BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education

Subject: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 12:46 PM

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3968544393356669182&q=John+Perkins+and+VFP+National+Convention&hl=en


This is a great education for novices as well as those who know what is going on.

There is not a partisan bone in the body of this speech.
The facts brought to light here will clarify the good fight.

IT also will show you why I will never do another Bush cartoon in my life. I will instead focus on the true problem and not just an individual ant.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 01:16 PM

No one will devote a whole hour so be advised that it comes in 22 minute segments that good unto themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 03:49 PM

WOW!!

I just watched the whole thing—all three parts.

I heard John Perkins in a radio interview not long after his book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man came out, and I got the book and read it. To those who would claim that Perkins' book is a tissue of lies (and there are some: just check the tone of some of the negative reviews on Amazon), I know that he is telling the truth. I have talked to knowledgeable, alert people who have spent time in Central and South America—enough time to get a good idea of what's really going on there politically and otherwise—and the stories they've told me are essentially the same as what Perkins says in his book and is saying in this speech. The only difference is that Perkins saw it from the inside and was able to tie a lot of things together so you can see the complete pattern. And as Perkins points out, the only difference between Central and South America and what's going on in the Middle East is merely a matter of geography, and the fact that Saddam Hussein got "uppity" and balked. Same policy. Send in the economic hit men, and if that fails, send in the jackals, and if that fails, send in the military. And even then, no matter how many people die, the corporations still make lavish profits.

I am generally opposed to any kind of compulsion. But—I think that every American should be required to listen to Perkins' speech. Tied to a chair and made to listen, if necessary.

I'm looking forward eagerly to Perkins' next book.

Donuel, thank you for calling this to our attention and posting the link.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 04:28 PM

Amazing...the man has been there, and KNOWS whereof he speaks. I wonder if he feels safe.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 04:37 PM

The cliff note version:
The US empire was built without a shot being fired in most small countries. Put the country in debt with a IMF loan and extort "special" favors from then on to forgive the debt.
as time goes on...
A friendly and familiar Economic hit man makes a visit to any newly elected/appointed president of a small nation. The proposition is made for the president to take a couple hundred million for himself and family or take a bullet with his name on it. If a decision is not made even after a reminder what has happened to a long list of people who said no... a jackel is sent in to do the wet work. IF the jackels fail the military goes in.

John Perkins shows how our corporations are more wealthy than most nations and that 41 of the 49 wealthiest corporations are American despite being called a multi national for tax evasion purposes. They control US policy, the US does not control them. Since the end of WW2 the capitalism they practice is of the mafia model with media family working with defense contracting familes toward a common end of profit.

Perkins makes the argument that many CEO's and corporate heads want to do the right thing but are stuck between loyalties. If given the chance to practice "Democratic Capitalism", many would.

Those who will not practice democracy must be defeated by people of great conscience just like when George Washington and his co patriots challenged the greatest empire on Earth at the that time, the British Empire and the Tea Company.

Democracy is the enemy of the current empire. Bought and paid for laws that suspend democracy and civil rights is just round one of a battle to subjugate, control and spy on free people who could threaten the empire and its operations.

The Iraq war is a total success for the corporations involved. As long as it continues so will will their profits paid by our tax dollars. What has the empire worried now is that the Islamic sleeping dog has been awakened and threatens the established scam we have with Saudi Arabia to keep all oil transactions done with dollars. That oil dollar agreement was arguablly the biggest business deal done.

John Perkins encourages us that the empire is vulnerable and that democracy is worth fighting for with every capacity you have as an individual. George Bush and other visible figures are nothing but worker ants. As you may begin to see, the empire is one of corporatism and their enemy is democracy.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 12:22 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 10:50 AM

Bravo. That is the best darned summation of what is actually going on that I have seen yet. That's it. That is why it hardly even matters whether or not you vote in a Democrat or a Republican in your next phony election. That is why it hardly even matters whether Canadians vote in a Liberal, a Conservative, or an NDP government in their next election. That is why it hardly even matters whether people in the UK vote in Labour, the Conservatives, or the Liberals in their next election. Oh, there are minor differences in style, but the basic coporate world program goes forward regardless.

The politicians and ALL the political parties are simply worker ants for the Corporatocracy, and the Coporatocracy is interested in controlling key resources and markets and making more money...and that is directly counterproductive to freedom, democracy, ecological protection, and the general welfare of the common humanity all across this entire world.

The Corporatocracy runs the world by 3 means:

1. Money (giant loans by the World Bank and similar organizations to nations which become debtors who can't pay the loans, and are thereby controlled by the Corporatocracy).

2. Terror by assassination (carried out by government operatives on foreign leaders who won't play ball).

3. Terror by all-out war (carried out by the US and allied military forces on countries whose leaders are too clever to fall victim to assassination).

It's not done for the benefit of the American public...or any public anywhere. It's a complete betrayal of the military...if what the military's moral job really is, is to defend YOU, the public. It's done for the benefit of a very small group of incredibly rich men who are the directors and owners of major corporations, banks, and media chains.

And they also own the political parties that you vote for on election day. They own all of them.

Fancy that.

What do we do about it? Corporations are not accountable to the general public for their actions. The public cannot vote them out. And if the corporations own the politicians then how could we possibly expect our lawmakers to do anything about the situation?

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 11:36 AM

You hear about Russian journalists being killed but I know a half dozen American journalists who dared to name names of the octopus like corporacracy who were killed right here in the USA.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 11:49 AM

codewords for corporatocracy friends

mainstream
hawk
right
conservative
strong
patriot
freedom loving
proud American

codewords for corporatocracy enemies
(you know them all from all the names you have been called.)

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 04:38 PM

Little Hawk, I can't agree with the comment you frequently make that it makes no difference whether Americans vote for Democrats or Republicans.

Granted, it doesn't make a great deal of difference as far as the functioning of the Corporatocracy is concerned (John Perkins has outlined a number of approaches to take to that). But you will note that since the Congress changed hands in the recent election, a number of things have happened that definitely would not have happened had it remained under Republican control. Criticism of the Iraq debacle has increased markedly and Bush and the Pentagon can no longer count on a blank check to finance their misbegotten adventures. Nor is Congress just going to sit and nod when Bush wants to cut more taxes on the rich. And the increase in the minimum wage has been passed. And some heavy-duty investigations have been launched into a number of things, such as election reform, campaign financing, and ethics violations. And they're talking seriously about national health again, or at least what to do about rising health costs and the fact that over 43 million Americans don't have health insurance because they simply can't afford it. And things like the CEO who received severance pay of $153 million as the company he worked for fired him for poor performance (he lost $billions for the company) are getting a long, hard look by some Democratic congresspersons who are particularly concerned about the huge disparity between rich and poor. Nancy Pelosi promised that several bills, progressive in nature, would be passed within the first 100 hours of the new congressional session—and she made good on her promise. And there is much more on the agenda.

This doesn't put a big crimp in the Corporatocracy, but it means that it doesn't have it quite as easy as it did before Congress changed hands. And it means one helleva lot to all those folks on minimum wage. And—it sends a message to the Republicans that they can be voted out of office if all they do is just sit and nod when Bush has another brain(?)storm.

Saying that it makes no difference is a) not completely true, and b) is just plain counterproductive. Think about it.

Don Firth

P. S Here is what my Congressional Representative has been up to lately:   CLICKY 1    And this is what he was in the news for this morning:   CLICKY 2.   I'd say he was making a difference. And my two Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 06:31 PM

I'm not saying it makes no difference, Don. I am saying it doesn't make much difference in terms of basic foreign and financial policy objectives and how those objectives are carried out around the world. The Vietnam War was a classic example of that. It was prosecuted vigorously by both Democrats and Republicans. The domination and exploitation of Latin America has also been practiced vigorously by both Democrats and Republicans. Foreign democratically elected governments have been attacked and overthrown by both Democrats and Republicans. Bush's personal incompetence is quite spectacular....but that's a minor and temporary distraction. And it's one that will fairly soon be over. Meanwhile, the great Corporate Empire will continue raping much of the world in search of greater profit.

As to your personal representatives...well, good for them. By all means put your vote where you think it will have best effect. I do that too.

I think it would be well for people in the western democracies to get past a certain comfortable mythology....namely, that they have a truly representative government that serves the people. They don't. They would, if Big Corporate Money weren't able to pull the strings, but it is able to. People need to realize that before it can change.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 07:09 PM

I'm under no illusions as to who really controls what's going on. But I agree with John Perkins that the Corporatocracy is not all-powerful and that they are vulnerable. One of the things that aids them in promulgating the illusion that they are all-powerful and that nothing the voters can do about it is to keep repeating that it makes no difference who they vote for. The Corporatocracy much prefers the Republicans to the Democrats, and that can be easily demonstrated by examining which candidates get how much financing from whom.

Granted, even a Democratic Congress combined with a Democratic President won't change things overnight. But it would sure slow things down from the way they've been going lately. People like Jim McDermott, Patty Murray, and Maria Cantwell (and they are not alone, not but any means) need to be kept in office so they keep chipping away at the pedestal of indifference that the Corporatocracy rests on. And more like them need to be elected.

It's been said of the Bush administration that "Never in the history of this country has there been an administration that depended so heavily on the intellectual sluggishness of the electorate." And that statement also applies to the Corporatocracy. And to keep assuring people that there is nothing they can do about it is a sure way of getting the voters to think "Why bother?"

Don Firth

P. S. By the way, I think that "intellectual sluggishness" might just be demonstrated right here on Mudcat, since apparently not all that many people care to invest an hour—or even 22 minutes—to listen to what John Perkins has to say. At least judging by the lack of response to this thread, and the importance of the problem and clarity with which Perkins explains it, and what can be done about it. I refreshed it when it dropped off the bottom of the page in hopes of stirring up a little action.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 08:45 PM

I couldn't agree with you more about that "intellectual sluggishness" problem, Don. It seems to be on the scale of an epidemic in North America.

I've watched all 3 portions of John Perkins' talk, and it's great. I just went out and bought his book to get some more background on what he's talking about. I really like the fact that he doesn't do the standard dumb thing which people almost always do around such an issue and label the people who are running what he sees as the oppressive machinery as "evil". This is what demagogues do to get an audience charged up. Rather, he says that the many corporate CEO's he has met....all of them....have all been people much like the rest of us, and that they ARE vulnerable to persuasion, that their minds can be changed, and their moral awareness can be raised, and that it is up to the rest of us to change their minds, because they too want to see a better world for their children and their grandchildren, but they're caught up in a system and they need our help to give them the gumption to change it. That's powerful. The same can be said of politicians.

It's way too easy to just label all the people you disagree with as "stupid" or worse yet "evil", and it leads nowhere useful, but people do it because it makes them feel so goddamn righteous and superior when they call someone else "evil". They can thump their chests and mouth off fire and brimstone about it, after all, and cry out for vengeance on the "evil ones" and that makes them feel just great, right? ;-) Watch out for people who call for a war against some great "evil" that they claim to have identified in someone else or in some other country or religion. Such people are extremely dangerous. They seek blood and personal power, not justice or positive change.

Regarding the intellectual sluggishness...I think you'll find a lot less of that in some other countries. North Americans have been stupefied by their consumerism, their excessive lifestyle expectations, and their TV and other entertainment media in the past fifty or so years...basically since WWII ended.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 09:15 PM

I couldn't agree more, Little Hawk.

I keep recalling a radio interview I heard some months ago. The man being interviewed was describing a meeting he had attended. It was a meeting of African-Americans who were still not feeling the benefits of the Civil Rights movement, and several were bemoaning the fact that they didn't have any strong leaders like Martin Luther King to keep the momentum going. The interviewee said that this discouraging talk went on for some time before a teen-aged girl got up and let blast. She said she was disgusted by the defeatism displayed by the people there and said, "You're all sitting around waiting for someone to lead you. And you don't realize that Martin Luther King may have felt the same way at one time, but then realized that he had to be the leader he was waiting for! You are the leaders that you are waiting for. Now, stop whining and get to work!"

That's why I object to anything that promotes a feeling of hopelessness and encourages people to just sit back and say, "Oh, what the hell! It's futile, so why should I even bother?" And then just give up.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, "A few people can make a difference. In fact, all the important changes that have ever been made have started with a very few people with an idea."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 10:22 PM

One of the activities that has evolved and been streamlined and co-opted this last few decades is the manipulation of the flow of money. Between corporate entities, clever law making and insidious propaganda, the process of helping the rich get richer at the expense of almost everyone else has come close to being on auto-pilot. (ENRON might still have been in business if they hadn't gotten SO smug & greedy!)
   Then, once they have this procedure in place, it is so easy to lie to themselves and believe that IF they have it, they must deserve it! Idiotic events like getting fired for poor performance, but still getting a multi-million $$$$ severance package become almost 'normal'.

Yeah, they are just "people much like the rest of us,"...but they are insulated from certain aspects of reality. We need a decent number of elected officials who will gradually break down some of these barriers...and I'll guarantee that Democrats are more likely to even try than Republicans!

"Make the corporate tax cuts permanent"   ...bah!

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 01:09 PM

A very brief contemplation on the future:

Surely the Corpratocracy would not kill of their golden goose of the United States oof America?

Of course they can, and will. They will move their holdings to the other emerging markets of China and India and leave the USA with a fatal double digit trillion dollar loan that is eventually called due.

The US will in its death throes go so far as to nationalize certain corporations but they slip out of her grasp like a greased dog in heat.

The Golden goose is being fed by gigantic loans. When the feed runs out, so will the multinational corporations that are above Nations, above democracy, above the law and beneath contempt.

The permanent tax cut offer will harm the US if we accept or refuse. They will remind us for a while that it is an offer we can't refuse but in truth it won't matter. The golden goose's days are numbered.

UNLESS the vulnerabilites of the Corporatocrracy are exploited fully and Corporate heads lend their loyalties to our nation,our democracy and the land of the free.

One global collective of corporate wealth beyond measure is the Bilderburgs. So the fight is not a domestic fight against a domestic empire which Perkins seems to suggest . None the less theses people are mortal. Their best protection is a complete lack of privacy for all but themselves and a total surveillence police state for all but themselves.

Don "Last" Hackman

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 02:20 PM

Good points, Donuel. It is a worldwide Corporatocracy, no doubt. It has loyalty to no nation, but only to winning "the game", as it were, the game being to control the most resources and markets and secure the highest financial rewards for the few at the top.

People tend to forget all else when they are absorbed in any game, and business, war, and high finance are all huge games...with huge inducements to play as ruthlessly as possible and secure that all-important "win". That's why it's so hard for people who get caught up in these sort of things professionally to step back and look clearly at what they are doing...and even harder to stop doing it altogether or change their approach.

However, I would suggest that Perkins is right that it IS a USA-dominated Empire...at the present time. It is the USA, after all, that has military supremacy in the world and can go anywhere it wants to and smash up a country. And that is the number one unmistakeable thing that indentifies the presence of an empire.

A smaller empire along that line...considerably smaller...is Israel. It's a regional empire, and essentially an appendage of the far bigger USA empire.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 04:17 PM

So what, then, is one to do? I try to cast my votes intelligently and spend my money so it stays as close to home as possible. I discuss these things with people when the setting seems appropriate. I agree about what the problems are but how to fix it?

I also agree that repeating the notion that it doesn't matter who you vote for only makes it worse. I'm not slamming, I think it is the absolute opposite of what you (Little Hawk) want to have happen and it's unlikely to have that affect here.
The electorate of the USA largely already thinks their votes don't count so why bother. Our turnouts are abysmal, especially for the local elections where a vote can have a real impact. The (mostly) little old ladies who work the polls really brighten up when I come in to cast my ballot in a county election.

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 05:49 PM

I'm not sure what one is to do, but I'm not recommending not bothering to vote. Not at all.

The reason your electorate is making a poor turnout at the polls is, I think, because they subconsciously if not consciously realize they have been disenfranchised. Which they have. Thus apathy sets in.

That's unfortunate. When people in democracies in Latin America feel they've been disenfranchised, they take to the streets. There's a lesson there.

Americans have to be willing to fight for their rights. They were willing to in 1775. Maybe they're just not hungry enough now. Has a onetime nation of frontiersmen become a nation of sheep? Does King George now rule from Washington rather than London?

Subject: RE: BS: Corporatocracy a 1hr education
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 10:56 PM

Oh, I don't think I'd like 'taking to the streets' much! Just who would we shoot? You really can't equate 1775 with what we have now. There few, if any, frontiers now.

We have a SYSTEM now...we just exercised some bad judgement in 2000-2004.

Kink George (looking back on that Freudian typo, and deciding to leave it) is s-l-o-w-l-y being reeled in. He has put the whole country in an awkward, no-win situation, and I want most of the voters to remember in 2008 which party put him there.

These fantasies about 'taking to the street' are fine....as long as YOU are sitting up ^ there, watching.