There is always a competition between classes for a division of the rewards for economic activity. In modern states, including democracies, the competition is between workers and the owners of capital. This is the normal state of affairs and it can be carried out within the bounds of civil dialog provided that the government acts as an even handed arbiter and things don't get too far out of balance.
What I mean by "out of balance" can be discerned through a number of signs. The most fundamental one is purely economic. If the concentration of wealth has a perceptible long term increase, the system is unstable and, eventually, very painful things will happen. That has been going on in the USA for at least a couple of decades.
There are a number of reasons why this should be so but it is perfectly obvious that wealth can have more influence with government than labor when the government can be bought.
Well, political campaigns have become very expensive in the USA and our government has become as bought as anyone could imagine. We have a scandalous condition of legalized bribery, a revolving door between government service and very well paid lobbying activity, and private ownership of the major news media. What more could anyone do to undermine our democratic institutions - other than to install one party rule.
Draining this swamp is not optional, it has become a painfully clear necessity.
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
Corruption, Inc.
Corruption is ubiquitous in this world, even in the USA, even in the Congress. If you doubt that you might just as well stop reading this now, because you are on the wrong planet. As one intelligent limo driver put it, "money makes the monkey jump." Of course, the monkey is us.
There are some folks who are unalterably opposed to corruption and, just occasionally, they have their way. We need more of them and they need our help. There are at least three ways to stamp out corruption:
1) Genetic engineering of the human psyche (maybe doable but not in this century),
2) Cultural evolution (I believe this to be possible and that the process is underway but that it will take at least a couple of generations),
3) Rigorous regulation and vigorous enforcement. We can begin immediately.
The implementation of effective regulation and enforcement will not be easy while money still makes the monkey jump. It is not enough to have the president on your side. Observe that the Fed and the Treasury Department are currently under the leadership of two high level banksters. They are good men but there is a lot of cultural conditioning and old boy values to be overcome.
old boys
Goldman
Moodys
If you really want justice you will have to loudly and persistently demand it. Use the Internet, the media, public forums, and use the streets. Say NO to weak regulations, to loopholes, to toothless regulators. Write to the president, to your congressperson, to your senators, to Barney Frank, to Chris Dodd. Put a strong wind into their sails.
What goes for financial regulation also goes for health insurance regulation.
I have a dream that an effective bill for health insurance regulation falls short of the 60 votes needed for cloture in the Senate and that the president finally draws a line in the sand.
"My fellow Americans, as you know, the health insurance reform act has fallen short of the 60 votes needed to bring it to a vote and the Republicans are threatening to filibuster. While they speak, large numbers of Americans will be losing their coverage or will be denied benefits, will be going into bankruptcy, will be dying for lack of good health care.
"The time has come to end the culture of corruption which is willing to pauperize or kill decent Americans in trying to sustain the unsustainable profits of a few insurance giants.
"Therefore, we shall continue to demand cloture, week after week, until the elections of November 2010 if necessary. In that case, the American people will be in a position to act decisively one way or the other.
"The question at hand is a fundamental one. Will the government of the United States be a government of the people, by the people and for the people or will it become a corporate state: of the lobbyists, by the venal politicians and for the big corporations.
'May God bless you with understanding and may God bless America."
Sure, it's only a dream.
Dr. John
There are some folks who are unalterably opposed to corruption and, just occasionally, they have their way. We need more of them and they need our help. There are at least three ways to stamp out corruption:
1) Genetic engineering of the human psyche (maybe doable but not in this century),
2) Cultural evolution (I believe this to be possible and that the process is underway but that it will take at least a couple of generations),
3) Rigorous regulation and vigorous enforcement. We can begin immediately.
The implementation of effective regulation and enforcement will not be easy while money still makes the monkey jump. It is not enough to have the president on your side. Observe that the Fed and the Treasury Department are currently under the leadership of two high level banksters. They are good men but there is a lot of cultural conditioning and old boy values to be overcome.
old boys
Goldman
Moodys
If you really want justice you will have to loudly and persistently demand it. Use the Internet, the media, public forums, and use the streets. Say NO to weak regulations, to loopholes, to toothless regulators. Write to the president, to your congressperson, to your senators, to Barney Frank, to Chris Dodd. Put a strong wind into their sails.
What goes for financial regulation also goes for health insurance regulation.
I have a dream that an effective bill for health insurance regulation falls short of the 60 votes needed for cloture in the Senate and that the president finally draws a line in the sand.
"My fellow Americans, as you know, the health insurance reform act has fallen short of the 60 votes needed to bring it to a vote and the Republicans are threatening to filibuster. While they speak, large numbers of Americans will be losing their coverage or will be denied benefits, will be going into bankruptcy, will be dying for lack of good health care.
"The time has come to end the culture of corruption which is willing to pauperize or kill decent Americans in trying to sustain the unsustainable profits of a few insurance giants.
"Therefore, we shall continue to demand cloture, week after week, until the elections of November 2010 if necessary. In that case, the American people will be in a position to act decisively one way or the other.
"The question at hand is a fundamental one. Will the government of the United States be a government of the people, by the people and for the people or will it become a corporate state: of the lobbyists, by the venal politicians and for the big corporations.
'May God bless you with understanding and may God bless America."
Sure, it's only a dream.
Dr. John
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