I was struck by the comparison that Taibbi makes between post-Soviet Russia and the emerging US plutocracy. I have drawn the same conclusion some years ago, that post-empire America may face the same outcome. The merging of private and state power is well underway. And everyone lost the Cold War, except a predatory few.
Is that too big of a statement? A presidential candidate, Jill Stein of the Green Party, is denied access to the 'debate.' She goes to the debate to protest this peacefully, is arrested, and is then gratuitously handcuffed to a chair for eight hours, just to show her how things are. A Wall Street fund manager refuses to pay a cabdriver his legitimate fare, stabs him, and flees the scene. All charges are dropped by the prosecutor despite the protests of the cabbie. A powerful friend of the President breaks every taboo against stealing millions in customer money, and no one knows anything, and no one is charged.
As they used to say in show biz, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Bill Moyers concluding remarks:
"Here’s a significant revelation of which you may not be aware. The plutocrats know it and love it, and the rest of us should be forewarned. When the Supreme Court made its infamous Citizens United decision, liberating plutocrats to buy our elections fair and square, the justices may have effectively overturned rules that kept bosses from ordering employees to do political work on company time. Election law expert Trevor Potter told us that now “corporations argue that it is a constitutionally protected use of corporate ‘resources’ to order employees to do political work or attend campaign events—even if the employee opposes the candidate, or is threatened with being fired for failure to do what the corporation asks.”
Reporter Mike Elk at In These Times magazine came across a recording of Governor Mitt Romney on a conference call in June with some business executives. The Governor told them there is quote, “nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well.”
And here’s Governor Romney two months later, campaigning at an Ohio coal mine:
"This is a time for truth. I listened to an ad on the way here. I’ll tell you, you got a great boss. He runs a great operation here. And he—Bob? Where are you Bob? There he is."Look at all those miners around him, steadfastly standing in support, right? They work for a company called Murray Energy and attendance at the rally, without pay, was mandatory. Murray Energy is notorious for violating safety regulations, sometimes resulting in injuries and deaths. And the company has paid millions in fines. The CEO, Bob Murray, a well-known climate change denier and cutthroat businessman, insists that his employees contribute to his favorite anti-regulatory candidates, or else. In one letter uncovered by “The New Republic” magazine, Murray wrote quote, “We have been insulted by every salaried employee who does not support our efforts.” So much for voting rights and the secret ballot at Murray Energy.
Mike Elk discovered that the Koch Brothers, David and Charles – who have pledged to spend $60 million defeating President Obama – have sent a “voter information packet” to the employees of Georgia Pacific, one of their subsidiaries. It includes a list of recommended candidates, pro-Romney and anti-Obama editorials written by the Koch’s and a cover letter from the company president. If we elect the wrong people, Dave Robertson writes, “Many of our more than 50,000 US employees and contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills.” Other ills? Like losing your job?
This is snowballing. Timeshare king David Siegel of Westgate Resorts reportedly has threatened to fire employees if Barack Obama is re-elected and Arthur Allen, who runs ASG Software Solutions, e-mailed his employees, “If we fail as a nation to make the right choice on November 6th, and we lose our independence as a company, I don’t want to hear any complaints regarding the fallout that will most likely come.”
Back in the first Gilded Age, in the 19th century, bosses and company towns lined up their workers and marched them to vote as a block. As we said at the beginning of this broadcast, the Gilded Age is back with a vengeance. Welcome to the plutocracy. The remains of the ol’ USA.
That’s it for this week. On our website, BillMoyers.com, at your request, we’re starting a book club. Our first is Chrystia Freeland’s “Plutocrats.” Read the book, ask questions, share your thoughts. Then let’s have a lively conversation.
That’s at BillMoyers.com. I’ll see you there and I’ll see you here, next time."
Maybe the Banks will threaten to crash the stock market if their indentured servants, the American people, do not vote the right way. It worked when the noble Congressional bureaucrats were cowed into submission when the Banks demanded their 'no strings' bailouts and the people were adamantly against it.
