Skip to main content

Vital Issues, Part II -- Corporatocracy

The United States was founded on the premise that "...governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." (Declaration of Independence)

There should be no "rulers" -- dictators, monarchs, emperors, etc. -- but, instead, elected officials should represent the will of the governed. Hence, such principles as "one person, one vote" have been established and perpetuated.

However, there is evidence that large corporations are exerting ever increasing control over government by means of large contributions to campaigns, the pressure of powerful lobbying groups, lucrative consulting and other employment offers to retiring legislators, not to mention possible out and out coercion and blackmail. The outgrowth of this corporate intervention has been termed "Corporatocracy."

Corporatocracy has no party. Businesses hedge their bets by contributing to candidates of both major parties. Citizens complain that there is little difference between candidates -- at least in matters which would affect the fortunes of the corporate donors. Consequently, party platforms have degenerated to so called "hot-button" issues which have little impact on the lives of voters, but which generate great water cooler conversation. The concentration on these non-issues obscure discussion of complicated, but much more meaningful issues.

Corporate influence over our elections threatens our entire way of life. Corporations have no nationality. Stock from publicly held corporations may be owned by other corporations, foreigners, foreign governments. In short, if you have cash and have no easily identified, direct link to terrorism or some other criminal element, then you can own stock in a "US" corporation. A 2005 analysis estimated that over 13% of US corporate stock was foreign owned. This percentage has almost certainly grown, if not skyrocketed.

So... who is being represented when, say, Giganticorp funnels a huge contribution into the campaign of Farly Hotaire. It's hard to know. But it's easy to say that it is certainly not the will of the governed. If not representing actual foreign interest, then it is at very least the interest of a small group of inordinately wealthy corporate high rollers.

The challenge -- how do we reverse this, particularly since the problem is in charge of the problem! Is the answer term limits? Is the answer publicly financed campaigns for all federal offices? How do we limit the collusion of corporate owned media outlets, an obvious conflict of interest? (Do you notice how much air time is given to items that obscure real news and public debate?)

We ignore this problem at the risk of our freedom... Corporatocracy is simply Neofeudalism, and believe me, you and I are NOT the nobility. We need to be thinking of this... not Mosques near Ground Zero, not Gay Marriage, not Birth Certificates.

No name calling, no talking points, no party lines -- no "isms" of any kind. But think about it... and contribute. Email your congressman.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Constitution on Mosques

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... Article II, Section 2: "...he (the President) shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Just last week, Sarah Palin is seen on camera telling an Alaskan woman that she was working to "...elect candidates that understand the constitution." Today, we hear, a woman who appears to be this same Sarah Palin urging, "Mr. President, should they or should they not build a mosque?" Does Ms. Palin not understand the Constitution? Congress is prohibited from making any laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion, and the President has absolutely no power to establish laws AT ALL -- not in the Constitution. He should not offer an opinion... he should simply, as he has done, restate the content of the Constitution. Ms. Palin should take the time to read the US Constitution and stop cynically trying to stir up political ...

After the 2016 Election

Yesterday was election day and today, I'm immensely depressed. Songwriter that I am, I often find inspiration in loss -- and today, I'm inspired, therefore, I write. The results of the "election" verify what we've suspected -- our country is deeply polarized. It's hard to imagine a more clear cut choice that Trump vs. Clinton. The results clearly delineate the two sides and it's very evenly divided -- the popular vote was roughly 50%-50% with Clinton slightly ahead. By examining the exit polls: If you are a white woman with a college degree, you voted for Clinton, 51% to 43%. If you are a white woman with no college degree, you voted for Trump, 62% to 34%. If you are a white male with a college degree, you voted for Trump, 54% to 39%. If you are a white man with no college degree, you voted for Trump 72% to 23%. ALL other groups sampled, women and men, college or no college, voted overwhelmingly for Ms. Clinton. For the record, I voted for Bern...

S**t or Myth? Or Both?

Are you one of those who believe the mid term congressional election doesn't matter? Folks... believe me... it is potentially the most important event in our lives . You might be like me -- I have a hard time being enthused by the likes of Harry Reid. He's condescending, two-faced -- in other words, a professional politician. However, if you find yourself believing what Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and the other Fox minions continuously spout, then you have a very short memory, and you're allowing yourself to be dangerously deluded. I just want to help you remember... here's some of the dangerous myths being circulated. MYTH #1: President Obama is responsible for the TARP bailout. REALITY: 100% false. TARP was proposed in September 2008 by Henry Paulson, George W. Bush's Secretary of the Treasury . Congress passed the Emergency Stabilization Act on October 3, 2008. The intent was to allow the Treasury to buy troubled, mortgage-backed securities, thus ...