more widespread consensus by the vast majority of the citizens than Universal Healthcare… but we aren’t getting it because these “leaders” don’t serve us or truly care much about our opinions.
They serve the money that keep them in power!
Sad, but true…
So to play this idiotic game of patience with people who will never follow public opinon anyway is down right retarded. They lie through their teeth to help themselves get elected or stay in office, then stab us in the back at the first opportunity once the election is past.
Then again… If your wealthy and care more about your own fortune than society and fundamental justice… by all means keep preaching patience… it is in YOUR best interest now, isn’t it!
callmeslick comments:
A mind is a terrible thing to waste!
Anyone other than Stefan wish to deal with how we make elections more affordable to run and/or finance, and NOT get shot down in court?
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
Why is it a waste to not agree with you?
You are so ignorant of history, or you just choose to forget the truth, I do not know; but what is true, is that all serious reforms in this nation failed at first legislatively, and were not resolved until violence erupted and spread far and wide, which finally lead to the Elite relinquishing to the demands of the people.
Bob Johns comments:
Individuals have, and should give to whom so ever. Corporations are an “entity”, created by laws, and are not persons. In spite of what the Alito/Roberts Court says! They now will have distinctly unfair advantage, over each of us, private citizens, if concidered “persons”, Corporate racketeers, then become, “super citizens”,with big money, already buy the votes of “OUR” representatives. Pedeling influence to our Congress, Local, State or Federal, with dirty money and graft. The best Government not, “Of and For, and By the people.”Rather, of that which MONEY, can buy!
callmeslick comments:
however, as Target Corp just found out, being a corporation making donations is risky, because your employees, your stockholders and your customers might object.
And, when objecting, they can damage the viability or at least the profit margin of the corporation. So long as all contributions are a matter of public record, it might not prove as scary as some would portray it. Would I like to see the court rule otherwise? Sure. But, let’s not panic yet. Oh, and Bob: don’t you agree that we’ve had, for a couple centuries, the best representation which money can buy? That’s going to be a given, pretty much, under this system of elective government.
It’s the transparency, coupled with an informed, involved electorate that keeps those folks in line……
Bob Johns comments:
target? corp?
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
That’s just wishful thinking, Slick.
A far better solution is public financing, which mitigates the power of wealth over our electoral system.
To pay for this, We the People should be conditioning FCC licenses, so that candidates that meet the ballot petition requirements be awarded fair and equal access to air-time by the companies that receive licenses to operate.
Disclosure and the current system just means wealth will continue to dominate the levers of power within our governments. They will find many ways to hide the true source, after all, it won’t be the known names amoung the corporate giants that take over electoral politics. It will be unknown subsidiaries that common people will have no chance of tracking back to the sources. After all, corporations are private(even publicly traded ones!) and can keep vital records such as ownership a secret from the public.
callmeslick comments:
To Bob–you know, like Target, the department store chain?
callmeslick comments:
Stephan, I agree with you. In fact, I spent part of last evening listening to a discussion of the relative difficulties of third party/independents getting even simple access to the ballot. All I was suggesting is that it isn’t going to the the mega-public corporations that alter the playing field, it, as you suggest, might be smaller, privately held corporate entities.
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
Also, the problem won’t manifest immediately, it will grow over time just like the infamous Buckley vs. Valeo decision by the S.C.O.T.U.S. in 1976 which allowed for “soft money” donations. It took nearly 20 years for that to get completely out of hand.
Just keep thinking about the frog in the boiling water analogy. Drop the frog into boiling water, it will jump out. Put the frog into room temperature water then slowly bring the water to a boil and the frog is oblivious and just sits there and dies.
Bob Johns comments:
This natural “market self control” a la liberatarian hasn’t worked any where, now has it.
Stefan Kosikowski comments:
No… Adam Smith’s invisible hand can never work when we have corporations that are “too big to fail” and are consistently bailed out when they make bad choices!
onenastybeast comments:
“This natural “market self control” a la liberatarian hasn’t worked any where, now has it.”
That’s because it has never been tried.