Why is the Class War Accelerating in the USA and Elsewhere?

 Here's a large part of the answer---(the clip is only 6.5 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJz3gPJ46kc&list=WL&index=71&t=23s

For over forty years, the Establishment has been favoring the upper 10% of income earners with tax cuts, tax loopholes which go unplugged, subsidies for big corporations, government contracts, lack of prosecution for wrongdoing, and more.  For the last few-to-several years, Main Street has become more & more aware of all that, and is finally pushing back with demonstrations, strikes, boycotts, and the like.  They have done so despite the fact that the Establishment often criminalizes those who peacefully object to being ripped off or exploited.  On top of all that...

The Super-Rich CEOs and corporations have realized what's happening to the American Empire - it's crumbling.  As a result of their realization, they now are making extra efforts to garner more wealth in order to further secure their future in the Post-American-Era.  Those extra efforts include increasing profits even more at the expense of workers, buying influence with politicians more than usual (they spent one billion dollars on the last mid-term elections), treating customers much like livestock (denying claims re faulty goods or services, ignoring safety concerns, etc.), buying back their own stock so shareholders get that money instead of workers, and in general, cutting corners to the max at the expense of Main St.

In addition, we have this...

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/5/24/jeffrey_sachs_defense_spending_us_debt

In the current "Debt Ceiling" talks, neither Biden nor McCarthy is mentioning or considering cuts to Defense spending.  The USA's spending on defense-related items constitutes 40% of the entire world's spending on such items.  Our Defense budget is larger than that of the next ten nations combined.  Most politicians in both major Parties support the concept of perpetual war.  So, the Defense budget is sacrosanct.  Plus, increasing taxes on the super-wealthy is not on the table.

Instead, the Repubs want to cut spending on items which benefit the poorest Americans.  Is that because they believe the Poor are undeserving of help?  If not that, what is it?  It can't be concern over fraud in some welfare instances.  Why?  Because they don't seem concerned at all about rampant mega corporation fraud.

All of the above has accelerated the ongoing Class War.  The bought-off politicians on both sides of the aisle largely are to blame.  So are many/most of the mega corporations and their Super-Rich CEOs.  If you agree, think hard before casting your vote in the next national election, and before buying another piece of manufactured rubbish made in China.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Two-Party Political System in the USA was Founded by Plutocrats

 Here's only a tiny part of the current state of American politics.  Each description at each link is extremely brief---

 https://www.democracynow.org/2023/2/3/headlines/house_denounces_horrors_of_socialism_in_bipartisan_resolution

[Here are some of the "horrors of socialism" in the USA:  national parks, public roads, public libraries, public health clinics, social security retirement, & anything else not privatized.]

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/2/3/headlines/1_000_children_are_yet_to_be_reunited_with_families_after_separation_at_us_mexico_border

[This borders on criminality perpetrated by Repub AND Dem elected officials & appointed bureaucrats.  Perhaps arguably, it's child abuse.]

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/2/3/headlines/guantanamo_prisoner_majid_khan_freed_and_resettled_after_2_decades_of_detention_years_of_torture

["The U.S. continues to hold 34 prisoners at Guantánamo. Only 11 of them have been charged in military tribunals."  What an egregious shame on American national politicians.  ALL humans have certain rights, including criminals, terrorists, SUSPECTS, & the like.]

HISTORY MATTERS---

The first political Parties in the USA were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans (AKA, the Anti-Federalists).  They were formed by the first political "bosses" about twenty years after the founding of our country.  Alexander Hamilton was the Head of the Federalists, and they were in favor of a strong central government.  When the USA was forming in the mid-1770's, Hamilton favored a monarchy for our type of government; he believed we should have a King.  Thomas Jefferson was the Head of the Democratic-Republicans, and they favored strong States' Rights.

These first American political Parties were formed by the members of the social elite, the rich plutocrats of that time.  Almost all of them "owned" hundreds of slaves, and believed only the aristocracy should rule a country.  Twenty years prior to the formal organization of the two Parties, these same men formed our government.  They did not favor a democracy, and often described same as "two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner".

They finally settled on a Constitutional Republic in which "all men are created equal", except of course, for slaves.  Women couldn't vote, and members of the Senate were not elected; instead, they were appointed to office.

Time passed, and things changed.  Now we're the "land of the free and the home of the brave".  I agree we're brave.  One has to be when putting up with politicians who favor mega banks, perpetual war, fossil fuels, policing the world, the American Empire, the rich & powerful, and Edward Bernays style propaganda.  But, are you "free" - from debt, from job insecurity, from the rat-race, from pollution (e.g., the "forever chemicals" and the nano-plastics in your body), from a fractured and atomized society, from the super high cost of living, from a government too large to be managed properly, from "food deserts" scattered all across the country, from weather extremes which could have been mitigated on the macro-scale, from inflation (the hidden tax)?  If not, then place much of the blame on a broken TWO-PARTY system which is largely run by Oligarchs and/or their influence.

Don't jump to conclusions.  No one loves this country more than I do.  It's a false myth which says if you love your country, then you must support the scoundrels who are running it.  Plutocrats promote that baloney.  The aristocracy wants you to believe such nonsense.  As Warren Buffett once stated fairly recently:  "There's a Class War going on in this country, and my side is winning.".  So true, Mr. Buffett.

It doesn't have to be that way.  Stop drinking the propaganda kool-aid coming from Repubs AND Dems.  Overwhelmingly, they are on the same Team (except for a few social hot-button issues), and it's not yours.  They are on Team Oligarchy.

So, what's to be done?

1.  If you're a Democrat, don't ever vote for one of your "centrist/moderate" candidates (unless he/she is running against someone like Trump).  They are NOT centrists; they are corporatists.  They are part of the Big Business Establishment.  Instead, support Progressives.  They have their flaws, but they're the closest thing to being democratic (with a small letter "d") in the Corporatist Dem Party.  The Dem Party of the past is long-gone, replaced by neoliberalism.

After Sanders was completely shafted by the DNC, it's amazing to me that any Progressives remained in the so-called Dem Party.  They all should have dumped it.  I'm guessing they believe they'll change it from the inside.  That's highly unlikely.  It's a rigged game, rigged by billions of dollars.

2.  If you're a Republican, be aware that the Repub Party also is long-gone; it has been co-opted first by Neoconservatives, and then by Neoliberals.  They support Big Biz over Small Biz.  They egregiously promulgate Corporate Globalization and monopolies.  The only thing they want to conserve is Rule by Plutocrats.  They favor industrial farming over smaller family farms.  They abhor competition in the marketplace.  They don't give a damn about your religion, your ethics, or your belief in conservatism.  In short, you've been bamboozled.

Your best hope is to dump the so-called Repub Party, and become an Independent or perhaps a Libertarian (although, you probably won't care for the liberal side of libertarianism).  You're fairly well shafted, partly because most likely you don't know much at all about Russell Kirk, the Founder of Modern Day Conservatism.  Without knowing it, you allowed genuine conservatism to be replaced by neoliberalism.

................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Alton Sterling: TASERED First, THEN Shot and Killed

Just finished watching (on Democracy Now) the interview of the shop owner who filmed a portion of the incident which resulted in Mr. Sterling being killed in Baton Rouge.  We don't know the full story yet; details have been a bit slow in coming.  Following is what we do know from the eye witness account and the film.

The shop owner and Sterling were friends of six or so years.  The owner allowed Mr. Sterling to sell DVDs in front of the shop.  For some unknown reason, the police showed up, grabbed Sterling (why is not known at this point), slammed him onto the hood of a vehicle, backed off, and TASERed him.  That was not filmed because apparently it happened rather quickly.  Then two cops pinned him to the ground.  That's when the shop owner started filming.  Next, one of the officers yells "Gun!", pulls out his weapon, and shoots point blank, killing Mr. Sterling...after he had been TASERed.  Again, after he had been TASERed.  I've yet to hear or see that bit of info on the Corporate Media...not even the allegation that's what happened.

After that, Mr. Flahti (the shop owner) is detained for hours & hours (4 of them in a hot police car), his cell phone is seized, his shop is commandeered for about six hours, and all his shop video/security equipment is removed...without him ever being presented with a Search Warrant.

SIDE NOTES:

Being TASERED totally incapacitates a person.  People have died from that.  Some years ago, the total number of TASER-induced deaths was 12;  I think it's up to 20-something now in this country.  After the very first death, TASERs should have been banned.

Eric Garner, the NY man who died two years ago as a result of a police choke-hold, was approached by police because he was selling loose cigarettes on the street.  The guy who filmed that incident is the only one going to jail (on unrelated charges, after being harassed by police for two years).  He's not Black.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, who most police surely must admire, has stated more than once:  filming police doing their job in public is perfectly legal and guaranteed by the Constitution.  And yet, some police berate, harass, and even abuse people who film them in public...especially when the cops involved are being brutal.
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As I stated in the piece immediately before this one, all these incidents are not only about racial prejudice.  The Oligarchs are cracking down on the "little people".  Whether it's political, economic, environmental, or anything else, dissent will not be tolerated...and those who practice it either will be marginalized or crushed.  Such is life in the USA today, the Land of the Free.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Is it Race or Class? Or Both?

I get suspicious whenever the Corporate Media and/or the Fed Gov't promote some idea...over & over & over.  In this case, it's the supposed racial divide here in the USA.  Yes, some people of all "races" are prejudiced; but I don't believe the problem is as massive as we're being told.

The current unrest is not primarily about Race.  I'm sure there are some bad-apple racist cops; however, I suspect the following is mostly playing out worldwide--

Cops are much like soldiers:  THEY HAVE ORDERS from higher up.  The Oligarchy's 

political corruption, economic & financial failures, empire hegemony, & intolerance of 

democracy are no longer being tolerated by the People...who are demonstrating on a wide variety of fronts (racial, economic, environmental, immigration, incarceration/prison reform, 

political, police brutality, etc.).  The Powers-That-Be are clamping down on all protests; 

they no longer tolerate protests of any kind...be they group or individual.  [Once in a great while, we see an exception 

to that general statement.]

The Oligarchy is attempting to put "the little people", "the bewildered herd", "the ignorant masses", "the spectators" [all terms from a few "Liberals" and "Libertarians" of the past] in their place.  This is a Class War of epic proportions...the monitoring of essentially everyone, a 

crackdown on demonstrations, no tolerance for arguments from anyone, a massive transfer of wealth, white-collar criminality by the 

Super-Rich, war for profit, privately-run prisons, privatization of public infrastructure & other 

resources, a War on Cash, the hollowing-out of the Middle Class, and on & on.

As Warren Buffett said, "We are in a Class War in this country, and unfortunately, my class 

is winning.".  He's correct.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Lies, the Elites, the Corporate Media, and Class War

Recently on Democracy Now!, Glenn Greenwald (a major player on a journalistic team that just won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service) characterized the Corporate Media in America as "impotent, neutered, and obsolete".  I agree; however, it's important to recognize that they were created to be that way.  Their major function, as mega corporations, is to distract the public and support the soft despotism (in America) and the fascist intervention (abroad) by the central government.  A long time ago, Walter Lippmann---the "Dean of American Journalism" and a so-called "Liberal"---stated that the American public consisted of people who were "meddlesome outsiders" (relative to gov't) and made up the "bewildered herd".  He also believed, along with Edward Bernays (the Father of Public Relations), that controlling the public mind was especially important in a democratic society, and that public "consent" must be "manufactured".

In 1975, Crisis in Democracy was published by the Trilateral Commission, an elite, "Liberal" think tank founded by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski.  The book-length report, which was authored by elite so-called "Liberals", stated the proposition that America had a huge problem, a crisis--- ordinary people were organizing (which is anathema to Oligarchies) and demanding a place at the political table.  These insurgents actually wanted to determine their own destinies...and the policies of their servant gov't.  According to the "Liberal" elite authors, the solution to the "crisis" was to somehow return what Lippmann called the "meddlesome outsiders" and "bewildered herd" to their proper state of apathy and obedience.  Thus began another cyclic push by the Oligarchy in general to manufacture or engineer the consent of the public to allow things to be run by the "smart" people, the Meritocracy.  The process continues right up to the present day.  [The so-called "Conservatives" operate in the same manner.]

We still live in a relatively free society here in the USA.  Because of that, the Oligarchy cannot resort to brute force (in most cases) in order to get us to tow the NeoImperialist, Corporatist line.  They wouldn't get away with it.  The method used by the State-Corporate Complex to gain our "consent" is Edward Bernays style Propaganda, which is instrumental in their strategy of Distract-Divide-Conquer.  [To any new visitors to this Blog--- none of this is a "conspiracy".  It's right out in the open, but one must pay attention in order to see it.]

The biggest threat to the Crony Capitalist, State-Corporate, State-Capitalist, Mega Corporate Oligarchy in America is not communists, or terrorists, or narco-kingpins, or any other boogie-man...the biggest threat is ordinary people organizing around a just cause.  None of us can do much individually to obtain and secure a fair and just society; but with solidarity in a group, much can be accomplished peacefully.  That's what the Oligarchy fears most.

Because of that fear, you will notice (if you're not totally distracted) that the Elites and their Institutions will either completely ignore or almost instantly attack, smear, or marginalize any group (or individual, for that matter) that proposes or supports any egalitarian issue or project.  Whistleblowers are criminalized, labor unions are crushed, environmental groups are ridiculed or marginalized, alternative media are ignored, workers protesting poverty-level wages are ignored or marginalized or fired, alternative energy proponents are ridiculed or ignored, health care reform advocates are deemed "socialists", constitutionalists are ignored, poor people in any organization protesting almost anything are deemed "unworthy", opponents of so-called "Globalization" (which really means mega corporate tyranny) are deemed "behind the times", and on & on.

Elite Propaganda in America comes from a diverse array of sources--- the highest levels of the Fed Gov't, "Conservative" groups, "Liberal" groups, the Corporate Media, various public Institutions, various private Institutions, think tanks, etc.  It usually originates at the very highest levels, but no matter the source, the message almost always amounts to some variation of this:  the State-Corporate Complex knows what is best for you and our country; you should leave it to us, no matter how unfair, unjust, or illegal it might seem.  We know best.  You should accept on its face anything we say.

The major offenders are those at the highest levels of the Fed Gov't (no matter which Party holds majority power) and those at the highest levels of the Corporate Media... a close third would be those elites in the large, private political organizations supporting "Conservatives" or "Liberals", Republicans or Democrats.  In fairness to the last group, I should say that maybe some of them promulgate propaganda without knowing that the Game is rigged.  The two major political parties in America mean virtually nothing anymore...they're strictly meant to serve as distractions from the mega corporate agenda.  Anyone with even half a political eye surely can see that they're merely two branches of the Mega Corporation Party.

Our Fed Gov't (and Mega Corporations) now, without probable cause or a proper warrant, spies on all of us.  Our Gov't now spies on our allies, and even individual Heads of State (e.g., Merkel in Germany) who are our allies.  In his new book, Nowhere to Hide, Glenn Greenwald reveals an NSA training document (from Snowden) which instructs gov't operatives basically to get it all, all the digital info it can from everyone...not just those suspected of terrorism.  After all, anyone in the world possibly could be a "terrorist".  These are not the actions of a moral, ethical, just Gov't.  Instead, this is Soft Fascism...or what de Tocqueville called Mild Despotism.  As long as the People are distracted, divided, and thus conquered, the Gov't gets away with it; no brute force is involved.  It's all unconstitutional.

Obama was at a WalMart the other day, praising that company in a speech.  WalMart, the biggest employer in the USA, and the biggest corporate destroyer of the American economy (not counting the mega banks)...and also, in terms of how its workers are treated, possibly the shabbiest employer in the country.  But that mega corporation fits right in with the Elites' view of how Globalization is good for everyone.  Republicans, Democrats, "Conservatives", "Liberals" (all at the highest levels) appear to take that as an axiom.  They all also appear to support the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, and "Free Trade" Agreements--- all of which are not favorable to poor people, or even to Middle Class people.  But the rich become the super-rich.

The lies promulgated by our Fed Gov't (again, no matter who is in power), the Corporate Media, and various public and private Institutions are so numerous and egregious as to boggle the mind.  Propaganda does work if it's repeated enough times.  Elites in supposedly democratic societies do rely extensively on propaganda to mold the public mind.  I do see the beginnings of an awakening to those axioms.

Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails 

The Elites, Control of the Masses, and the "Crisis" of Democracy

Even a cursory examination of History tells us that since at least the 1700s, after every major war or other significant, traumatic national event, the elites of "democratic" countries have perceived what they believe to be a "crisis of democracy".  For example, in 1975 the Trilateral Commission (TC for brevity) issued a book-length report on the governability of democracies titled, The Crisis of Democracy, by S. Huntington, et.al.  [The TC is a think tank founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski, the latter being the author of, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives (1998).  It's named "trilateral" because it supposedly represents the elites of North America, Western Europe, and Japan.]

Huntington expressed the following view, one held by so-called "Liberal Democrats", a view that differed very little (if at all) from that of the so-called "Right Wing".  The elites of both political persuasions, after the Vietnam War, believed that in the USA there was an "excess of democracy" which threatened the Establishment.  By that, they meant: large groups of people, normally passive, obedient, and apathetic, began to enter the political arena and essentially demand egalitarianism.  Further, and perhaps a bigger threat, value (truth, justice, equality, etc.)-oriented intellectuals were challenging the technocratic, policy-oriented, institutionalist intellectuals of the Establishment.  That was the "crisis of democracy".  From the elites' point of view, it had to be dealt with in a thorough and systematic way.

 It was believed that the "excesses of democracy" must be mitigated by returning the public to its proper state of obedience and apathy, and driving them from meaningful and full participation in the political process.  That best could be accomplished by further refining the control of the public (and their ideas) via Edward Bernays style propaganda---molding the public mind---and by making institutions even more difficult to penetrate.  As an example of difficult penetration, to get a third political party on the ballot in all fifty states is a complex, convoluted, frustrating, and virtually impossible task because of ballot-access laws concocted by both Democrats and Republicans.  Another example--- probably 90+% of political candidates are chosen, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchy; the rest largely are ignored.  A broader, different example--- today most all major institutions, public or private, are practically impossible to penetrate when trying to get a straight answer about any perceived problem or injustice.  "That's our policy" usually is the reply, as if that's a sufficient answer.

The elites' use of the Corporate Media (the Institutionalist Press) was key to further molding the public mind.  As a result, today ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox News, as well as the major newspapers and news magazines, all gush with the oligarchical line---a specialized Class knows what's best for all of us...in social matters, in politics, in government, in medicine and physical health, in economics, in finance, in national defense, in education, or in anything else you can name.  The Corporate Media don't all agree with each other on insignificant matters (e.g., should "God" be printed on our coinage), but they all promote the idea that the Oligarchy should manage and control things.  They all promote the idea that the State-Corporate Complex is the best possible system.

The rise of the Independent Media (thought of as "insurrectionist" and "dangerous" by the elites) has resulted in a serious challenge to the Oligarchy.  Consequently, there is a concerted effort to demonize, discredit, and destroy the Independents.  Journalists are being criminalized (e.g., Glenn Greenwald), jailed, or in a few places around the world, tortured and then "disappeared".  The First Amendment in this country is being compromised by the National Security State.  Fear has long been a tool of the Oligarchy...there's always a boogie-man from which we need to be protected, and to be protected means (according to the Oligarchy) that we must give up some of our Natural Rights.  Apparently exposing government wrongdoing is one of those Rights that must be given up.  [NOTE: some of those boogie-men are genuine threats, but most are not.  The biggest boogie-man is the State-Corporate Complex...and it's the biggest genuine threat.]

It's important to recognize (I think/hope most people do) that the definition of democracy used by elites is not the same as the one commonly accepted around the globe.  Democracy applied by elites is a top-down process, not bottom-up.  As to constitutional republics, forget it...there are none left in the world, that is, none that are legitimate or genuine.  That includes the United States.

Around the world today, especially in developed countries, Oligarchies are being seriously challenged by the so-called "crisis in democracy".  People are fed up with oligarchical control.  As a result, elites have increased the propaganda, or the Information War.  The effort to control the masses...mold the public mind...has never been greater.  One consequence is that the internet, the greatest democratizing force on Earth, is being attacked with propaganda and efforts to restrict it as never before.  If we are to peacefully overcome the Oligarchy, the internet must remain free and unfettered.  [I realize it's not unfettered in all countries.]  The State-Corporate Complex is doing everything possible to make us believe that the net should be censored because it is sometimes a tool of various boogie-men.  Resist that propaganda.  Take a page from the people of Turkey.

[NOTE:  A significant portion of this essay is courtesy of a lecture by the brilliant political analyst, Noam Chomsky...a Professor Emeritus of M.I.T., and a man demonized by both the so-called Left and the so-called Right.  That, by itself, tells me we should pay attention to what he says. :)]

Partly just my opinion.  Happy Trails

The Neoliberal Presidents: Reagan, Poppy Bush, Clinton, Dubya, and Obama...and the WTO

If you think that none of this affects you, please think again after you're done reading it.  I'm too old and decrepit to worry about any of it for myself, but I'm very concerned about the impact of it on my grandchildren...now, and when they become adults.

Neoliberalism is an economic philosophy/policy which promotes (on a global scale) deregulation, privatization of government services, financial liberalization, and trade liberalization.  All the Presidents listed in the title above were/are Neoliberals.  If you believe that none of this affects you and your family, unfortunately, you're dead wrong.  If you're a "Conservative" (which really means Neoconservative) in the USA, and if you believe that Neoliberalism sounds pretty good, you're dead wrong.  Here's why.
Background---
The World Trade Organization (WTO) grew out of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).  The idea (after WW II) was to liberalize Trade around the world... make it easier, which supposedly would benefit all people.  The groundwork for the WTO, formally founded in the mid-'90s, was laid during the Reagan-Thatcher Era and the White House tenure of Poppy Bush in the '80s & early '90s...with eight years of trade talks, the so-called "Uruguay Round".
The Catch---
At the last count I'm aware of, the WTO has seventeen Agreements... only one of which has anything to do with Trade in any substantial way.  The other Agreements deal with subjects such as environmental regulations, health & safety regulations (including food safety and toy safety), unions & workers, privatization of government services, deregulation of the financial sector, rules for the SERVICE industry, etc.  Keep in mind that the WTO controls about 97% of all world trade.  Member countries must agree to all seventeen covenents.  If a country breaks one of the Agreements, the WTO can apply economic sanctions/trade sanctions to that country.  In other words, the country basically can be excluded from world trade.
So, for example, India (the world's largest Democracy) once had laws prohibiting the patenting of life forms, seeds, and medicines.  Because of WTO action, India had to repeal or drastically modify those laws.  Also because of the WTO, all water in some places in India is owned by private companies...and anyone who collects/gathers rainwater or river water is considered a thief.
Because of the sixteen other Agreements of the WTO, various countries have been forced to privatize government services such as water and electrical utilities.  In most cases, the cost of those services then went up to as much as 50% more.  This is why, as a result of the Bolivia Water War, commoners in that country essentially and eventually kicked out of their land the transnational corporation, Bechtel...they had the public water contract and water fees went up by half.
The Presidents---
Reagan, along with Prime Minister Thatcher of the UK, concocted what became known as the Washington Consensus---a global promotion of Neoliberalism.  In many ways, it's the trickle-down theory of economics---make the rich richer and benefits will trickle down to what the Oligarchy calls the "little people", or "small people", or "ignorant, meddlesome outsiders", or "spectators".  But that theory seems to have worked well only for the super-rich.
Poppy Bush was simply more of the same.  More than once, he spoke of "a New World Order", by which he meant seamless world trade and Big Business as the savior of all of us.  He didn't put it quite that way. :)
Clinton probably was the first of the Neoliberal "Democrats".  Thanks to him and Gore, NAFTA deceitfully was sold to the American public.  A lot of manufacturing and jobs went South...and mostly only Oligarchs were the financial beneficiaries.  Their Administration also was largely responsible for getting rid of the Glass-Steagall Act, thus "liberalizing" the Financial Sector...which certainly to some degree made possible the greatest heist in American history---"too big to fail".
Dubya's Adminstration was responsible for the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) which included the USA, Mexico, and Canada...as well as CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement.  In the minds of the Oligarchs, the SPP was to be the pre-cursor of the North American Union.  All of these types of things are either tools of the WTO or supportive of WTO objectives.  Bush also was a big backer of deregulation and privatization...great sounding goals, but their implementation often negatively impacts the so-called "little people".
Obama, much more than the others, truly is a wolf in sheep's clothing.  He's a consummate liar and deceiver.  He blatantly promotes the TPP and TAFTA, and all other so-called "Free Trade Agreements"...selling them as the best thing since sliced bread.  He poses as some sort of "Leftist", but in reality is a Corporatist of the highest order.  He protects Big Business while backing regulatory reforms that either are window dressing or actually favoring his Corporate financial backers.  He ran more or less as a Peace candidate, but he's the most war-like President since LBJ (who also ran as a Peace candidate).  He's a genuine Neoliberal...and just as bad as Dubya.

Let's be clear.  All the above Presidents support (or in Reagan's & Poppy Bush's cases, laid the groundwork for) the WTO.  The WTO is a worldwide economic structure run by unelected elites that promotes deregulation of environmental-health-safety laws, deregulation of the financial sector, the loss of worker protections such as unions, the ability of private mega corporations to own natural resources (such as rainwater) that should be available to all, the ability of mega corps. to PATENT life forms, the ability of mega corps. to control the world seed market, the forcing of countries to accept foods with artificial growth hormones, the forcing of countries to accept genetically modified foods, the forcing of countries to accept potentially unsafe children's toys and pet foods, and on & on.  That's Neoliberalism.  The Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) and the Corporate Media have a different story...and it's a lie.

ALL the above Presidents (who are still alive) fully support and promote Neoliberalism, especially Obama.

Just my opinion...and that of many, many others.  The available scholarship on this subject is impeccable.  All you have to do is ignore the Propaganda Kool Aid and do a little digging.

[NOTE:  In addition to the economic philosophy/policy of Neoliberalism, there also is a political philosophy by the same name.  Political Neoliberalism, as you might guess, simply is broader in scope.  I don't have the time or energy for that right now.]

Happy Trails

Neoliberalism, the Class War, and the Silent Coup

I just now finished watching long excerpts of Obama's State of the Union Address and discussion of same on Democracy Now.  While realizing that all such speeches basically are little but propaganda, I have to say that the current President's effort was over the top in that regard.  It was the most disgusting display of half-truths and unadulterated propaganda that I've seen in quite awhile...actually, since Bush.  Obama:  "All our troops are out of Iraq"... that's not even a half-truth; it's a blatant lie.  Not only do we still have a few thousand combat troops as "trainers" there, the para-military arm of the CIA also has people there.  Obama:  "Our economy has been growing steadily for four years"...maybe, but only with low-paying jobs for the majority of working Americans and billions for Oligarchs.

The worst thing that Obama touted and promoted was Neoliberalism.  Of course, he didn't use that term.  Instead, he talked about Trade Agreements and how they would benefit "small business"; the implication was that jobs would be created.  This is exactly the same unnamed Neoliberalism concocted, promoted, and implemented by Reagan, Thatcher, and later, Clinton in the '80s and '90s.  It's global in nature.  It's all for the benefit of mega corporations, and involves the oligarchical tools of the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, and so-called "Free Trade Agreements".  Rules are written which trump national laws, implement a totally non-democratic economic policy, benefit Big Business, and screw over Third World countries.  It's backed by economic and military threats from the USA and the UK.

Most all educated people in the developed nations of the world, except the USA, are familiar with Neoliberalism to one degree or another.  At a fundamental level, it means the privatization of government services and the creation of a worldwide economic structure run by unelected business elites.  It's David Rockefeller's wet dream.  Here in this country, it's rarely ever even mentioned.  That's because both branches of the Big Business Party, meaning the Democrats and the Republicans, completely support the whole concept.  They appear to believe that it's a good thing... it is... for the Oligarchy.  I've discussed it in some depth elsewhere in this blog.  If interested, use the Search function at the upper left corner of this page and look for:  Globalization (Parts I, II, and III).

Obama didn't mention them by name, but it was crystal clear that he was promoting both the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade Agreement (TATA).  Either one absolutely dwarfs NAFTA and CAFTA...think how they affected our economy.  Jobs and manufacturing went South of the border.  Our President wants so-called "fast-track" authority to approve TPP and later, TATA.  Both will accelerate the transfer of wealth from the Middle Class to the Upper One Percent.  The only jobs that will be created most likely will be low-paying and menial, and even more manufacturing will shift to offshore locations.  Don't buy the propaganda.  If the TPP and TATA are adopted---or worse, approved and signed as Treaties---our grandchildren will be adults in a USA that will be even more of a Feudal Society than it is today...much, much more.

So, are you beginning to see how propaganda from the Oligarchy operates in this country?  Ask yourself why it is that most folks in the developed world know about Neoliberalism, but it's rarely ever mentioned here.  It's despised by most commoners (for good reason), but we know nothing of that...unless we broaden our sources of information.  Jeremy Scahill, whose film Dirty Wars has been nominated for an Oscar, discussed it in some depth on the 1-29-14 broadcast of Democracy Now...but how many viewers of Fox News or CBS News ever take in an alternative point of view?  Not many, I would venture to guess.  Scahill is of the opinion that, in a very real sense, mega corporations have launched a silent coup in this land.  I agree, and they've done it with their Cronies in DC...from both so-called "Parties".

Again, both Democrats and Republicans promote Neoliberalism.  Obama helped to prove that in his State of the Union Address.  So-called "Conservatives", who really are NeoConservatives, help to prove it on an almost daily basis.  This concept is the most important political issue of our times, but it's rarely ever discussed because "voters"  purposely are distracted by hot-button issues that have nothing to do with jobs and the economy.  Wake up, America...please.

Just my opinion.

The Failure of the Meritocracy: Twilight of the Elites

Chris Hayes has it exactly right.  He's an Editor-at-Large for The Nation, (at least he was in 2012) and has a book out titled, Twilight of the Elites: America after the Meritocracy.  What I refer to as the Corporatocracy (from John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man) or the Oligarchy, Mr. Hayes calls the Meritocracy.  It's the same kettle of rotting fish.

The word "meritocracy" was coined by a British social critic in the 1950s.  It was used in a satirical way to describe how the elites rig the game and make rules in their favor.  Basically, the whole thing boils down to this:
1. in the ethereal atmosphere of the elitist world, the most valuable characteristic of Humankind is high intelligence;
2. the most valuable use of that intelligence is deemed to be the making of vast sums of money;
3. other considerations, such as a social conscience, egalitarianism, democracy, compassion, and the like are deemed to be unimportant...or even hindrances.

Though the Brit who coined the term meant it in the vein of 1984, or Animal Farm, or Brave New World (in other words, dystopian societies), elites have (supposedly by mistake) adopted the concept as a model for society.  As a result, they have come to view themselves---because most of them are super-intelligent---as a class apart, superior to the Average Jane or Joe in every way.  They also have developed a strong sense of solidarity within their Class because they are, in their minds, vastly superior to the "little people".  [I was stunned when the International Head of BP, in a national TV news interview, referred to the Gulf residents as the "small people".  The man reeked of condescension...and I think, knew it.]

This all has resulted in a situation in which the elites, who are great Institutionalists, wind up protecting the people in the institution (public or private) rather than the people whom the institution serves...the overwhelming majority of any population.  Those of us in the lower socio-economic classes are viewed as Insurrectionists, and there is little or no concern for our well-being.  Example:  the cover-up (or ignoring) of the Sandusky affair at Penn State by the hierarchy of that institution.  Example:  the opposition to Cesar Chavez when he protested the lack of protection for farmworkers from pesticides, back when pesticides were barely regulated.

Those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder have experienced the negative effects of the Meritocracy for decades and decades.  What's different now is that the Upper Middle Class, since about the late 1990s or 2000, also has been experiencing those negative effects...especially economically, but also socially.  Wages/salaries have largely stagnated, people have to work longer in order to survive retirement in anything resembling a comfortable fashion, economic "bubbles" often have negatively impacted retirement funds, the National Security State is becoming more and more demanding and intrusive, wealth is being transferred from the Middle Class to the upper one percent at a truly astounding rate, and on & on.

The Sea Change in all this, the thing that has the elites very concerned, is the fact that the Upper Middle Class (and even many of those at the bottom of the ladder) is demonstrating that it will not put up with business-as-usual.  Sometimes actively, sometimes passively, they are expressing their extreme displeasure.  Faith in institutions of all kinds is in a free-fall decline...and most of those institutions are controlled by elites. 

The Meritocracy/Oligarchy knows that something bad for them definitely is in the wind.  Because they're mostly short-term-gain thinkers, I predict that in the not-so-distant future we'll have more economic bubbles and more "too big to fail" bailouts, or something even weirder, enabling the upper crust to scam even more billions.  Financial "derivatives" may be instrumental in that scenario...again.  I hope I'm wrong.

Partly just my opinion.

More: Class War and Politics

Once again, I offer my response to an email from a "Conservative" friend.  He asked me about political "sides" (e.g., Right v. Left, Conservatives v. Liberals, etc.), and also whether or not I thought our economic system might collapse...and what I thought might come after that, specifically, would it be a leaner, more conservative system.

My response---

Here's what I believe in terms of "sides". I came to this after about 5 yrs of serious consideration---

There is no longer any choice between so-called Liberals and so-called Conservatives; that's all an Oligarchical distraction - a Divide & Conquer strategy. It certainly wasn't always that way; maybe 10 to 20 yrs ago the choice was genuine...no longer. To illustrate, take Kennedy & Obama as examples. I believe that JFK was a genuine Liberal/Progressive...and I think he truly loved this country. I didn't agree with most of his politics, but I thought he was sincere in his beliefs. Obama is a snake. Those smitten with Obama-worship appear to believe that he's a Liberal; those opposing him appear to believe that he's a Socialist. I firmly believe he's neither...OBAMA IS A CORPORATIST through and through. I've detailed my reasons for that belief in various Blog posts.

Here's what John Pilger, a self-admitted Socialist (and an investigative journalist), had to say about O---
"He's a product of Madison Ave. propaganda---Brand Obama... and it's all fake. Don't believe what he says; watch what he does.".

"Conservatives" point to ObamaCare as an example of socialism; what a joke. The ACA was a bailout of the health insurance industry; it should have been called the Affordable Insurance Act. It did nothing for health care; it basically gave $$$ to mega insurance companies. It's "affordable" because many customers now have higher premiums than before, and because many people are now forced to buy coverage they don't need (such as maternity care for single men). The extra money supposedly is diverted to subsidize poorer customers. In any case, it's PRIVATE companies that benefit. That's fascism, not socialism; it's the power of the State married to the power of Big Biz. Despite their phony bitching & moaning about OCare, I firmly believe that the health insurance industry loves it. It's a windfall for them. It's also a windfall for PRIVATE doctors, PRIVATE clinics, PRIVATE hospitals, etc. Why? More business.

So, as to "sides" in the current political climate, I see only two real choices--- the Oligarchy, and the rest of us. Unfortunately, that means the now phony Conservative-Liberal and Repub-Dem splits have to be ignored or dismantled, or both. People will think that's ridiculous, impossible, unimaginable. I say, look at History; something very similar has happened over & over, not only around the world, but also in the short span of this country. For example, the Republican Party was not around for decades earlier in our political history. Our Founders were all "Liberals", but later "liberal" no longer meant "for freedom". NeoCons are called Neoliberals everywhere but in the USA. Reagan & Thatcher were proponents of Neoliberalism to everyone but Americans...and that was a bad thing to most foreigners. The current political state of things is not carved in concrete. It's not even unusual for such things to totally change. But the Oligarchs would like us to believe otherwise...because the current setup is a perfect Divide & Conquer strategy for them. And please, it's not any kind of "conspiracy"; it's simply good business to them.

As to the Tea Partiers, it's very hard to assess them...they're of various beliefs and decentralized to a large degree. They are not, despite what the Corporate Media calls them, only ultra-conservatives. If I were to guess, I'd say they're near the right track, but not on it. Of course, my "right track" may not be yours. [It does bother me that I've seen some evidence that most likely their "grassroots" movement really was started and funded by Oligarchs such as the Koch brothers. The evidence is not definitive, but it's there. In my mind, that taints the whole movement to some unknown degree. They may be a good thing...or not. It's too hard to tell right now.]
....................................................

I don't know for sure whether or not your excellent questions were rhetorical, but I'll give my opinion regardless. :) [Many more Americans should be giving serious thought to these things; instead, they seem to be distracted by Bread & Circuses.]

Naturally, all of the following is pure guesswork on my part. I've learned that the older I get, the less I really know for sure. That said, I believe our current system is doomed...probably not within my lifetime, or maybe even yours, but doomed nonetheless. All the signs are there. The national debt will continue to grow until the collapse; that will come shortly after the world no longer accepts the dollar as the world's reserve currency. People in positions of power didn't say much when an unprecedented event happened fairly recently---for the 1st time ever, a major country (China) called for a discontinuation of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. That's monumental; it's the first crack in our worldwide financial dike.

Before the dike bursts, however, I believe that the Oligarchs (with the aid of their Cronies in DC...just like before) will pull off one or two more great heists...bailouts and trillions in loans (like before) at less than 1% interest. Everything's pretty much in place for that to happen again. The biggest things in the financial markets STILL are derivatives...they're still being sold hand over fist...and they're STILL backed by zero reserves. It's the biggest scam in the history of humankind...all for the benefit of Oligarchs, and all facilitated by their Cronies in DC---Repubs and Dems. The One Percenters appear to be very short-term thinkers. They will get more billions to secure their immediate families, and the rest of us can go to hell and/or the poorhouse.

As to emerging from the ashes with a leaner, more conservative theme, I hope not...because today's "Conservatism", based on what I've seen from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, the anchor on Fox (name escapes me), Bill Kristol, etc. appears to be a cross between Attila the Hun and Trotskyism. I'm serious...it barely resembles Conservatism at all. It's NEO-conservatism, through and through. They don't believe in Peace through Strength; rather, they believe in Peace through WAR... pre-emptive war...in other words, naked aggression. That's very UNconservative. In the financial/economic arena, they believe in working with Cronies in DC in order to rig the game in their favor, making them richer & richer. Supposedly, according to the propaganda, that's so they can "create jobs". What a joke and a scam. Instead they destroy jobs, eliminate jobs, ship jobs offshore, cut costs by eliminating benefits, hire part-time workers, fire those about to retire, and in general, play the Enron Game. All very UNconservative.

I believe some millionaires/billionaires have made it honestly, but in general, I think one has to be unethical or crooked, or both, in order to get to that level. Very UNconservative.

So, my preference (coming from the ashes) would be the Capitalist version of Anarcho-Syndicalism. [There is a Socialist version, but I don't advocate that one.] As viewed today, "Conservatism" simply isn't lean enough. Today's "Conservatism" is way too Statist in nature. Just my opinion.

Be Well, Pard

More on Class War

Below is my response to a forwarded email sent by a good friend of mine, a "Conservative".  [I put that in quotes because I'm old enough to know that there are no Conservatives anymore, only NeoConservatives...a completely different ball of wax.]  The jist of the email to which I responded is this:  people who are getting "free stuff" in this country outnumber those who are paying for it, and not only that, but those getting the stuff want even more; the implication was that those folks are lazy.  Finally, the email suggested that's what's ruining this country.

My response---

1. The piece below [meaning, the email sent to me] assumes that the main concern of some people is "free stuff". I suggest: that's a false premise. If I'm right, the whole piece below is false...or at least, the conclusion is false/wrong.

2. The piece below implies that those receiving "free stuff" are doing so because they're lazy, crooked, or in some other way no good. I suggest: perhaps many/most of them are truly desperate because Oligarchs have moved manufacturing/jobs to Asia or Mexico, and have (with their mega corps.) displaced/run out of business thousands of small businesses across America, thus eliminating even more jobs. On top of that, the Fat Cats often pay wages that are about equivalent to an SS check. I further suggest that age, sex, & race discrimination definitely exists in the job market. There's no question about that. It may be against the law, but it's almost impossible to prove.

3. The piece below implies that the overwhelming majority of those receiving assistance prefer that to having a decent job, the pride of accomplishment, and a way to improve their lives. I suggest: that implication is nonsense. I imagine that there are a few who would rather be on the dole, but to think that most folks would is ridiculous.

4. I suggest: the piece below is nothing but a purposeful distraction from what's really important, as follows.
A. One percent of Americans own 50% of the wealth of this country. Job creation is not high on their priority list. Cutting costs and maximizing profits are their main concern. If that means paying obscenely low wages or shipping jobs out of the country, they figure, so be it.
B. Those one percenters work in league with corrupt politicians in order to rig the game in their favor. The financial sector is a prime example of that, but the corruption extends to all sectors of Mega Business.
C. One tenth of the one percent (the Big Boys) are outright criminals, and their Cronies in DC have deemed them "too big to jail". If you don't believe that, you're not paying attention.
D. The Oligarchs distract We the People with hot button issues (abortion, religion, gay rights, gun rights, "terrorism", etc.) that have nothing to do with the most important issue--- the fact that our country is being turned into a Feudal Society with only two classes, the relatively poor wage slaves and the extremely rich Oligarchs. Oligarchs don't own slaves anymore, instead, they rent them...and the rent is low.

5. I suggest: the piece below is an excellent example of Propaganda Kool Aid; spit it out.

6. It's downright hilarious to me that the Oligarchs promote the idea that they're being attacked by Class Warriors. I suggest: they look in the mirror to see who's doing the attacking...and who is waging Class War.

7. I suggest: forget the anachronism of Right v. Left. That's a farce. The right-wing and left-wing Oligarchs are on the same team. They don't care about such distinctions. Do you really believe that the multi-millionaire entertainers Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly care about the "little people", or that George Soros does, or that the Koch brothers do? Please.

Just my opinion.

Be Well

The Class War in America

I just now finished watching a fairly recent piece on Frontline, "Two American Families" with Bill Moyers.  Brilliant.  He chronicled the struggles of two families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over a period of about twenty years.  What a vivid illustration of the economic travails of those hard-working folks and of a once-great country going down the drain.  I tried to leave a comment on the PBS website, but that function was not working for some reason.  My comment follows...

In my opinion, The Big Picture related to this story is as follows.  As Warren Buffett stated not long ago, "There's a Class War going on in America, and unfortunately, my class is winning.".  The Oligarchy, devoid of political ideology, for decades has been promoting Globalization for the simple reason that it greatly benefits the upper, upper crust.  Cheaper labor, relatively few health & safety standards for workers, relatively few environmental regulations with which to comply, no labor unions, etc. all mean more profits for the transnational mega corporations.  Manufacturing and jobs leave our country.  We are rapidly approaching the day when only two economic classes will remain in the USA:  the super rich and the poor or so close to poor that the difference doesn't matter.

Despite their rhetoric to the contrary, both Republican and Democrat politicians support (or do not oppose) the above scenario.  You think not?  If you were to name all the American politicians who do NOT support NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, the IMF, and the like, I predict that the numbers of them would not take up more than the fingers of one hand...and those few folks have been marginalized completely.  Despite the unceasing propaganda in this great land, politics is (for all intents & purposes) dead in the USA...all that remains is Crony Capitalism...Mega Business...Fascism.

The situation will not improve until Americans fully realize that we have been Divided and Conquered by the Oligarchy.  They get richer while we get poorer.  Even if that realization ever comes, I fear that Americans cannot effectively divorce themselves from divisive politics long enough to take the peaceful action necessary to correct the mess that we're in.  Even if, by some miracle, the political propaganda was ignored...even if Americans could analyze what's going on devoid of the dead political paradigm...I fear we would not have the will to execute a solution.  It would take a massive boycott of the Mega Corporations and their Cronies in DC.  The chances of that happening essentially are zero.  I don't see it ever happening; I hope, for the sake of my grandchildren, that I'm wrong.