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Showing Original Post only (View all)What DO you call it when democracy is broken at the behest of business? [View all]
http://thefloridasqueeze.com/2015/05/03/what-do-you-call-it-when-democracy-is-broken-at-the-behest-of-business/
Democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 29, 1938 (Letter to Congress on the problem of Curbing Monopolies)
We sometimes forget that private monied interests have been campaigning for small government since long before Grover Norquist dreamt of drowning government in the bathtub. In this letter to Congress on curbing monopolies, Roosevelt warns that government must be strong enough to make corporations play by the rules or else well be playing by their rules. Implicit is the idea that our interests dont necessarily align.
The very next words that he wrote were, that, in its essence, is Fascismownership of Government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. Does the word fascism shock you the way it does me? I read this and thought Didnt FDR know that the first person to mention Nazis loses the argument? But of course he hadnt heard that (Godwins Law was coined in 1990), and he was dealing with real Nazis, so we have to cut him slack here.
When Roosevelt wrote this, I believe he chose his words carefully. In 1933 hed encountered a group of right-wing bankers who tried to convince him to turn over his power to them in a corporatist government backed by the military. By the time he wrote this letter hed already dealt with on attempt by big business to topple democracy in order to muscle its way into power. He called these Wall Street bankers economic royalists and warned: give them their way and they will take the course of every aristocracy of the past power for themselves, enslavement for the public.
Wall Street bankers grabbing power for themselves is a very familiar tune. As a matter of fact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an overt attempt to achieve many of the end results of a corporate government that Roosevelt warned about.
The TPP asks us to deputize private interests to run public policy as a profit center. This is antithetical to democracy as FDR points out later in his letter: We believe in a way of living in which political democracy and free private enterprise for profit should serve and protect each otherto ensure a maximum of human liberty not for a few but for all. As a successful capitalist Roosevelt knew that you cant have a healthy business environment without fair rules of the road.
We know through leaks that the TPP seeks to tilt those rules toward the largest, most lawyered-up global businesses. Members of the Senate whove seen the actual TPP document are so alarmed theyre asking for it to be declassified. Currently theyre only allowed to read it with a minder present (no notes, no photos), and arent allowed to discuss it with the public. A staffer can read it only if their Senator is there with them by their side. Thats why Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown challenged President Obama to release the text of the negotiation to the public.
Regardless of the secrecy, we know that the most shocking features of the TPP gives corporate lawyers the ability to preempt non-tariff barriers to trade that could impact expected future profits.
Lets be clear non-tariff barriers are government policies that make it possible to have safe food, good jobs and a clean environment. Basically, this is what Republicans call big government. Under TPP, 500 the lawyers for the 1% were empowered to identify government policies on health, environment, labor and safety, that could impact business future profit with the intent of preempting any barrier to profit. These are the details they wont let us see. On this subject, the usually understated Sierra Club says these provisions elevate corporations to the level of nation states and allow them to sue governments over nearly any law or policy which reduces their future profits.
(more at link)
http://thefloridasqueeze.com/2015/05/03/what-do-you-call-it-when-democracy-is-broken-at-the-behest-of-business/
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What DO you call it when democracy is broken at the behest of business? [View all]
nashville_brook
May 2015
OP
Excellent OP. Thanks, esp. for including quotes and FDR who well knew the ruthlessness of
appalachiablue
May 2015
#78
yes they are. not all intentionally -- many are just ill-informed, or don't grasp the entirety of the problem.
nashville_brook
May 2015
#16
i think it's important, for myself, to cop to the fact that I actually "supported" globalism
nashville_brook
May 2015
#11
Globalism is only a means for the greedy assholes to take maximum advantage of us.
Enthusiast
May 2015
#57
you'd think the "black helicopter" people would be up in arms about this
nashville_brook
May 2015
#66
indeed. i feel like Eisenhower gave the last great warning, when it was too late...
nashville_brook
May 2015
#12
halliburton, brown bros, KBR...they all learned how profitable unending war can be
nashville_brook
May 2015
#74
i totally agree. there's been an accrual of power that's been exercised in shocking ways.
nashville_brook
May 2015
#42
or kleptocracy. i try to avoid those words b/c as academic language they tend to hide
nashville_brook
May 2015
#28
Evil is truly banal. it IS business as usual for many people...i bet most of which don't have a clue
nashville_brook
May 2015
#43
Holy shit. "TPP gives corporate lawyers the ability to preempt “non-tariff barriers” to trade"
GoneFishin
May 2015
#46
and the weirdest thing is that Alan Grayson has been sounding this alarm since at least 2013
nashville_brook
May 2015
#48
From your link : "Canada has ... been sued for ... taxing windfall profits by oil companies."
GoneFishin
May 2015
#54
that is the fear, at least -- and it seems to be the case. we need to see the whole document.
nashville_brook
May 2015
#71
here's a piece by Ezra Klein in VOX that I believe makes the case for getting real about fascism
nashville_brook
May 2015
#50
That's another reason the right calls Obama a nazi and fascist. Because it is actually true that
GoneFishin
May 2015
#55
You are correct. There are many who call themselves Dems who are sympathetic to rightwing economic
GoneFishin
May 2015
#69
it's much more efficient to achieve their ends thru secret trade agreement
nashville_brook
May 2015
#72
"The 1920's and early 30's." FDR and Truman knew it. The ITO was to keep it from returning.
pampango
May 2015
#62