In addition to the USA, this whole business applies to many, many other countries.
If you're a harsh critic of David Stockman (Reagan's Budget Director), as I have been for years, please try to suspend any prejudices about him and watch the fairly recent Bill Moyers interview of Stockman found at the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscD9pGGwIU
That interview is the best explanation I've seen of why/how:
1. Crony Capitalism, which has devastated our economy, differs from Free Market Capitalism.
2. The labels of "Republican" and "Democrat" really don't matter anymore.
3. Oligarchs in BIG Business (mega, transnational corporations) have taken over the Fed Gov't.
4. Financialization has contributed greatly to the ruination of our economy.
5. In the last 20 years or so, Repubs and Dems have had essentially the same economic policies.
6. Mega corporations such as GE have decimated the USA manufacturing base.
7. The "Free Markets" of the last 20 or so years are not Free Markets at all.
8. Corporate welfare (only for mega corps.) is expected as an entitlement by the Big Boys.
9. Bill Clinton, Dubya Bush, and Obama all have rigged the economic Game to favor super-rich Oligarchs.
and
10. The bailouts of "Too Big to Fail" constituted the greatest heist in our history by financial institutions that presently are even larger than they were before the bailouts.
In addition, Stockman points out something I've indicated on a previous post: 30-40 years ago, the Business Culture in America was significantly different than now; CEOs were concerned about the health of not only the company, but also the health of their communities and the American economy. Today it's mostly about only short-term profits and golden parachutes.
This is not the same David Stockman of years ago. This guy has nailed what's wrong with today's American economy. He agrees with many others (and I agree with them as well) that despite so-called "reforms" by Congress, almost nothing has changed since "Too Big to Fail". Another economic crisis currently is in the making...and there's a chance that it will be even larger than 2008. He also agrees that this whole scenario is not due to one political party or another; instead, the fault lies at the feet of Crony Capitalists.
The interview is about 25 minutes long, and it's a must-see for anyone hoping to understand why our country is going down the drain. [This is not pessimism, it's plain reality.] For things to change, we have to stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid. We're being played for chumps by both Repubs and Dems at the highest levels. It really is time to wake up.
Be Well
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
John Kerry Should "Man Up"
Very recently, John Kerry stated publicly that Edward Snowden should "man up", come back to the U.S., and face the charges against him. I doubt it, but perhaps Secretary Kerry is unaware of the common knowledge that the U.S. Fed Gov't Justice System is almost completely broken. It's overwhelmed, often corrupt, often vicious and unfair, and just about totally political. It has very little to do with justice. Furthermore, Mr. Kerry, making such a statement as a representative of the highest levels of our Gov't, displays the height of hypocrisy.
I suggest that Secretary Kerry man up and admit the following.
1. The mass surveillance "Program" of the NSA not only violates the Constitution, but also any concept of common decency.
2. "The Program" of the NSA is used for non-terrorist related activities, such as monitoring economic meetings of our allies.
3. The so-called "FISA Court" is a travesty. It's nothing but a rubber stamp for an out-of-control Executive Branch...no matter who is in the Oval Office.
4. No law in this country supercedes the U.S. Constitution. Politicians, including Mr. Kerry, need to cease citing the War Powers Act, FISA, the so-called PATRIOT Act, the NDAA, etc. as justifications for blatantly unconstitutional actions by the Feds.
5. The political Game in the USA is completely rigged.
6. The Fed Gov't has little to no interest in helping to bring about Peace in the Middle East. [I covered the reasons why in a previous post.]
7. The invasion of Iraq was perhaps the greatest war crime in recent history. At the very least, it was utterly unconstitutional. Anyone who can read and has an I.Q. of at least 100 knows that.
8. Recently released Snowden documents reveal that the NSA trained operatives to "collect it all"--- all the digital data it could get on as many people as possible...terrorist suspect or not.
9. At the highest levels, representatives of our Fed Gov't work for the Oligarchy, and it's NOT a "conspiracy"...it's right out in plain sight.
10. No matter who is in office, the Executive Branch (as well as Congress) protects mega bankers from criminal prosecution.
11. Obama's recent pronouncement at West Point that the U.S. Gov't will now "act unilaterally" when it sees fit most likely will result in future violations of International Law. [This is somewhat akin to the Bush-Cheney-John Yoo-Wolfowitz concept of a "Unitary Presidency"...except that this is much worse.]
12. No matter who is in office, Edward Bernays style Propaganda is used by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't to mold the public mind.
And finally, the Oligarchy---including its wholly owned subsidiary, the Fed Gov't---is beginning to worry because We the People often no longer buy into their load of crap. People not corrupted by politics are beginning to organize around just causes and to peacefully resist the propaganda and soft despotism of the central government.
If anyone should man up, Mr. Kerry, it is you.
Partly just my opinion. Happy Trails
I suggest that Secretary Kerry man up and admit the following.
1. The mass surveillance "Program" of the NSA not only violates the Constitution, but also any concept of common decency.
2. "The Program" of the NSA is used for non-terrorist related activities, such as monitoring economic meetings of our allies.
3. The so-called "FISA Court" is a travesty. It's nothing but a rubber stamp for an out-of-control Executive Branch...no matter who is in the Oval Office.
4. No law in this country supercedes the U.S. Constitution. Politicians, including Mr. Kerry, need to cease citing the War Powers Act, FISA, the so-called PATRIOT Act, the NDAA, etc. as justifications for blatantly unconstitutional actions by the Feds.
5. The political Game in the USA is completely rigged.
6. The Fed Gov't has little to no interest in helping to bring about Peace in the Middle East. [I covered the reasons why in a previous post.]
7. The invasion of Iraq was perhaps the greatest war crime in recent history. At the very least, it was utterly unconstitutional. Anyone who can read and has an I.Q. of at least 100 knows that.
8. Recently released Snowden documents reveal that the NSA trained operatives to "collect it all"--- all the digital data it could get on as many people as possible...terrorist suspect or not.
9. At the highest levels, representatives of our Fed Gov't work for the Oligarchy, and it's NOT a "conspiracy"...it's right out in plain sight.
10. No matter who is in office, the Executive Branch (as well as Congress) protects mega bankers from criminal prosecution.
11. Obama's recent pronouncement at West Point that the U.S. Gov't will now "act unilaterally" when it sees fit most likely will result in future violations of International Law. [This is somewhat akin to the Bush-Cheney-John Yoo-Wolfowitz concept of a "Unitary Presidency"...except that this is much worse.]
12. No matter who is in office, Edward Bernays style Propaganda is used by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't to mold the public mind.
And finally, the Oligarchy---including its wholly owned subsidiary, the Fed Gov't---is beginning to worry because We the People often no longer buy into their load of crap. People not corrupted by politics are beginning to organize around just causes and to peacefully resist the propaganda and soft despotism of the central government.
If anyone should man up, Mr. Kerry, it is you.
Partly just my opinion. Happy Trails
Saturday, May 24, 2014
The Deceivers Bush & Obama, and an American Patriot, Tom Drake
The primary source for this essay is the current piece on PBS Frontline titled, "The United States of Secrets". It's the best, most detailed rendition that I've seen of how-why-where-when the Fed Gov't launched (via the NSA) its unconstitutional (& thus illegal), warrantless program of mass surveillance of Americans. It also includes many interview clips with several people formerly in the Gov't who attempted to expose what the NSA called "The Program". They tried first through proper Gov't channels, and when they were ignored, one of them became a whistleblower. That was Tom Drake.
Mr. Drake was a dedicated NSA senior executive. So was Mr. Edward Loomis... and there were some others... William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, etc. They were appalled at what the Fed Gov't was undertaking. Before getting into that, though, let's back up a bit.
The Program was conceived immediately after 9-11. Michael Hayden, the Head of the NSA, was told by Bush-Cheney to come up with a Program to prevent another 9-11 attack. Essentially he also was told to include tools that currently were not allowed by the Constitution or various Statutes. He set to work doing exactly that. It turns out that there was a program in existence prior to 9-11 that could monitor just about anyone..."ThinThread". It had automatic, electronic"privacy protections" for American citizens. The NSA stripped out those protections, thus ensuring that when The Program eventually was used, it violated the Fourth Amendment. The justification by various Executive Branch, political appointee, puppet lawyers for its use was the Article 2 (of the Constitution) phrase, "Commander-in-Chief". [Luckily, not being an attorney, I have some common sense and realize that the phrase cited does not negate other parts of the Constitution. I think most non-puppet people know the same thing.] By the summer of 2002, The Program was in full swing... doing something that never before had been allowed--- surveilling (without a proper warrant) American citizens, our phone calls, emails, financial transactions, credit card use, etc. Literally TRILLIONS of individual bits of data.
Drake and the others were kept out of the secret loop at the NSA regarding The Program, but eventually it was leaked to them that their ThinThread Program had been altered and was being used in an illegal manner. In addition, the major phone companies in the USA were turning over customer phone call records to the NSA. Apparently, these words from the Fourth Amendment are not understood by the Executive Branch: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS..." (emphasis added). [In actual fact, I believe those words are understood by the Feds; they had/have another agenda--- expansion of Power in the U.S. World Domination Game, what Brzezinski once called "American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives". From their perspective, 9-11 was a fortuitous excuse to run amok.]
Bill Binney, getting nowhere in the NSA with his concerns met with Diane Ruark, a top Congressional Staffer with 17 years of experience in the Intelligence field. A "Conservative" Republican, Ruark nonetheless was extremely concerned that the NSA had "gone rogue". She launched a campaign to inform Congress. Of course, by then it was too late--- the White House already had brought Congress on board. Oversight of the NSA was basically dead. Porter Goss was Ruark's boss; he sent her to Michael Hayden, NSA Head. He basically evaded her questions, but in a politically incorrect manner, she persisted. Finally he essentially told her to mind her own business because he had authority for The Program from the highest level (the "Commander-in-Chief"). Keep in mind that she was on the Congressional Committee for Intelligence OVERSIGHT. Checks and Balances in our Gov't, for all intents and purposes, were gone.
A few attorneys in the Executive Branch opposed The Program due to its unconstitutionality. They basically were thrown under the bus, so to speak. The Program grew, despite the fact that the Justice Dept. determined part of it to be illegal. Because I don't have the time for all the essential details, I highly recommend that people watch the Frontline piece. It is a feature-length film, but fascinating and well worth the watch.
Eventually, some knowledge of The Program reached the public. Bush and Hayden were pretty much forced to say something publicly. Both were deceitful; only a tiny part of the operation was justified... the part dealing with specific terrorist suspects. The public was propagandized. Bush eventually lied about warrantless surveillance of innocent Americans by an agency forbidden to spy on Americans. A couple of dissidents in the Gov't attempted to get the story published in the New York Times. Despite what the Right Wing in the USA thinks, the Times often kow-tows to the Feds. They did.
A year later, a reporter essentially forced (see the film) the Times to reconsider. Bush and Hayden tried to intervene; they were unsuccessful. The story was published in December, 2005. It "shocked the world", according to one commentator. Bush again went public and again was deceitful about The Program; nothing was said about monitoring trillions of emails, phone calls, etc. Hayden lied, saying, "Not a single employee of the NSA has expressed any concerns about...blah-blah-blah.". [Hayden is known as a masterful propagandist... evasive, deceitful, and totally loyal to the Institution.]
Enter Tom Drake. After four years of exhausting all in-house means of expressing concern, he contacted The Baltimore Sun and blew the whistle...anonymously. All the documents he used were UNCLASSIFIED. USA Today published another leak from a different whistleblower. The Times came out with another story. Cheney went crazy, that is, crazier than his usual. He was determined to stop the leakers (of unclassified info). A massive manhunt was launched by the FBI and it was led by Alberto Gonzales, former White House Counsel and then currently the Attorney General. Long story short, the FBI raided the homes of several people (Binney, Wiebe, Ruark, Loomis, etc., pretty much destroying their careers), but found nothing. They finally, six months later, got around to the home of Tom Drake. They seized a trove of UNCLASSIFIED documents, and he was charged under the Espionage Act. He faced possibly life in prison... for exposing Gov't unlawfulness. The seized documents were altered... "unclassified" was crossed out and they were marked "secret".
As the investigation proceeded, the Govt's cases began to fall apart. In 2008, enter Barack Obama. "No more secrecy!" Another quote: "The most transparent government [what his Administration, if elected, will be]". "Whistleblowers are good for government; they will be protected by my Administration [if elected]." "No more illegal wiretapping of American citizens [if elected]." Obama becomes President. He continues The Program. Prior to that, though, Bush reverses himself and decides he needs Congress to make The Program permanent. His Administration pushes through an Amendment to the FISA law. He claims it's "reform", but Intelligence insiders know that it gives the NSA unprecedented powers. The Program is expanded, made worse from the standpoint of the Constitution. The Amendment Bill had to be read extremely closely in order to figure out exactly what it said. Insiders expressed the opinion that Congress had little clue as to what the Bill really said. [Even if they had understood it, politicians seem to count on Americans being unaware of the fact that no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment cannot be negated by any Act of Congress.]
Senator Obama supported the Amendment. So even before he was elected President, the public should have had a clue that he was, at the very least, insincere in his campaign rhetoric concerning wiretapping (with no probable cause) of Americans. At most, he was lying.
President Obama's Administration continued the case against Tom Drake. So much for protection of whistleblowers. Drake's career was over, his finances were decimated (because of legal defense expense), his life more or less trashed. To get the whole thing over with, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor (they never had any espionage case) and received a minor fine and community service.
The Program continues to this day... a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment, and "justified" by a law. In the bizarro world of DC, apparently laws do supercede the Supreme Law of the Land. Amazing.
Who cares? Why is any of this important to Americans, especially non-political Americans. Here's one reason why: the whole scenario is Soft Fascism. It violates our Constitution and our Rights. It has been implemented by both major political parties, and there's little reason to believe that more of our Rights won't be trashed down the line somewhere. As Lord Acton said long ago, "Power corrupts, and...".
Finally, our Gov't is doing this worldwide. Particular Snowden documents have revealed that the NSA is even spying on the economic meetings of our allies. That has nothing at all to do with terrorism. We're losing any reputation we ever had as a great nation. Worse, our Govt's NeoImperialistic methods are making enemies of people who once admired our country. In their attempts to dominate the world, our Gov't is over-reaching... not only making enemies, but bankrupting us in the process.
I hope many of you watch the Frontline piece. The content should inform and disturb you. In any case, I salute Tom Drake and the other people in the film who tried, at great personal cost, to wake up both Congress and the public to our Govt's grossly unlawful activities. Kudos to you all. The same praise goes to Edward Snowden. His story is in Part Two of the film.
Be Well
Mr. Drake was a dedicated NSA senior executive. So was Mr. Edward Loomis... and there were some others... William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, etc. They were appalled at what the Fed Gov't was undertaking. Before getting into that, though, let's back up a bit.
The Program was conceived immediately after 9-11. Michael Hayden, the Head of the NSA, was told by Bush-Cheney to come up with a Program to prevent another 9-11 attack. Essentially he also was told to include tools that currently were not allowed by the Constitution or various Statutes. He set to work doing exactly that. It turns out that there was a program in existence prior to 9-11 that could monitor just about anyone..."ThinThread". It had automatic, electronic"privacy protections" for American citizens. The NSA stripped out those protections, thus ensuring that when The Program eventually was used, it violated the Fourth Amendment. The justification by various Executive Branch, political appointee, puppet lawyers for its use was the Article 2 (of the Constitution) phrase, "Commander-in-Chief". [Luckily, not being an attorney, I have some common sense and realize that the phrase cited does not negate other parts of the Constitution. I think most non-puppet people know the same thing.] By the summer of 2002, The Program was in full swing... doing something that never before had been allowed--- surveilling (without a proper warrant) American citizens, our phone calls, emails, financial transactions, credit card use, etc. Literally TRILLIONS of individual bits of data.
Drake and the others were kept out of the secret loop at the NSA regarding The Program, but eventually it was leaked to them that their ThinThread Program had been altered and was being used in an illegal manner. In addition, the major phone companies in the USA were turning over customer phone call records to the NSA. Apparently, these words from the Fourth Amendment are not understood by the Executive Branch: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS..." (emphasis added). [In actual fact, I believe those words are understood by the Feds; they had/have another agenda--- expansion of Power in the U.S. World Domination Game, what Brzezinski once called "American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives". From their perspective, 9-11 was a fortuitous excuse to run amok.]
Bill Binney, getting nowhere in the NSA with his concerns met with Diane Ruark, a top Congressional Staffer with 17 years of experience in the Intelligence field. A "Conservative" Republican, Ruark nonetheless was extremely concerned that the NSA had "gone rogue". She launched a campaign to inform Congress. Of course, by then it was too late--- the White House already had brought Congress on board. Oversight of the NSA was basically dead. Porter Goss was Ruark's boss; he sent her to Michael Hayden, NSA Head. He basically evaded her questions, but in a politically incorrect manner, she persisted. Finally he essentially told her to mind her own business because he had authority for The Program from the highest level (the "Commander-in-Chief"). Keep in mind that she was on the Congressional Committee for Intelligence OVERSIGHT. Checks and Balances in our Gov't, for all intents and purposes, were gone.
A few attorneys in the Executive Branch opposed The Program due to its unconstitutionality. They basically were thrown under the bus, so to speak. The Program grew, despite the fact that the Justice Dept. determined part of it to be illegal. Because I don't have the time for all the essential details, I highly recommend that people watch the Frontline piece. It is a feature-length film, but fascinating and well worth the watch.
Eventually, some knowledge of The Program reached the public. Bush and Hayden were pretty much forced to say something publicly. Both were deceitful; only a tiny part of the operation was justified... the part dealing with specific terrorist suspects. The public was propagandized. Bush eventually lied about warrantless surveillance of innocent Americans by an agency forbidden to spy on Americans. A couple of dissidents in the Gov't attempted to get the story published in the New York Times. Despite what the Right Wing in the USA thinks, the Times often kow-tows to the Feds. They did.
A year later, a reporter essentially forced (see the film) the Times to reconsider. Bush and Hayden tried to intervene; they were unsuccessful. The story was published in December, 2005. It "shocked the world", according to one commentator. Bush again went public and again was deceitful about The Program; nothing was said about monitoring trillions of emails, phone calls, etc. Hayden lied, saying, "Not a single employee of the NSA has expressed any concerns about...blah-blah-blah.". [Hayden is known as a masterful propagandist... evasive, deceitful, and totally loyal to the Institution.]
Enter Tom Drake. After four years of exhausting all in-house means of expressing concern, he contacted The Baltimore Sun and blew the whistle...anonymously. All the documents he used were UNCLASSIFIED. USA Today published another leak from a different whistleblower. The Times came out with another story. Cheney went crazy, that is, crazier than his usual. He was determined to stop the leakers (of unclassified info). A massive manhunt was launched by the FBI and it was led by Alberto Gonzales, former White House Counsel and then currently the Attorney General. Long story short, the FBI raided the homes of several people (Binney, Wiebe, Ruark, Loomis, etc., pretty much destroying their careers), but found nothing. They finally, six months later, got around to the home of Tom Drake. They seized a trove of UNCLASSIFIED documents, and he was charged under the Espionage Act. He faced possibly life in prison... for exposing Gov't unlawfulness. The seized documents were altered... "unclassified" was crossed out and they were marked "secret".
As the investigation proceeded, the Govt's cases began to fall apart. In 2008, enter Barack Obama. "No more secrecy!" Another quote: "The most transparent government [what his Administration, if elected, will be]". "Whistleblowers are good for government; they will be protected by my Administration [if elected]." "No more illegal wiretapping of American citizens [if elected]." Obama becomes President. He continues The Program. Prior to that, though, Bush reverses himself and decides he needs Congress to make The Program permanent. His Administration pushes through an Amendment to the FISA law. He claims it's "reform", but Intelligence insiders know that it gives the NSA unprecedented powers. The Program is expanded, made worse from the standpoint of the Constitution. The Amendment Bill had to be read extremely closely in order to figure out exactly what it said. Insiders expressed the opinion that Congress had little clue as to what the Bill really said. [Even if they had understood it, politicians seem to count on Americans being unaware of the fact that no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment cannot be negated by any Act of Congress.]
Senator Obama supported the Amendment. So even before he was elected President, the public should have had a clue that he was, at the very least, insincere in his campaign rhetoric concerning wiretapping (with no probable cause) of Americans. At most, he was lying.
President Obama's Administration continued the case against Tom Drake. So much for protection of whistleblowers. Drake's career was over, his finances were decimated (because of legal defense expense), his life more or less trashed. To get the whole thing over with, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor (they never had any espionage case) and received a minor fine and community service.
The Program continues to this day... a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment, and "justified" by a law. In the bizarro world of DC, apparently laws do supercede the Supreme Law of the Land. Amazing.
Who cares? Why is any of this important to Americans, especially non-political Americans. Here's one reason why: the whole scenario is Soft Fascism. It violates our Constitution and our Rights. It has been implemented by both major political parties, and there's little reason to believe that more of our Rights won't be trashed down the line somewhere. As Lord Acton said long ago, "Power corrupts, and...".
Finally, our Gov't is doing this worldwide. Particular Snowden documents have revealed that the NSA is even spying on the economic meetings of our allies. That has nothing at all to do with terrorism. We're losing any reputation we ever had as a great nation. Worse, our Govt's NeoImperialistic methods are making enemies of people who once admired our country. In their attempts to dominate the world, our Gov't is over-reaching... not only making enemies, but bankrupting us in the process.
I hope many of you watch the Frontline piece. The content should inform and disturb you. In any case, I salute Tom Drake and the other people in the film who tried, at great personal cost, to wake up both Congress and the public to our Govt's grossly unlawful activities. Kudos to you all. The same praise goes to Edward Snowden. His story is in Part Two of the film.
Be Well
Saturday, May 17, 2014
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
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
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Lack of Knowledge in America about the Constitution
Over the years, I've been astounded at how little (apparently) many Americans know about the Supreme Law in this land. Example--- In one online discussion/comment venue, a person wrote back to me and said (paraphrased), "But, the Constitution doesn't say the President can't do that; therefore, he's allowed to."... Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. Another example--- "The President is Commander-in-Chief of the military; that means he can go to war whenever he sees fit.". Another example--- "Congress passed a resolution giving the President permission to go to war at some point in the future (the time to be determined by the President)."... Good grief. [That last scenario has taken place for the last few wars we've been in, and it's completely unconstitutional.]
Because of the above, I offer a few truths about our system of government and the U.S. Constitution. As a preface, let me begin by pointing out that the primary purpose of the Supreme Law of the Land is to limit/constrain/restrain the Fed Gov't. That's the reason it was created in the first place.
1. Ours is a government of Enumerated Powers (Google it.) We the People delegated certain powers to the Fed Gov't...and only those powers. If the power isn't listed, then the Feds don't have it. That's how they are restrained, not by listing everything they can't do...that list would be endless. The Gov't can gain new powers only by Constitutional Amendment or by a Constitutional Convention. There are no other legal ways unless martial law is declared.
2. The Bill of Rights (the first ten Amendments) does contain a few prohibitions that apply to the Gov't..."Shall not infringe upon...". Perhaps that's why some people got the idea that everything the Feds can't do is listed in the Constitution. Nope. Also, some people have the idea that the Constitution GRANTS us certain Rights. That's absolutely false. Instead, the document is enumerating (listing) a few of the Natural Rights that all people possess. It's saying that in this country, those rights will be protected ---not granted. The difference is important.
3. Yes, the President is Commander-in-Chief; however, that doesn't mean he gets to decide when to put us at war. There are enumerated Constitutional restraints regarding uses of the military. Only three such uses are permitted by the Constitution. I listed them in this blog more than once; they are very straightforward...no other "interpretation" is reasonably possible. One doesn't have to be a judge or attorney to figure out what the Founders meant. It's crystal clear. None of the permitted uses includes being the world's police force. Such a use is blatantly unconstitutional. Those who believe our military should be the world's police force need to lobby for an Amendment to that effect. Either that, or propose it at a Constitutional Convention. The way it is now, it's illegal.
4. I've stated this next item over and over in past posts: no Law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. That's what "Supreme Law of the Land" means. The Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't know that full well. That's why they ignore the Constitution and instead point to the War Powers Act (or some other law) to justify having the President decide when and with whom we're going to war. They know that if they try to get that authority from the Constitution, they'll be out of luck. That's also why they rely upon the PATRIOT Act to allow FBI Agents to write their own search warrants, or allow the NSA to spy on people with no probable cause or proper warrant. Those are not activities delegated by We the People to our Fed Gov't. That means our Gov't, at the highest levels, consists of outlaws...they are violating the Supreme Law of the Land. They also are violating this portion of their oath of office: ...to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
5. For this country to be (constitutionally) at war, Congress must declare war, not pass a resolution saying, hey, Mr. President, we approve of you putting us at war at some point in the future. That's why, in the beginning, both the Korean and Vietnam "wars" were called "conflicts". The Oligarchs in Gov't knew that the Constitution required a Declaration of War by the Congress, so they figured they'd make things more palatable to the public by calling both of those wars "conflicts". As the years passed, Gov't became bolder and simply dropped all pretenses regarding the Constitution. They ignored the document. And, lo and behold, very few people seemed to give a damn. That's why, more than once, I've suggested that we throw out the Constitution...because ignoring it has the same effect.
People have said to me, this just can't be...you must be misinterpreting the Constitution somewhere, some parts of it. My answer usually goes like this: I spent a fairly significant portion of my full-time working life interpreting the most complex, convoluted U.S. laws and regulations in existence, the Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials laws and regs...and the Occupational Safety and Health laws and regs. [To prove my claim regarding their complexity, Google: 40 CFR 261.3 - Definition of Hazardous Waste.] Compared to those laws and regs, the U.S. Constitution is a second-grader's textbook...it's longwinded in parts, but it's very plainly written. If you can read and have any common sense at all, you can "interpret" it.
As I said in my previous post, I think most people know that the Game is rigged, and so, they figure the whole situation is probably hopeless. That's true only if we continue to rely on "voting" to save us, and that's because about 99% of all national political candidates (Republicans and Democrats) are chosen, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchy. There are other peaceful ways to bring about significant change. First, though, we have to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid...part of that Kool Aid is the lie that Republican and Democrat policy-makers are significantly different.
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
Because of the above, I offer a few truths about our system of government and the U.S. Constitution. As a preface, let me begin by pointing out that the primary purpose of the Supreme Law of the Land is to limit/constrain/restrain the Fed Gov't. That's the reason it was created in the first place.
1. Ours is a government of Enumerated Powers (Google it.) We the People delegated certain powers to the Fed Gov't...and only those powers. If the power isn't listed, then the Feds don't have it. That's how they are restrained, not by listing everything they can't do...that list would be endless. The Gov't can gain new powers only by Constitutional Amendment or by a Constitutional Convention. There are no other legal ways unless martial law is declared.
2. The Bill of Rights (the first ten Amendments) does contain a few prohibitions that apply to the Gov't..."Shall not infringe upon...". Perhaps that's why some people got the idea that everything the Feds can't do is listed in the Constitution. Nope. Also, some people have the idea that the Constitution GRANTS us certain Rights. That's absolutely false. Instead, the document is enumerating (listing) a few of the Natural Rights that all people possess. It's saying that in this country, those rights will be protected ---not granted. The difference is important.
3. Yes, the President is Commander-in-Chief; however, that doesn't mean he gets to decide when to put us at war. There are enumerated Constitutional restraints regarding uses of the military. Only three such uses are permitted by the Constitution. I listed them in this blog more than once; they are very straightforward...no other "interpretation" is reasonably possible. One doesn't have to be a judge or attorney to figure out what the Founders meant. It's crystal clear. None of the permitted uses includes being the world's police force. Such a use is blatantly unconstitutional. Those who believe our military should be the world's police force need to lobby for an Amendment to that effect. Either that, or propose it at a Constitutional Convention. The way it is now, it's illegal.
4. I've stated this next item over and over in past posts: no Law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. That's what "Supreme Law of the Land" means. The Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't know that full well. That's why they ignore the Constitution and instead point to the War Powers Act (or some other law) to justify having the President decide when and with whom we're going to war. They know that if they try to get that authority from the Constitution, they'll be out of luck. That's also why they rely upon the PATRIOT Act to allow FBI Agents to write their own search warrants, or allow the NSA to spy on people with no probable cause or proper warrant. Those are not activities delegated by We the People to our Fed Gov't. That means our Gov't, at the highest levels, consists of outlaws...they are violating the Supreme Law of the Land. They also are violating this portion of their oath of office: ...to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
5. For this country to be (constitutionally) at war, Congress must declare war, not pass a resolution saying, hey, Mr. President, we approve of you putting us at war at some point in the future. That's why, in the beginning, both the Korean and Vietnam "wars" were called "conflicts". The Oligarchs in Gov't knew that the Constitution required a Declaration of War by the Congress, so they figured they'd make things more palatable to the public by calling both of those wars "conflicts". As the years passed, Gov't became bolder and simply dropped all pretenses regarding the Constitution. They ignored the document. And, lo and behold, very few people seemed to give a damn. That's why, more than once, I've suggested that we throw out the Constitution...because ignoring it has the same effect.
People have said to me, this just can't be...you must be misinterpreting the Constitution somewhere, some parts of it. My answer usually goes like this: I spent a fairly significant portion of my full-time working life interpreting the most complex, convoluted U.S. laws and regulations in existence, the Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials laws and regs...and the Occupational Safety and Health laws and regs. [To prove my claim regarding their complexity, Google: 40 CFR 261.3 - Definition of Hazardous Waste.] Compared to those laws and regs, the U.S. Constitution is a second-grader's textbook...it's longwinded in parts, but it's very plainly written. If you can read and have any common sense at all, you can "interpret" it.
As I said in my previous post, I think most people know that the Game is rigged, and so, they figure the whole situation is probably hopeless. That's true only if we continue to rely on "voting" to save us, and that's because about 99% of all national political candidates (Republicans and Democrats) are chosen, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchy. There are other peaceful ways to bring about significant change. First, though, we have to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid...part of that Kool Aid is the lie that Republican and Democrat policy-makers are significantly different.
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Congratulations
Someone in DC finally stated the obvious. "Washington is not working for hardworking Middle Class families." ~ Senator Elizabeth Warren. It's significant that Warren, a Democrat, did not say, "Republicans are not working for...". Her statement was totally nonpartisan. She also went on to say, "The system is rigged."...and, "The large banks are now 38% larger than they were before the Bailout."...and, "They have not been held to account."...and more. Congratulations to us, the People...we finally have at least one honest, national politician. I predict that she'll be smeared, or marginalized, or both. I hope I'm wrong.
It should be glaringly apparent that "voting" (in the present corrupt system) is not going to save us. Ever since I took a keen interest in American politics (in 1956, Mr. Benson's American Government Class, Highland Park High, Highland Park, Illinois), I've watched our Fed Gov't, our society, and our country proceed on a steady downhill slide. During the time from then to now, there have been periods when the Republicans were in the majority in our Gov't, and times when the Democrats were in the majority, and even times when the power was more or less evenly split. Throughout it all, the downhill slide remained fairly steady. Corruption grew, the Fed Gov't threw off its Constitutional restraints, the rich became the super-rich, poverty grew, the Middle Class continued to shrink, the Fed Gov't expanded and became more intrusive, unconstitutional wars became the norm, and politics became more and more about money. It didn't matter whether Republicans or Democrats held the majority power.
On average, only about 50% (sometimes as high as 60%) of eligible voters actually bother to vote in any USA national election. Before I became a nonvoter, I thought such people were lazy, or didn't care, etc. For some time now, I've believed that the paragraphs above describe the real reason for people not voting. The Game is rigged. James Madison once stated something to the effect that there will come a time when our Republic will be in grave danger because wealth will be concentrated in the pockets of the very few. We're in that era now. He went on to say that it will be up to the People to change our laws if we are to remain a free, prosperous country. Glenn Greenwald (a former Constitutional attorney and now a dissident independent journalist), Noam Chomsky, and others have explained very clearly how The Law is used to rig the Game. [See YouTube.]
Who writes our laws? Many, if not most, Legislative Bills are written by lobbyists...and then hawked to Representatives and Senators. [A cabal of Fat-Cat Bankers wrote the Bill that became the Fed Reserve Act.] Who determines Fed Gov't policies? Let's take Hank Paulson as an example...net worth in 2012, over $700 million. He came from Goldman Sachs (the world's largest investment bank)...he was the Head Honcho, salary---$40 million per year. Both Dubya Bush and Obama had him as Secretary of the Treasury. [Apparently the concept of a conflict of interest no longer exists in DC. Just because he liquidated his Goldman Sachs assets doesn't mean he had zero conflict of interest. By the way, because of an obscure tax loophole for the rich, he was able to avoid $200 million in capital gains taxes on those assets by going to work for the Feds...in case you're wondering why he would go from a salary of $40 million to one of $183,000 & change.] During the financial crisis of 2008, "Too Big to Fail", Paulson tells Congress that we have to give billions to the big banks, including of course, Goldman Sachs. He said our entire economic system would collapse otherwise...a complete fairy tale. Bernanke and Paulson also decided that about $13 TRILLION in loans must be made available to the Big Banks...at POINT 25 (.25) % interest. That whole scenario was the greatest heist in American history. The legislative "reforms" since then are nothing but window dressing. "Voting" will not solve this problem...at least, not until the system is unrigged.
So, what's to be done? There are many good, peaceful options...none of them include the present bought-and-paid-for Republicans and Democrats. [There are very, very few exceptions to that statement.] That means the very first step is to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. Until that happens, there's no point at all in even discussing the options.
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
It should be glaringly apparent that "voting" (in the present corrupt system) is not going to save us. Ever since I took a keen interest in American politics (in 1956, Mr. Benson's American Government Class, Highland Park High, Highland Park, Illinois), I've watched our Fed Gov't, our society, and our country proceed on a steady downhill slide. During the time from then to now, there have been periods when the Republicans were in the majority in our Gov't, and times when the Democrats were in the majority, and even times when the power was more or less evenly split. Throughout it all, the downhill slide remained fairly steady. Corruption grew, the Fed Gov't threw off its Constitutional restraints, the rich became the super-rich, poverty grew, the Middle Class continued to shrink, the Fed Gov't expanded and became more intrusive, unconstitutional wars became the norm, and politics became more and more about money. It didn't matter whether Republicans or Democrats held the majority power.
On average, only about 50% (sometimes as high as 60%) of eligible voters actually bother to vote in any USA national election. Before I became a nonvoter, I thought such people were lazy, or didn't care, etc. For some time now, I've believed that the paragraphs above describe the real reason for people not voting. The Game is rigged. James Madison once stated something to the effect that there will come a time when our Republic will be in grave danger because wealth will be concentrated in the pockets of the very few. We're in that era now. He went on to say that it will be up to the People to change our laws if we are to remain a free, prosperous country. Glenn Greenwald (a former Constitutional attorney and now a dissident independent journalist), Noam Chomsky, and others have explained very clearly how The Law is used to rig the Game. [See YouTube.]
Who writes our laws? Many, if not most, Legislative Bills are written by lobbyists...and then hawked to Representatives and Senators. [A cabal of Fat-Cat Bankers wrote the Bill that became the Fed Reserve Act.] Who determines Fed Gov't policies? Let's take Hank Paulson as an example...net worth in 2012, over $700 million. He came from Goldman Sachs (the world's largest investment bank)...he was the Head Honcho, salary---$40 million per year. Both Dubya Bush and Obama had him as Secretary of the Treasury. [Apparently the concept of a conflict of interest no longer exists in DC. Just because he liquidated his Goldman Sachs assets doesn't mean he had zero conflict of interest. By the way, because of an obscure tax loophole for the rich, he was able to avoid $200 million in capital gains taxes on those assets by going to work for the Feds...in case you're wondering why he would go from a salary of $40 million to one of $183,000 & change.] During the financial crisis of 2008, "Too Big to Fail", Paulson tells Congress that we have to give billions to the big banks, including of course, Goldman Sachs. He said our entire economic system would collapse otherwise...a complete fairy tale. Bernanke and Paulson also decided that about $13 TRILLION in loans must be made available to the Big Banks...at POINT 25 (.25) % interest. That whole scenario was the greatest heist in American history. The legislative "reforms" since then are nothing but window dressing. "Voting" will not solve this problem...at least, not until the system is unrigged.
So, what's to be done? There are many good, peaceful options...none of them include the present bought-and-paid-for Republicans and Democrats. [There are very, very few exceptions to that statement.] That means the very first step is to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. Until that happens, there's no point at all in even discussing the options.
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
Saturday, April 19, 2014
The Biggest Lie
Let's begin with the premise that what I'm about to say is a generality. There are always exceptions (usually minor) to any general truism; however, exceptions don't disprove the overall general statement... if the general statement is true. This one is true. We also need to accept the premise that this piece is an essay, not a scholarly research paper. Even though I've done the research, you won't find footnotes and a bibliography; they're simply too time-consuming. You may take my word for the accuracy of the info, or not. In either case, you certainly can do your own research... and you'll come to the same conclusions.
So, what is the biggest lie currently being told by Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't of the USA, the Corporate Media, and the advertising depts of mega corporations (Goldman Sachs is probably the most egregious offender in that last category)??? It's not that we're in a legitimate, constitutional "war" with someone. No, that's not it, but that was a close second. It's not that the fairly recent bailout of health insurance companies, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, improved health CARE in the U.S. Nope, that's not it. It's not that "inflation" is low and unemployment is decreasing. Although those all are lies, not one of them is the biggest lie.
The biggest lie (in my estimation) is that the U.S. economy is slowly improving. You see, when Oligarchs talk about the "economy", they're NOT talking about manufacturing, or jobs that have worth, or the expansion of the shrinking Middle Class, or an increase in the quality of life for the average American (which would be a reversal of the current situation). No, no, no. What they're talking about is this: the incomes of the super-rich are continuing to increase, and the whole process of Financialization is causing the GDP to grow...while manufacturing and decent jobs for the "little people" continue to shrink. That's the reality of our "improving" economy. Financialization does not produce anything except wealth for insiders. It's paper creation and paper shuffling. The idea began to take hold in the '70s, grew tremendously in the '80s and '90s (helped by deregulation of financial institutions), and exploded in terms of growth since the Millenium. AT THE SAME TIME, wages stagnated, manufacturing and jobs were exported, the Middle Class decreased in size, and oligarchical propaganda increased exponentially. It all continues today.
Along with "the biggest lie" is the associated lie/propaganda that the super-rich "create jobs". In general, that's simply not true; perhaps it was decades ago, but no longer. In this day & age, they ship manufacturing & jobs to Third World countries or China, they buy companies here and downsize them, and they merge companies and downsize them. They take some of their money and invest in bizarre financial instruments (securitized bundles) that are shuffled around by insiders and result in no production and no jobs. Worse, they've turned our economy (such as it is) into a giant casino.
All of the above has happened because of the fraudulent politics of both Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels. None of it is a "conspiracy". It's simply due to the common interests and objectives of the Oligarchs, their short-sightedness, and their greed. To them, it's just good business. Making it all possible has been the Edward Bernays style propaganda with which we've been bombarded for well over half a century. There's no question whatsoever that it has been wildly successful. Union busting, unconstitutional wars, deregulation (especially of financial institutions), so-called Free Trade agreements, our China Trade Policy, mega corporation lobbyists, Legislative Absolutism, Executive Absolutism (including Executive Orders), Judicial changing of the Constitution in place of Amendments, the Fed Reserve manipulating our currency, fractional reserve banking, the WTO, the IMF, etc., etc., ad nauseum all have contributed to not only the marginalizing of our system of gov't, but also to the ruination of our economy.
There is a better way, but first we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. Oligarchs rule this country; that's an axiom, accept it. More axioms: Republicans v. Democrats or "Conservatives" v. "Liberals" is a farce; Oligarchs choose, groom, and finance probably 99% of national political candidates; Oligarchs usually don't care who wins an election...they basically own any winner...through various means; the State-Corporate Complex essentially castrates or otherwise marginalizes any politician who isn't on board with the Oligarchs; the Game is rigged...and not in your favor; voting doesn't matter at all...there is no "lesser evil" anymore; those at the highest level in the Fed Gov't lie almost every day; those at the highest level in mega corporations lie every day; the Middle Class continues to shrink; we're rapidly moving to an economic Feudal Society; and finally, American politics is an utter fraud.
My best guess is that about 50% of our adult population already believes the above. I'm guessing that the 25% fanatical "Conservatives" (which means Neoconservatives nowadays) and the 25% fanatical "Liberals" (both of whom are still in a dead political paradigm strictly because of propaganda) don't believe any of it...or at least, don't believe most of it. Furthermore, they never will. Myopic on their part. The 50% of us who do believe it probably mostly feel that the situation is hopeless, that there's nothing significant to be done about it. I no longer think that. I now believe that it's possible to correct the situation with peaceful means...in big ways and in tiny ways. Unfortunately, it will take a tremendous, sustained effort...over a significant time period. Remember, no institutional system is carved in stone (so to speak). One doesn't have to be a fanatic to contribute to the peaceful change of an institution; one only has to want something better and be willing to work toward it...to whatever degree with which you're comfortable. As an East Indian activist once said, "...we be many, and they be few."...a big Amen to that. :)
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
So, what is the biggest lie currently being told by Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't of the USA, the Corporate Media, and the advertising depts of mega corporations (Goldman Sachs is probably the most egregious offender in that last category)??? It's not that we're in a legitimate, constitutional "war" with someone. No, that's not it, but that was a close second. It's not that the fairly recent bailout of health insurance companies, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, improved health CARE in the U.S. Nope, that's not it. It's not that "inflation" is low and unemployment is decreasing. Although those all are lies, not one of them is the biggest lie.
The biggest lie (in my estimation) is that the U.S. economy is slowly improving. You see, when Oligarchs talk about the "economy", they're NOT talking about manufacturing, or jobs that have worth, or the expansion of the shrinking Middle Class, or an increase in the quality of life for the average American (which would be a reversal of the current situation). No, no, no. What they're talking about is this: the incomes of the super-rich are continuing to increase, and the whole process of Financialization is causing the GDP to grow...while manufacturing and decent jobs for the "little people" continue to shrink. That's the reality of our "improving" economy. Financialization does not produce anything except wealth for insiders. It's paper creation and paper shuffling. The idea began to take hold in the '70s, grew tremendously in the '80s and '90s (helped by deregulation of financial institutions), and exploded in terms of growth since the Millenium. AT THE SAME TIME, wages stagnated, manufacturing and jobs were exported, the Middle Class decreased in size, and oligarchical propaganda increased exponentially. It all continues today.
Along with "the biggest lie" is the associated lie/propaganda that the super-rich "create jobs". In general, that's simply not true; perhaps it was decades ago, but no longer. In this day & age, they ship manufacturing & jobs to Third World countries or China, they buy companies here and downsize them, and they merge companies and downsize them. They take some of their money and invest in bizarre financial instruments (securitized bundles) that are shuffled around by insiders and result in no production and no jobs. Worse, they've turned our economy (such as it is) into a giant casino.
All of the above has happened because of the fraudulent politics of both Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels. None of it is a "conspiracy". It's simply due to the common interests and objectives of the Oligarchs, their short-sightedness, and their greed. To them, it's just good business. Making it all possible has been the Edward Bernays style propaganda with which we've been bombarded for well over half a century. There's no question whatsoever that it has been wildly successful. Union busting, unconstitutional wars, deregulation (especially of financial institutions), so-called Free Trade agreements, our China Trade Policy, mega corporation lobbyists, Legislative Absolutism, Executive Absolutism (including Executive Orders), Judicial changing of the Constitution in place of Amendments, the Fed Reserve manipulating our currency, fractional reserve banking, the WTO, the IMF, etc., etc., ad nauseum all have contributed to not only the marginalizing of our system of gov't, but also to the ruination of our economy.
There is a better way, but first we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. Oligarchs rule this country; that's an axiom, accept it. More axioms: Republicans v. Democrats or "Conservatives" v. "Liberals" is a farce; Oligarchs choose, groom, and finance probably 99% of national political candidates; Oligarchs usually don't care who wins an election...they basically own any winner...through various means; the State-Corporate Complex essentially castrates or otherwise marginalizes any politician who isn't on board with the Oligarchs; the Game is rigged...and not in your favor; voting doesn't matter at all...there is no "lesser evil" anymore; those at the highest level in the Fed Gov't lie almost every day; those at the highest level in mega corporations lie every day; the Middle Class continues to shrink; we're rapidly moving to an economic Feudal Society; and finally, American politics is an utter fraud.
My best guess is that about 50% of our adult population already believes the above. I'm guessing that the 25% fanatical "Conservatives" (which means Neoconservatives nowadays) and the 25% fanatical "Liberals" (both of whom are still in a dead political paradigm strictly because of propaganda) don't believe any of it...or at least, don't believe most of it. Furthermore, they never will. Myopic on their part. The 50% of us who do believe it probably mostly feel that the situation is hopeless, that there's nothing significant to be done about it. I no longer think that. I now believe that it's possible to correct the situation with peaceful means...in big ways and in tiny ways. Unfortunately, it will take a tremendous, sustained effort...over a significant time period. Remember, no institutional system is carved in stone (so to speak). One doesn't have to be a fanatic to contribute to the peaceful change of an institution; one only has to want something better and be willing to work toward it...to whatever degree with which you're comfortable. As an East Indian activist once said, "...we be many, and they be few."...a big Amen to that. :)
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
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