How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy

www.theatlantic.com...

I know there will be some that say, we are not a Democracy but a Republic in regards to the title but we are certainly no Republic either.
The saying, "A democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." can also be amended to a Corporatocracy is two wolves and thousands of penned up sheep deciding on what to have for lunch.

What we have in this country is Corporate Fascism.

And contrary to Media Spin, Obama is not a Socialist, but a Corporatist.
His top donors were Wall Street Banks and he has been behind every corporate led "Free" Trade Agreement.

Prior to the 1970's, there were less than 200 Corporate and Banking Lobby Offices in Washington DC.
Today, these offices number in the thousands.

Prior to 1970, we DID have Capitalism and if all the Corporate Lobbyists were pushed out of DC, we would still have Capitalism, but their defenders would like you to believe otherwise. They want you to think an attack against Corporatism is an attack against Capitalism. They want all the power for themselves and the government should only be accountable to serving only them.

With the records amounts of cash going towards politicians by deep pocket Mega Corporations and Mega Banks, it is quite clear they favor, no they want a Big Government to serve them. It takes a Big Government with many favorable policies to handle the billions of dollars going their way.

Things are quite different today. The evolution of business lobbying from a sparse reactive force into a ubiquitous and increasingly proactive one is among the most important transformations in American politics over the last 40 years. Probing the history of this transformation reveals that there is no “normal” level of business lobbying in American democracy.

Rather, business lobbying has built itself up over time, and the self-reinforcing quality of corporate lobbying has increasingly come to overwhelm every other potentially countervailing force. It has also fundamentally changed how corporations interact with government—rather than trying to keep government out of its business (as they did for a long time), companies are now increasingly bringing government in as a partner, looking to see what the country can do for them.

People say that the only reason Corporations Lobby is to fight the politicians meddling in their business.
Actually, the only ones fighting are not the common citizen and politicians, but rather Corporations competing among each other for political favor.
They are fighting against each other and the citizens are whats for dinner no matter who wins.

So, for those that still think that Corporations are only lobbying to fight the politicians, explain how they are meddling when:

Corporations Lobby for Amnesty
Corporations Lobby for Food Stamps
Corporations Lobby for Trade Pacts
Corporations Lobby for Contracts on the Newest fighter Jet
And so on....



They are going to the government to see what the government can do for them at everyone else's expense

So, since the 1970, lets look at the changes that have taken place in this country:

The End of Pensions and the move towards Wall Street where Hedge Fund Managers and the Big Banks take a big cut of everyone elses money, plus lets not forget Insider Trading Politicians that help themselves as well

The Demonization of Organized Labor and its decline in power


Corporate Led Trade Pacts with Foreign Nations that put this country at a disadvantage against the Constitution
The Constitution calls for defense against all enemies foreign and domestic and trading with countries that put this country at a disadvantage goes against the Constitution.

There is no "Free Trade" to be had with other countries that employ Communist or Dictatorial Economies where workers have no rights.
Voluntary Participation is required under Free Trade and Capitalism.

250 Million Chinese had their lands stolen and bull dozed and were forced to go to the cities to make widgets for Chinese State Owned and American Corporations.

www.nytimes.com...

China’s Great Uprooting: Moving 250 Million Into Cities

Across China, bulldozers are leveling villages that date to long-ago dynasties. Towers now sprout skyward from dusty plains and verdant hillsides. New urban schools and hospitals offer modern services, but often at the expense of the torn-down temples and open-air theaters of the countryside.

“It’s a new world for us in the city,” said Tian Wei, 43, a former wheat farmer in the northern province of Hebei, who now works as a night watchman at a factory. “All my life I’ve worked with my hands in the fields; do I have the educational level to keep up with the city people?

U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement - 2006
On April 6, 2011, the Obama administration, which had pledged to fix our unfair trade policy and renegotiate NAFTA, announced it would push Congress to consider the NAFTA-style trade pact with Colombia. Legislation for the deal was sent to Congress on October 3, 2011.

Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) - 2005
CAFTA is based on the same failed neoliberal NAFTA model, which has displaced family farmers in trade partner countries, exacerbated the "race to the bottom" in labor and environmental standards and promoted privatization and deregulation of key public services.

Trans Pacific Partnership - The current trade agreement which is more collusion, rather than competition between Globalist Corporations without worker or citizen input.

Korea Free Trade Agreement
The U.S. goods trade deficit with Korea has swelled 90 percent, or $13.6 billion, in the first three years of the Korea FTA (comparing the year before the FTA took effect with the third year of implementation).

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
After Nafta Passed, Big AG moved to Mexico and completely devastated thousands of family farms and then these low skilled farmers flooded our borders with their livelihood gone.

The huge increase in Revolving Door Industry Politicians
It is to long to list a glance at www.opensecrets.org... shows it all
The website appears to be down a lot lately

The Influx of Illegal Labor and Corporations lobbying for Amnesty

The Bank Bail Outs

QE Infinity

Obamacare Lobbied for by the Pharmaceutical and Insurance Industries

The Increases in Corporate Subsidies

Defense Lobbyists that pile behind wars of conquest

The decline and or stagnation of Wages since the 1970's when they took over DC

The Transformation into a a 2 person household income, amazing how that worked out for the Corporatists.

The Drop in Corporate Taxe Rates


The Explosion in CEO Pay

Welfare
The History of Welfare and Food Stamps goes back to the Great Depression 85 years ago, and it has been heavily Demonized in the last 30 years and cut back and some programs ended.

If they can completely cut welfare all together, it will drive wages down even further, benefiting the top, but since a lot of people on welfare do work, it will force them to shack up with other people 10 to a room, because the Banking Lobbyists have made sure to keep housing expensive in this country compared to other countries.

This country would be worse than India on the direction we are headed, because costs in India for Food, Housing and Medical are 1/5 of what we pay here.

Lobbyists want the highest prices possible for their pocket books, and want the lowest wages possible for their workers

The expansion and and creation of groups like the Bilderberg, CFR, Brooking Institution and various other Think Tank used to steer public opinion.

Attendee lists have been weighted toward bankers, politicians, directors of large businesses and board members from large publicly traded corporations.


Anyone that tanks we have drifted towards Socialism in the last 30 years needs their head examined, we have drifted towards Corporate Fascism.


“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
― Benito Mussolini

In My book this means war..............

And contrary to Media Spin, Obama is not a Socialist, but a Corporatist.

Needed to be repeated. The false meme that Obama is a socialist as completely skewed the political landscape for the last eight years.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire

And contrary to Media Spin, Obama is not a Socialist, but a Corporatist.

Needed to be repeated. The false meme that Obama is a socialist as completely skewed the political landscape for the last eight years.

The Brookings Institution and other Think Tanks as well as Obama's script writers had to make it seem like Obama was for the common person in this country while he serves his Corporate and Banking Masters.

His Hope and Change Script centered around --> End corruption in DC and on Wall Street when his top donors were from Wall Street.

a reply to: jacobe001

Wow! Nice job!!! This is so well thought out and put together. Beautiful work.

Everything is spot on. I would only add that there is nothing "free market" about the corporation itself, and that the founding fathers fought against corporatism as much as against the crown/parliament. We need to return the corporate charter to specific time periods, only granted when under circumstances that promote the greater good and benefit us all -- not a select few at the expense of the many. We made up "corporations," we made the rules, we can change the rules.

Thank you for this -- for your time and effort and thoughtfulness. Cheers!

Great post.


Staying tuned and adding some input later after work.

I can already name five members who will come into the thread railing against your perspective saying everything is fine we are on a good track let's keep everything moving in the same direction.

Or claim that they see a problem but rail against every single solution whole offering none themselves. Completely counter productive. How the hell they own businesses I have no idea.

It also interesting to point out that prior to Corporate Lobbying in DC, Food Aid consisted of a block of cheese and canned USDA Goods and Rice

That went away when Lobbyists for Groceries wanted a cut of the action

So now, people know how we transitioned from Government Surplus Foods to Brand Named Foods

Duplicate

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: jacobe001

Wow! Nice job!!! This is so well thought out and put together. Beautiful work.

Everything is spot on. I would only add that there is nothing "free market" about the corporation itself, and that the founding fathers fought against corporatism as much as against the crown/parliament. We need to return the corporate charter to specific time periods, only granted when under circumstances that promote the greater good and benefit us all -- not a select few at the expense of the many. We made up "corporations," we made the rules, we can change the rules.

Thank you for this -- for your time and effort and thoughtfulness. Cheers!

Corporations are creatures of state law, not federal. Public corporations are subject to federal regulation (and there are plenty). Private corporations are not with limited exception. There are a thing called public benefit corporations, look them up. Also, not everything is a "corporation.' There are a variety of business entities, including limited partnerships, limited liability companies, etc. Again, the laws of which are creatures of STATE.

By offshoring our manufacturing base we've also off shored our ability to fight a war haven't we?

originally posted by: onequestion
By offshoring our manufacturing base we've also off shored our ability to fight a war haven't we?

The Globalists that make up the Bilderberg, CFR, Club of Rome etc come from many countries, not just America.
They are all one big happy family so we can get parts from other countries...unless of course their globalist groups fall apart.

It is the ones not part of their happy group that is a threat to them.
I think Russia is one that comes in mind

a reply to: jacobe001

We all very soon will feel the true reality about what caused the demise of our democracy. Clue: had little to do with lobbyists...tho they certainly played their roles well.

a reply to: jacobe001

Thanks to lobbynomics, the US is akin to a Corporate theocracy run by Oligarchs - just like the Dark Side (Theocracy) of the Empire (Corporation) governed by Darth Vader and his henchmen (Oligarchy).

In both instances they want to control the entire universe and everyone in it and will kill and destroy anyone and anything that gets in the way of this agenda.

originally posted by: Sublimecraft
a reply to: jacobe001

Thanks to lobbynomics, the US is akin to a Corporate theocracy run by Oligarchs - just like the Dark Side (Theocracy) of the Empire (Corporation) governed by Darth Vader and his henchmen (Oligarchy).

In both instances they want to control the entire universe and everyone in it and will kill and destroy anyone and anything that gets in the way of this agenda.

Sounds like the PNAC.

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: jacobe001

We all very soon will feel the true reality about what caused the demise of our democracy. Clue: had little to do with lobbyists...tho they certainly played their roles well.

Well, there is no denying the Largest Corporations are in on it and know exactly what is going on.
The TPP was put together not by politicians by Corporations and then passed on to their puppets to approve it.

They are part of the global elite Rockefeller references

We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. … It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.

Power Hungry Men that lead the Biggest Corporations are not just content on ruling their corporations but want to rule the world as well. It is old as the world itself.

a reply to: jacobe001

It isn't the Rockafellers to worry about.

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: jacobe001

It isn't the Rockafellers to worry about.

Don't keep me in suspense
Who then? Satanists?

Whenever that term "Corporate Lobbyists" is used, it ought to raise a huge red flag...

The term is being used here merely as a decoy to throw the hounds off the scent.

In order to understand who the REAL conquerors are here, one must look to the owners of the press who published this article.

The Chairman of Atlantic Media is a member of both the CFR and the Trilateral commission.

There are very good reasons that these people own the media and this article is one of them.

I recommend doing some more research and leave the MSM out the picture.

“Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

"Governments do not govern, but merely control the machinery of government, being themselves controlled by the hidden hand." ~ Benjamin Disraeli; Prime Minister of England

Past presidents of the United States and other high profile political leaders have repeatedly issued warnings over the last 214 years that the U.S. government is under the control of an “invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.”

According to six of our former presidents, one vice-president, and a myriad of other high profile political leaders, an invisible government that is “incredibly evil in intent” has been in control of the U.S. government “ever since the days of Andrew Jackson” (since at least 1836). They “virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both parties…

From Washington to JFK: Former Presidents Warn About Illuminati

originally posted by: jacobe001
Don't keep me in suspense. Who then? Satanists?

Nose is correct...

They were referred to in ancient times as the Brotherhood of the Snake.

John F. Kennedy talked about 'a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy'

Danny Casolaro wrote about "The Octopus".

Fletcher Prouty called it ‘The Secret Team’.

George Washington called it the ‘Illuminati‘.

Woodrow Wilson called it "An Invisible Empire"

Teddy Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh Sr. called it "An Invisible Government"

Benjamin Disraeli called it 'The Hidden Hand.'

I prefer 'The Powers That Wanna Be' myself...

"We cannot understand the world until we appreciate that most leaders are traitors and that mankind is victim of a diabolical conspiracy on an unspeakable scale. It's time we stopped fighting each other and addressed the real enemy." ~ Henry Makow