The Fleecing of America

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By Stephen Lendman (about the author) Page 5 of 11 page(s)

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-- frozen credit;

-- multi-trillions in toxic debt;

-- the worst housing slump since the Great Depression; spilling over into commercial real estate as well;

-- millions of homeowners threatened with foreclosure;

-- trillions of eroded household wealth;

-- hugely over-indebted consumers; and

-- contagion spreading everywhere and the danger that it may be uncontainable.

Fleecing the American Dream

This article explores other ways a government - business partnership gains power and wealth. Harms the public. Heads the nation toward insolvency, tyranny and in the end ruin. Political theorist Sheldon Wolin refers to our "managed democracy (and) inverted totalitarianism." Our "wielding total power without appearing to." With no jack boots in the streets or concentration camps. Nor "enforcing ideological uniformity, or forcibly suppressing" dissent. America's genius is that it appears to be a democratic showcase. Fooling most of the people most of the time to believe it. So far.

In charge - powerful corporate giants and the rich. Feeding at the public trough. Protected by the military-industrial complex. Single-mindedly pursuing profits. Dismissive of public welfare. Socially democratic institutions. Elements of social progressivism. New Deal political and other gains. Purposely aiming to dismantle them. Everything benefitting people to further corporate power and privilege.

Partnered with government to do it. One of its choosing. Pursuing a policy of empire. Doling out largesse. Transferring wealth to the privileged. Exploiting people without their even noticing. Waging wars for profit. Privatizing everything. Getting around democracy through subterfuge. Making believe it's real when it's fantasy. Heading toward when all pretense will be gone. Remaining public revenue as well unless boundless profligacy can be curbed. So far it's growing. Unsustainably toward a very unpleasant future. Because people empowered are fleecing America. Strip-mining it toward demise. Hollowing it out. Mindless to the lessons of history showing empires, militarism, and extremism can't endure. Eventually will understand when it's too late to matter.

Corporate Dominance in America

Corporate giants rule America and the world as the dominant institution of our time. Their influence is pervasive and profound. Over every facet of our lives. What we eat and drink. What we wear. Where we live. What we're taught. How we get our essential services. Where our main sources of information come from. How we think. Who'll govern and for whose benefit.

With no constitutional empowerment. Self-empowered collaboratively with Congress and the courts. To "invest, speculate, trade, and accumulate wealth," according to Michael Parenti. To maximize shareholder equity by increasing sales and profits. Gaining new markets, resources, and growing in size or risk being left behind. Benefitting hugely at the public's expense.

They're run by wealthy and powerful figures. The elitist top 1%. Owning over one-third of the nation's wealth. Stocks, bonds, land, natural resources, business assets and other investments. In the most unequal of world developed countries. Rigidly class structured. Plagued by racism and inequality. Mocking the notion of a land of opportunity for everyone.

Squandering our national resources. Exploiting and underpaying labor. Dismantling the social safety net. Impoverishing millions of people. Revealing America's dark side. The failure of our "democracy." Government's unaccountability to the public. To provide essential services. Consumer safety. Social justice. Concern for the environment. Closing the gap between haves and have-nots. Having enough compassion to care.

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I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.