Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger
of State and corporate power." Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)
Yeah, yeah... we have posted and read the above quote millions of times on these progressive blogs. But what have we done about corporatism in this country?
CORPORATISM is Fascism. This diary will attempt to begin a conversation about what we can do about corporatism directly.
More below the flip
Okay, most of us seem to agree that fascism is on the march in our republic. But we get into a heap of trouble when we use the word `fascism' - all that blathering on about Bush not having committed genocide. Genocide was not fascism. Fascism merely made genocide a possibility.
Well, activists, we have made a grand and noble effort to put pressure on the State to defy corporatism. To no avail. Without getting into a debate on whether we should abandon the democratic party because of its inability or unwillingness to stand up to the radical right or if we should keep plugging away on `getting the proper people' elected to Congress, might I suggest that, technically, we have lost so much ground in separate, and formerly equal legislative branch that, well, the radical right is in full control of this nation and its policies. For a good long time. Let's assume this is true. Even if it is not true, would it not be wise to craft a strategy as if corporatism were 100% in place?
What if we turned our focus away from Congress and our state legislatures?
What if we turned our focus directly on the corporations that are the real constituents of our government? (Or would it be more accurate to say that the government is the constituent of the corporations? Does it matter? They work for each other, apparently.)
No, this is not a call to boycott X and Y corporations. What do they care if I don't buy a GM product? Or if I don't buy gas at Exxon? Our country has too many inhabitants to make a difference either way.
What I suggest is that we give serious consideration to turning on these corporations. Essentially, Outting them by:
- Outting their system of getting government to work for them.
- Outting their program for creating a third world economic class system for the entire globe.
- We should take our fight TO their board rooms, to the steps of every building where they have an office, to the individuals who own and run these corporations.
- I especially recommend PERSONALIZING these corporations. Who are the people who run them? What are their families like? How do they live their lives.
(I am obviously just taking a few stabs in the air on strategy... not because the above is a good first stab but to hopefully foster the idea that we need to do something different. Corporations want to be citizens -- wait... AMERICAN citizens? Fine. Let's meet the neighbors!)
I mean, if the corporations are so in favor of retaining `personhood' status under the US Constitution, then, by all means, lets make sure we know these individuals. (I have a new term for an activist willing to engage in the proper focus of energy: Corpapparazzi!)
It seems pointless to expect any elected democrat to ever stand against the corporations. We have seen it over and over again - that one holdout dem who just can't go `against his constituents in his red state.' Bullshit. They don't go against the corporations who fund their campaigns. Example: Medicare Part D. No filibuster of Alito. All the OTHER DEMS who do vote for what is best for the people are given total COVER. I call bullshit. They all know that they all can't go with the corporatists on policies that dismantle the social compact that the government has (had!) with the people. So they gauge each state and figure out which dem can keep his seat by going corporate, and the ones who can't get the GLORY and the election funds to keep his seat "because he tried, he really, really tried.. but the votes weren't there."
I call bullshit. For all intents and purposes, the entire democratic caucus is in collusion with the radical right and the corporations. The policies that result are the same as if every single friggin vote in the Senate were 100-0 and 435-0. THE ENSUING POLICIES ARE THE SAME AS IF GEORGE W BUSH AND HIS `I AM GOING TO RUN THE OVAL OFFICE LIKE A CORPORATE BOARDROOM were the only vote necessary to pass a bill.
So, fuck Congress. Fuck the elections. Fuck writing letters to the editors of corporate-owned newspapers and `news' tv stations. Fuck `calling' corporate-owned elected representatives in Congress.
At this point, it is `the people' vs the corporations. And we would be wise to put our energy, our organization, our love of country, our love for the great American experiment into clipping the coporations' wings. Post haste.
This is not a Good Bye Cruel Democratic Party diary. Yeah, it seems so. But man, think about it. What if we were able to OUT these corporations for exactly what they are: greed barons hellbent on total power and control over the masses? We think having 98% of the wealth in the hands of 1% of the population is bad? Think about the landscape if we continue on this trajectory, and 99% of the wealth of the entire globe is in the hands of .0000001% of the global population? Okay... I hope those numbers are an exaggeration. But the GOAL of those numbers is surely the target of the corporatists. We need to stop it now, while we can.
What if our efforts to out the corporatist actually led to a constitutional amendment outlawing corporate personhood? Then and only then could we actual begin to enjoy working to turn this country into a true democracy of, by and for the people.
This is just an initial foray into an activist idea that I hope to develop over time. I strongly suggest anyone wanting to look into what exactly Benito was talking about and how fascism (corporatism) came into being in this country visit www.reclaimdemocracy.org . This is an excellent organization that has a handle on the fight against corporatism. I think it is all of two or three people in Bozeman, MT. Frankly, I think every dime that any true liberal expects to give to any democratic campaign or organization should be sent to these guys in MT. (And, no, I have NO AFFILIATION with them whatsoever).
This diary is not directed to the average DLC democratic moderate.. whatever the hell that means! I venture to guess that any liberal labeling himself as such is probably living a pretty nice life economically - maybe not super rich... but still under the illusion that his solidly middle class lifestyle isn't really under threat. To him... I say.... We are all just a stone's throw away from destitution... even with a fat 401k and some IRA's and a couple of splendid vacations seemingly guaranteed. I don't fault anyone who feels in his core that he is financially secure. I used to be one of those moderates.... Boy was my word changed after the economic downturn under GWB, Jr. It can happen to anyone. And, frankly, that's the GOAL of the corporations.
As I have pondered what could be done about America's steady march toward the fascist state, I also have pondered what can be done internally to stop it. The Germans couldn't seem to do it. The Italians couldn't seem to do it. The only lesson from recent history where an indigenous people seemed to have uncoupled the merger of economic power with governmental power is the French Revolution. The soft underbelly of consolidated economic power is that the power resides in the hands of a few. Cut off the money supply of the few and the merger between economic power and government becomes unglued. The French systematically took out their aristocracy one by one. It was ugly; the French couldn't seem to figure out when there had been enough bloodletting to solve the problem.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/... It's the Corporate State, Stupid by David G. Mills
Let's take out the American Aristocracy, shall we?