I continue to shake my head every time I hear people complain constantly about "Washington" or "the government". Never a bad word from them about our monopolistic overlords, who pull all the strings (Sorry, but it ain't George Soros, and it sure as heck is more Murdock than anyone else.) The corporate cabal started funding Ronald Reagan, Inc. way back in the day and claimed victory in 1980. We've been used and abused by them for 43 years.
People blame "Washington" because our current governmental system forces politicians everywhere to fund their campaigns by donations from the deepest pockets. Those are found in the corporations. Who advertises in the newspapers and broadcast/cable news? So the people we vote for and rely on for information are owned indirectly by corporations. We feel betrayed. There are a few in politics and news who are not corrupted but their voices are difficult to hear among all those who are.
According to Reagan the most dangerous words in the English language were "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
He diminished the authority of the antitrust division of DOJ and the FTC. You have to credit Biden and the progressive Democrats because they've been trying to revive antitrust.
So have some states. California's attorney general sued Amazon alleging the company broke state competition laws. Specifically, the suit claims that Amazon keeps prices artificially high via practices barring wholesalers and third-party merchants from offering lower prices to other retailers.
I have to believe that even some of the right wing racist ideologues know the country is at the mercy of price fixers and price gougers.
Daniel Solomon ; It's possible that with their world view, The right wing racist ideologues believe that it is only right that it's THEIR country ; mercy has nothing to do with it.
Whatever happened to the good old boycott? We don't need 99% of the crap they sell. Let's organize to boycott something that the right and the left could agree on. Just don't mention Dems vs. repugs - - mention the corporate greed and artificially high prices. I have no idea how to organize a boycott, but I bet some of you do. Or you know someone who does. Is this an idea worth considering?
Still Learning ; In the 60's, we 'turned on ,tuned in and dropped out'. Coops were formed and some were able to turn back to the land, and grow their own food, and make their own clothing. I support a co-op for food, and look for things made in USA. It is not easy to buy things that are not monopoly made. May make sense to let our representatives know that we want enforcement of antitrust laws. It's not like I can 'grow my own' computer, or many other things. Downsizing makes sense, as we have seen in this forum in previous subjects, Avoiding consumerism is key ; not having too much stuff ; clothes, toys; just things in general, that are not needed.
Still Learning, a boycott would be a challenge because those huge trusts have their fingers in nearly every pie. They have diversified so much that if one product they have is boycotted, they can raise prices on the other stuff to cover. What we really should look into is breaking up those trusts (antitrust is in the law) and make it harder for them to recombine.
If everyone boycotted a corporation's products for one day, i bet it would have a profound effect. Maybe Reddit or other widespread social media to make it happen.
I agree about boycotting. We could even boycott Big Oil who has been gouging us terribly. We don't have to boycott all of them at once- just pick one, say Shell Oil, that we all agree to avoid until they lower their price. Next quarter we pick a different company. If they can collude, so can we consumers.
Some people have been quietly boycotting and also striking. Large companies have had to raise their pay rates and offer benefits in order to get peopke to work for them. Not Walmart of course. I wish the entire country would boycott that despicable company and it’s corrupt owners.
Daniel Solomon ; Yes ; the one percent have no problem with that. If only the majority could get the messages we share here. As Bernie Sanders has said "It blows my mind how people keep voting for those who do not have their best interests in mind".
I know he's certifiably nutsy koo koo and wants a theocracy but even Hawley has said some similar things.
If Sanders will speak to him......
Otherwise litigation is more effective than anything else. Sends all price fixers a message. In anti trust treble damages plus attorney's fees and costs. Nader's Raiders did more for American consumers than the administrations of any 10 presidents.
Like you Laurie, I've often wondered that many same sentiment many times. Just don't understand how some average Americans give their vote to people who don't really care about what the majority of Americans basic need;, a livable wage, food, housing, education, etc. The politicians don't even hide their agenda anymore, it's right out in the open. Rick Scott and his like really want to 'sunset' Medicare and Social Security, which is not an entitlement, but is the only income most seniors live by. Again, really hard to understand.
Daniel, yes, price-fixing effects everyone, but if one has sufficient funds, it is less problematic. It would be good for all of us to pay attention to what the price-gougers want and who is benefiting. It isn't good for any of us to continue as we have been going.
Actually, contrary to Reagan, government is the primary means by which people act collectively for the common good. Like all human institutions, it is not perfect, and we should work to improve it, but in a democracy, it is not rational to work against it. This should be our message for antigovernment types: If you don't like the government, don't tear it down, work to m
We have to convince the public that the most welcome words are, "I am from the government and I am here to help!" The Rep. unspoken mantra is "Make as much money as you can regardless of the way(s) you can get away with." The Dem one should be to promote the overall well-being of all who live here.
Jeffrey Von Glahn ; The phrase " I am from the government ", itself is alienating . If we are to enjoy self government, a person serving in government should ideally, not be 'from' or apart from the common good. They should be with US. It is scary to be confronted with "I am from government" might as well say "I am an alien" and I'm here to help" Help what? Help yourself? Yikes!
Jeffrey, maybe we need to promote something like "We're all in it together." or "Making money off of poor people is unamerican." or "The bottom line is just that, the bottom. We need companies who put their customers and communities at the top." Maybe people more clever than I can come up with better slogans, but we need to start passing them around everywhere.
the Chicago School of Economics, led by "leading economic thinkers" Milton Friedman and George Stigler.
"The Friedman Doctrine holds that decisions concerning social responsibility rest on the shoulders of the shareholders, not the executives of the company. He argues that an entity is not obligated to any social responsibilities unless the shareholders decide to such an effect."
Friedman's stance was plain: “There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” That view has long influenced management thinking, corporate governance, and strategic moves.
Daniel, I suspect you are right about political awareness of what is going on regarding the price gouging and other actions of the huge trusts. Those politicians who are benefiting, though, will never step back for the good of the rest of us. I would like to see more media point that out to ordinary Americans in a form they can understand, also pointing out those people who are benefiting from the price-gougers. I am not sure which media would do that. I am not very hopeful, but it could work.
Put criminals on trial and the media will show up.
When the president has a press conference the media show up.
IMHO te real story right along has been undermining our economy through energy prices, and permitting add-ons. See what I said about the California/Amazon suit. IMHO Saudi has been at economic war with us since 1973. They own major companies in the energy sector, control; refining, are buying up water rights and the owners of companies like Saudi controlled Exxon have committed crimes to deny that global warming exists.
There are at least 20 pending lawsuits filed by cities and states across the U.S., alleging major players in the fossil fuel industry misled the public on climate change to devastating effect.
While the precise claims vary from case to case — from securities fraud to nuisance, negligence and tort — most center on an argument that companies failed to disclose what they knew about their potential impact on the environment.
That Frontline piece should generate daily headlines. 20 court cases. We should be asking the media to report every day.
At the same times, oil prices are fixed...Saudi, Russia, OPEC. US companies have been screwed. Shareholders can sue management to recoup price gouging and collect treble damages in some cases.
Miss Marjorie Taylor (Perry Greene divorced her right after the election) put out a cry last week that she is shamefully underpaid by Congress. A donor swooped right in with, I heard, $8-million.
Poor iddle Empty. She's underpaid? For what? Screaming "LIAR" and acting out in the most juvenile manner possible? She wasn't on any committees for the prior two years, so what exactly was she doing? Just hanging out at the Capitol Building...stalking and harassing other Reps? If anything she owes U.S. citizens two years of EXTRA effort in good behavior and nose-to-the-grindstone committee work.
Yes. Alas. That's what her constituents want. She owes us her permanent departure from politics. One good thing: her husband, Perry Greene and her daughters are rid of her in their daily lives. She's all ours now.
I agree Marjorie Taylor's high school BULLYING antics and hysterical shrieking shouldn't be enabled. I think one of the problems with politics today is that people are more interested in viewing an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, than revising or implementing new policies.
No one is 'forced' to build huge campaign funds. They willingly buy into them, it saves them from addressing large gatherings of ordinary citizens who might kick in $10 apiece. Why waste your time when you can hold a $10,000 a plate for say 100 people of whom you only have to pass legislation for 20 or so.
The populace has been hoodwinked and manipulated into hating our government by Republicans since Reagan. Good government is the only thing that stands in the way of abusive corporations to protect people but when government appears to be complacent and collaborating with the ones inflicting the abuse, then hatred and apathy sets in. I've heard so many people say how all politicians suck, both Democrats and Republicans, they think they're all the same. I've been trying to convince people in my very limited sphere of influence that they're not all the same and pointing out how Republicans have been much, much worse when it comes to protecting "the little guy" from unbridled, unregulated capitalism.
I feel that the government is supporting Medicare Advantage to the detriment of Original Medicare. Just calling it Medicare Advantage is misleading. The Medicare booklet is full of MA information. It appears that our government is working to privatize Medicare. I don’t see the Democrats working to change that. The USPS is another institution that Americans can no longer depend upon. Once again, I don’t see the Democrats working to change that and no transparency into plans for USPS future. (Btw, will we ever learn WHY all those $million sorting machines were destroyed?). These are just 2 areas that touch the lives of many Americans.
George W Bush was very upfront about privatization of Medicare- that’s where the Advantage programs came from. If we had universal healthcare, that would all go away- now that the Insurance companies are making billions on those policies, it will be harder to change. “I have seen the enemy, and it is us.”- Walt Kelly
Yes, Rose. Medicare Advantage has originated in the private sector. They are required to advertise they aren't part of the government, and if you listen or look carefully, you can hear them whisper that they are actually based in private insurance companies. We need to find a legal way to keep them from using "Medicare" as part of their brand. The worst thing about these "plans" is that when you sign up, you are also now turning over what you would have paid into Medicare, to a private insurance company. If you ask them, they are required to confirm that, yes, they are getting that money that would have gone into the Medicare fund; thus they are raiding the fund, and this is why it has been depleted over several past decades. I am still insured by Medicare only. It's a less expensive way to get health insurance, even with the required co-pay. We need to stop their false advertising.
Advantage programs are the most profitable to private insurers and there is not a day goes by that I do not get a message by phone, email, messaging that extols its benefits over traditional Medicare. You are correct Advantage has no right being classified as a Medicare product. But over 50% of eligible people sign up for it based on claims of no or virtually no premiums and added benefits for hearing, dental, and vision and preventative yearly physicals, which are not really needed. How can they afford this? First of all there have been studies that the more expensive Advantage programs show no better medical outcomes than traditional Medicare. First the private insurers refused to participate until they made the deal with the government to get paid for every person they sign up, annually. This HMO/PPO model deny a lot of referrals and tests and claims, and sometimes these tests are critical. So with much delay and multiple appeals, patients receive what is needed, but many give up in the process. Transferring back to traditional Medicare may be difficult because Part B private Medigap programs that cover 20% may have a waiting period of months or may deny. So where does all the money come from to give these companies’ 15% profits and pocketing billions of dollars, preying on the illness of the people. They overcharge the government for their services. Many do this fraudulently and there are now some high profile court cases trying to recoup the moneys, good luck! The overcharging is based on the fact Advantage can upcode patients’ visits to add on more serious diagnoses and get paid higher reimbursements. Eventually this may stop and the Advantage patients are going to pay higher premiums and of course the propaganda will be that the government is trying to take your Medicare away from you.
Unfortunately Biden supports privatization of Medicare, including the revival during the Trump days of Medicare Capitation programs called ACA. This gives lump sum moneys to large organizations to manage care and if “ efficient” then monies left over at end of year goes into company and practices pockets. We know how that works despite oversight, short cuts will be made in patient care. Medical practices can transfer your care into these organizations without your permission.
Of all the topics covered in the State of the Union address, this one was missing. No mention of working for the more humane efficient model of universal healthcare for all one payer system as seen in all the other industrialized countries in the world. The excuse: we cannot afford it, it’s socialism!
Bull crap---we cannot really afford wars anymore! The topic of negotiation of drug prices did get discussed but this will occur only for a limited number of meds and only to the elderly for now.
It is a travesty of corporate power, paid off Congress, corrupted courts, vast propaganda, defunding regulatory agencies, and under education of our citizens, and mercurial promises.
This phenomenon is also receiving support from some unions, such as the United Federation of Teachers local in New York CIty. Make no mistake about it. Those private insurers are tougher gatekeepers, meaning more likely to deny coverage, than Original Medicare. If Medicare has a solvency problem, it could best be solved by lowering the age of eligibility. Right now, it covers only those most likely to have need of medical services, seniors and the handicapped. Basically, more people in Advantage Plans translates to more difficulty in reaching the goal of Medicare for All.
I suspect that once a point is reached where the MA plans are used more than Original Medicare, they will shut down Original Medicare and only Advantage plans will be available. Once that happens, all the benefits that are attracting seniors, such as $900 for groceries (yes, I just heard that one), dental and gym memberships, etc., will dry up.
Thank you. In that article, I did not see why Judge Sullivan was involved. There must have been some charge. I will Google later. I agree with comments in the article. Postal service in my area has greatly declined since DeJoy was hired.
IMO, if DeJoy destroyed those sorting machines while they were in good condition, he needs to be charge with destruction of government property. The American people deserve to know what happened.
Kerry, you are so right about who runs this country and that they have bought enough legislators that they will be able to remain in power indefinitely unless We the People rise up and say "no" by actually electing people who will stand for and with us. I don't see that happening any time soon as I look at the pool of people, particularly Republicans running for office everywhere.
Another favorite term is "government overreach." We need a new dictionary of terms. We need to undo how the public has been brainwashed, there's no other word for it.
Yes Jeffrey, language and terms are really important. It seems we have left the development and use of terms up to conservatives. It is time the rest of us create new terms that actually identify what is going on rather than the gaslighting with language Republicans have been doing for decades: government overreach really means government standing up for those who can't stand for themselves at the moment. I have been thinking about this a lot, but don't know which true terms will have sticking power. It seems terms that lie have been really effective. We should be able to do better.
Based on years of experience in trying to find new terms for my particular interests my one fundamental learning is to keep at it. The key for me has been putting my thoughts into words on a regular basis, and then reading them whenever I can.. Think our minds react faster when it sees something as opposed to holding my thoughts wherever it does that. Often when I've tired of putting intuitions into words and I go get some air within a minute a bright idea, a solution, actually, pops up in my mind. It's happened often enough for me to conclude that my mind/brain is my best ally in solving problems that are unique to my interests. My favorite response to a negative view of "big" government is to say that if our government didn't take charge on 12/7/1941 we wouldn't be having this conversation in English.
Hi,, Ruth. I would believe that "government overreach" was coined by a team of branding experts and adopted after hours of meetings and related committee activities. One person alone has a hard time, as you describe. It would be interesting to go back and see if this is true or not.
There is a name for what is causing monopolies. It’s called corporate rule. And there is a way to end corporate rule and the march towards Fascism. It’s HJR48, the We the People Amendment. It will overturn Citizens United and restore the power of We the People. It will take away the unjust massive power of corporate interests and restore good government. But it won’t happen all by itself. Click on this link: movetoamend.org
Lawrence, I agree that ending Citizens United would be of great benefit. The challenge, many of our legislators across the country and the conservatives on our Supreme Court have been bought and paid for by those corporations that have used Citizens United to warp our elections and will rule to keep it in place. This court's conservatives are not for this nation's people, just for themselves, what they believe, and what their rich donors want. How sad for all of us
There are at least 5 if not 6 Justices who are vetted and groomed puppets of Leonard Leo's secretive Federalist Society. They answer to the piles of dark money flowing into those hidden coffers.
Robert Bork argued that corporate concentration was an economic good as it created efficiencies as long as it did not lead to rising consumer prices. His view has been effectively adopted by every administration since Nixon. Internationalization of sourcing kept prices down for decades as US manufacturing was hollowed out. Now the worm has turned. Outsourcing has reversed and prices are rising due to many factors but corporate concentration is perhaps the greatest. Now even Bork's followers will have to admit, if they are intellectually honest, that anti-trust enforcement must be undertaken with more speed and vigor.
Teddy Roosevelt came into the Presidency by accident of a bullet but he gained enormous popularity by taking on the robber barons and was accused of betraying his class. Who is our new Teddy? Biden certainly sees himself in that role today. Perhaps you might be surprised, but Elizabeth Warren is another. She said in answer to a question asked before she ever ran for office, who her favorite President was. She answered Roosevelt, Teddy not FDR. She is certainly a prime Trust Buster, but so is her student, Katie Porter. More and more of the Democrat base is recognizing corporate power as target. This reversal from the Clinton era, is return to the politics that held the party for most of the 20th century. It has the power to return the party to the majority.
Jim, maybe there should be a trust-busting caucus in congress that Warren, Porter, Klobuchar, Sanders, and the others who share their position could belong and gradually convert others. There might even be a Republican or two who will take an antitrust position. Could happen!
Pay attention to who you’re thinking of voting for and what they actually stand for. Who’s behind them and contributing to their campaigns. Glen Youngkin comes to mind as an example. I feel he hoodwinked VA by pretending to be a centrist. Since there’s no such thing in the GOP, he portrayed himself as someone who didn’t support TFG or MAGA ideas when in fact that’s what he’s been trying to implement in VA. He’s been stopped a few times by the legislature, but he a prime example of what to watch for.
David, I am totally in favor of the new Teddy Roosevelts. He was not perfect in his trust-busting, but he did try. I do wonder if he had stayed in office another term if he could have done even more. I would love to see a true trust-buster get to work. It would be better if there were more supporters in Congress and the other legislatures around the country. Maybe if we could make it seem glamorous or exciting or even exotic, some more trust-busters could be lured into running for office even without big donor money.
E-V-E-R-Y dollar I spend is a vote for the type of world I want to live in. Buy local. I can buy soap, eggs, meat, veggies from local sources. Grow a garden. Yes, it takes effort but it is a lot more satisfying than howling at the moon and complaining about big corporations that are so big they don't have to listen and don't have to care about the junk they pour into people's body that make them sick. Plus, by taking this local route, I am healthier, I get outside, I get to know my community. There are so many positives to stepping away from big corps.
Yes, HealTheSoil, all of us who live quite frugally and locally are not as closely swept into this corporate money-trap. However, Robert's awareness of corporate greed and power addresses the larger picture: the inequality in our society, growing daily. The larger picture is what must change, even if you or I have dodged the bullet in our immediate lifestyle. And we can play a part by supporting the change.
I understand that. There just seems to be far more attention put on the corporate powers and way less talk about empowering people to realize they have more economic power than they realize. We need both sides of the equation. I see rich and poor alike rail against the system but still totally buy into it. Buying into it totally negates any speaking out against it.
No surprise here. Follow the money. SBF showed how it is done. Give some to the Democrats. Give somewhat less to the Republicans. Republicans can be bought cheaply and are more reliable. But both parties can be bought. As for the "media", the same applies. Only here the owners dictate. And the owners do not dictate more competition and lower dividends. Do as you are instructed--or get fired. Voltaire was correct. Those whom you cannot criticize are the real rulers.
Wonderful reporting! It’s so good to have the facts. Stunning to remember back when monopoly power was a major issue. I had a temp job as an archivist when ATT was sued and eventually was broken up into the “the little Bells”. It must have been the last big anti trust case. Now it all goes on behind the scenes with rarely a reference. Your work and that of Tom Hartmann is crucial in understanding how we got to where we are now. It’s like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A right wing enchantment that went on for decades that totally transformed our reality - the raw power of which working behind the scenes is worse than devastating.
I was just in Europe for two weeks and was really shocked to see that prices for most commodities (except for fuel of course) we close to 50% the price of in the US... many locally grown and produced... more sustainable, cheaper and supporting local business...We have lost that and are supporting highly polluting agri businesses that are charging more despite their scale, and ruinous practices...
Because the media are also a monopoly consisting of multiple brands creating the impression of competition. They all take advertising revenues from the same manufacturing monopolies. Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper feed off each other. No Anderson Cooper, lower revenues for Fox. No Tucker Carlson, lower revenues for CNN.
Inflation is a recognizable villain to blame for increasing costs; more so than the corporations and a handful of billionaires who are to blame. It impacts everyone but none more so than the minimum wage earner who must decide between gas for the car to get to work, and hot dogs for dinner tonight. The greater one's income the less impact inflation has on real life choices.
Our Nation needs several years of continued progressive leadership to offset the changes initiated under Reagan. We need another Teddy Roosevelt to fight monopolies, another FDR to to refocus our economy and another Joe Biden's political skills to make it all work.
Maybe we should think of inflation as a symptom and not a cause.
Except, nauseatingly, there are too many billionaires now to fit in a hand. I shudder to think how many. What’s the point? Really? So you have a gigantic pile of money. So what? It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. They need medical help, not more money.
Bill, I like thinking that inflation is a symptom rather than a cause. I suspect the cause is general neglect of the corporate world by our legislators. They mostly all receive significant funds from the huge trusts and pretty much need it with the campaigns for office that never end. This is unacceptable, but who is going to step back when it costs so much these days to put out the political ads everywhere to promote the campaign. It is now a perpetual motion machine that sucks up enormous amounts of legislator time as they keep making calls to bring in the bucks. One huge trust's contribution of a couple of million supercedes 500 small donor contributions that probably won't add up to near that much.
Because of the hegemony of supply-side economics. It wasn't enough that Reagan's voodoo economics changed how corporations worked, it also changed how many think about economics and any other dynamic that generally involves class. The owners of the means of production were and are cast as the heroes in an epic battle for human freedom. They have been granted the status of proxy for the 'common man' in the battle against any forces that seek to restrain freedom in any context. That makes the corporations and their major shareholders 'the good guys' by definition. In the context of inflation, both the Fed and corporations are under this illusion. The focus of both is to 1. use pricing to create an artificial 'crisis' and direct blame away from themselves, 2. use the 'crisis' as a means of profit-mongering, 3. undermine the rights of workers and demand more productivity without the need to invest more capital in production. At the same time, the rhetoric in Washington is swirling around a destabilization and/or eradication of the social safety net, which can increase the general anxiety of workers, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck and are one emergency away from poverty. It makes their future uncertain and they are less likely to rock the boat out of fear that the services they need will vanish and they will need any source of income to survive. Because the eradication of the social safety net is usually cast as privatization and because we have been taught to believe the market is all-powerful, we become more likely to vote against our own interests because we feel that we are voting for our freedom. In the warped calculus of the Right, 'the common good' is equated with 'socialism' which is defined as bad. I'm hoping this is changing because we could use some love focused on the common good right now.
Just as an aside, MARS (the candy company) has bought numerous veterinarian offices throughout the country and corporatized them. You may have heard of them as VCA or Banfield and numerous others (AniCura, Antech Diagnostics / Sound, Asia Veterinary Diagnostics, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group). So what have they done to ensure their profits? They created "Care Club" as their service model. Meaning you pay monthly regardless of whether you use their services, to ensure "discounts" on regular services, such as shots, pet dental cleaning, routine checkups, etc. Just an FYI, in case you use one of these vet businesses.
After decades of using one local, previously privately owned vet business (owned by the doctors), I've cut ties with them after they were bought out and became a VCA outfit. I stuck with them for several years, but found a different local, independent vet that I much prefer. I found my former vet office services declined significantly when they became corporate driven. Very frustrating, very sad.
Leslie, I was very fortunate in that when I adopted an amazing yellow lab, the adoption agency sent me to a vet for a required heartworm test. This vet business actually has four offices in the town I live in, but is owned by the vets that run the business. They are wonderful, and I've not transferred the care of my cat to them, leaving the "care club" payments in our rear view mirror.
They continue to provide excuses for corporations because they are getting paid by those very corporations that they are supposed to regulate and hold accountable either through legalized bribery or advertisers. They would never put the blame on the real problem. Recently Walmart announced that it is closing stores due to theft that's a lie they are doing that because it has been Doug Mcmillon's dream because of his obsession with Amazon it's an effort to turn Walmart into an online retailer which is a failing proposition because people go to Walmart to shop in the stores and are not going to leave Amazon for Walmart. We are fighting them on this and calling them out At United For Respect because it put so many people out of work all in the name of profits..
Peter, isn't it interesting the way the people either workers or customers or both are blamed for the bad behavior of corporations? WalMart grew because of the way it cheated small manufacturers, got cheap stuff made in China by poorly paid workers, and sized out smaller retail locations in communities. Now they are claiming theft as their reason for closing stores? Rubbish! as Prof. Reich would correctly declare.
the “theft” excuse is to provide them cover so that they can terminate employees and not hurt their public image. Walmart is a very corrupt and greedy corporation that will do anything to make more money. They steal from customers every day and from their own employees through wage theft as they put small business owners out of business and leave people seeking work with few choices because they have monopolized the market. And now it has become a danger to your life to work for Walmart because of the mass shootings. https://www.gunsdownamerica.org/new-research-shows-gun-violence-is-serious-threat-at-grocery-stores/
The media wants to have viewership and sell papers (i.e. “clicks”) so I hate to say it but, the sensationalism and ridicules articles we see anymore seem to be geared towards a more uneducated and less interested population.
In answer to the second part of your question, Professor, elected officials and lawmakers will blame ANYTHING other than themselves for essentially being subservient to the big corporations since it is those same companies that foot their campaigns. Sickening, but true.
Yes what a country we live in. I remember the AT&T so called breakup. I read about standard oil breakup. When antitrust enforcement was real ,it did not stop the consolidation of industry. Amazon is mutating into a formidable octopus with growing vertical integration. I’m afraid there is no way to turn back the clock. Industry lawyers will make millions and mostly win if antitrust laws are strengthened and enforced. As much as abhor big business there is just no way to stop them.
I continue to shake my head every time I hear people complain constantly about "Washington" or "the government". Never a bad word from them about our monopolistic overlords, who pull all the strings (Sorry, but it ain't George Soros, and it sure as heck is more Murdock than anyone else.) The corporate cabal started funding Ronald Reagan, Inc. way back in the day and claimed victory in 1980. We've been used and abused by them for 43 years.
People blame "Washington" because our current governmental system forces politicians everywhere to fund their campaigns by donations from the deepest pockets. Those are found in the corporations. Who advertises in the newspapers and broadcast/cable news? So the people we vote for and rely on for information are owned indirectly by corporations. We feel betrayed. There are a few in politics and news who are not corrupted but their voices are difficult to hear among all those who are.
According to Reagan the most dangerous words in the English language were "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
He diminished the authority of the antitrust division of DOJ and the FTC. You have to credit Biden and the progressive Democrats because they've been trying to revive antitrust.
So have some states. California's attorney general sued Amazon alleging the company broke state competition laws. Specifically, the suit claims that Amazon keeps prices artificially high via practices barring wholesalers and third-party merchants from offering lower prices to other retailers.
I have to believe that even some of the right wing racist ideologues know the country is at the mercy of price fixers and price gougers.
Daniel Solomon ; It's possible that with their world view, The right wing racist ideologues believe that it is only right that it's THEIR country ; mercy has nothing to do with it.
Everybody needs the necessities of life - food, shelter, clothing. 99% of everyone are screwed by price fixing.
Whatever happened to the good old boycott? We don't need 99% of the crap they sell. Let's organize to boycott something that the right and the left could agree on. Just don't mention Dems vs. repugs - - mention the corporate greed and artificially high prices. I have no idea how to organize a boycott, but I bet some of you do. Or you know someone who does. Is this an idea worth considering?
Still Learning ; In the 60's, we 'turned on ,tuned in and dropped out'. Coops were formed and some were able to turn back to the land, and grow their own food, and make their own clothing. I support a co-op for food, and look for things made in USA. It is not easy to buy things that are not monopoly made. May make sense to let our representatives know that we want enforcement of antitrust laws. It's not like I can 'grow my own' computer, or many other things. Downsizing makes sense, as we have seen in this forum in previous subjects, Avoiding consumerism is key ; not having too much stuff ; clothes, toys; just things in general, that are not needed.
Still Learning, a boycott would be a challenge because those huge trusts have their fingers in nearly every pie. They have diversified so much that if one product they have is boycotted, they can raise prices on the other stuff to cover. What we really should look into is breaking up those trusts (antitrust is in the law) and make it harder for them to recombine.
If everyone boycotted a corporation's products for one day, i bet it would have a profound effect. Maybe Reddit or other widespread social media to make it happen.
I agree about boycotting. We could even boycott Big Oil who has been gouging us terribly. We don't have to boycott all of them at once- just pick one, say Shell Oil, that we all agree to avoid until they lower their price. Next quarter we pick a different company. If they can collude, so can we consumers.
Some people have been quietly boycotting and also striking. Large companies have had to raise their pay rates and offer benefits in order to get peopke to work for them. Not Walmart of course. I wish the entire country would boycott that despicable company and it’s corrupt owners.
Still learning. We don't buy Exxon. Pepsico products. Etc.
Didn't eat grapes...but when I lived in Fresno that was tough to do. Now with ulcerative colitis I am compelled to boycott most everything.....
Just do it yourself- be the thing you want to create. I’ve been doing it for years- fresh produce and dairy are my only trips to the supermarket
Yes.
Daniel Solomon ; Yes ; the one percent have no problem with that. If only the majority could get the messages we share here. As Bernie Sanders has said "It blows my mind how people keep voting for those who do not have their best interests in mind".
I know he's certifiably nutsy koo koo and wants a theocracy but even Hawley has said some similar things.
If Sanders will speak to him......
Otherwise litigation is more effective than anything else. Sends all price fixers a message. In anti trust treble damages plus attorney's fees and costs. Nader's Raiders did more for American consumers than the administrations of any 10 presidents.
Like you Laurie, I've often wondered that many same sentiment many times. Just don't understand how some average Americans give their vote to people who don't really care about what the majority of Americans basic need;, a livable wage, food, housing, education, etc. The politicians don't even hide their agenda anymore, it's right out in the open. Rick Scott and his like really want to 'sunset' Medicare and Social Security, which is not an entitlement, but is the only income most seniors live by. Again, really hard to understand.
Daniel, yes, price-fixing effects everyone, but if one has sufficient funds, it is less problematic. It would be good for all of us to pay attention to what the price-gougers want and who is benefiting. It isn't good for any of us to continue as we have been going.
Actually, contrary to Reagan, government is the primary means by which people act collectively for the common good. Like all human institutions, it is not perfect, and we should work to improve it, but in a democracy, it is not rational to work against it. This should be our message for antigovernment types: If you don't like the government, don't tear it down, work to m
Continuing: work to make it better!
We have to convince the public that the most welcome words are, "I am from the government and I am here to help!" The Rep. unspoken mantra is "Make as much money as you can regardless of the way(s) you can get away with." The Dem one should be to promote the overall well-being of all who live here.
Jeffrey Von Glahn ; The phrase " I am from the government ", itself is alienating . If we are to enjoy self government, a person serving in government should ideally, not be 'from' or apart from the common good. They should be with US. It is scary to be confronted with "I am from government" might as well say "I am an alien" and I'm here to help" Help what? Help yourself? Yikes!
Jeffrey, maybe we need to promote something like "We're all in it together." or "Making money off of poor people is unamerican." or "The bottom line is just that, the bottom. We need companies who put their customers and communities at the top." Maybe people more clever than I can come up with better slogans, but we need to start passing them around everywhere.
Where does it come from that corporations must work to get the most profit for their shareholders at all costs?
the Chicago School of Economics, led by "leading economic thinkers" Milton Friedman and George Stigler.
"The Friedman Doctrine holds that decisions concerning social responsibility rest on the shoulders of the shareholders, not the executives of the company. He argues that an entity is not obligated to any social responsibilities unless the shareholders decide to such an effect."
Friedman's stance was plain: “There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” That view has long influenced management thinking, corporate governance, and strategic moves.
They were helped by a "mysterious" ruling by the Supreme Court decades ago that corporations have the same rights as individual citizens.
Daniel, I suspect you are right about political awareness of what is going on regarding the price gouging and other actions of the huge trusts. Those politicians who are benefiting, though, will never step back for the good of the rest of us. I would like to see more media point that out to ordinary Americans in a form they can understand, also pointing out those people who are benefiting from the price-gougers. I am not sure which media would do that. I am not very hopeful, but it could work.
Put criminals on trial and the media will show up.
When the president has a press conference the media show up.
IMHO te real story right along has been undermining our economy through energy prices, and permitting add-ons. See what I said about the California/Amazon suit. IMHO Saudi has been at economic war with us since 1973. They own major companies in the energy sector, control; refining, are buying up water rights and the owners of companies like Saudi controlled Exxon have committed crimes to deny that global warming exists.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/
There are at least 20 pending lawsuits filed by cities and states across the U.S., alleging major players in the fossil fuel industry misled the public on climate change to devastating effect.
While the precise claims vary from case to case — from securities fraud to nuisance, negligence and tort — most center on an argument that companies failed to disclose what they knew about their potential impact on the environment.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/us-cities-states-sue-big-oil-climate-change-lawsuits/
That Frontline piece should generate daily headlines. 20 court cases. We should be asking the media to report every day.
At the same times, oil prices are fixed...Saudi, Russia, OPEC. US companies have been screwed. Shareholders can sue management to recoup price gouging and collect treble damages in some cases.
There's a good reason why our Founding Fathers really didn't like corporations (or political parties).
You've got that right!!
Miss Marjorie Taylor (Perry Greene divorced her right after the election) put out a cry last week that she is shamefully underpaid by Congress. A donor swooped right in with, I heard, $8-million.
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮.
Poor iddle Empty. She's underpaid? For what? Screaming "LIAR" and acting out in the most juvenile manner possible? She wasn't on any committees for the prior two years, so what exactly was she doing? Just hanging out at the Capitol Building...stalking and harassing other Reps? If anything she owes U.S. citizens two years of EXTRA effort in good behavior and nose-to-the-grindstone committee work.
Yes. Alas. That's what her constituents want. She owes us her permanent departure from politics. One good thing: her husband, Perry Greene and her daughters are rid of her in their daily lives. She's all ours now.
I agree Marjorie Taylor's high school BULLYING antics and hysterical shrieking shouldn't be enabled. I think one of the problems with politics today is that people are more interested in viewing an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, than revising or implementing new policies.
100% correct. Reagan's "Citizens United", begun in 1982, was a death knell for democracy.
Please let us know who those voices are so that we may follow them.
No one is 'forced' to build huge campaign funds. They willingly buy into them, it saves them from addressing large gatherings of ordinary citizens who might kick in $10 apiece. Why waste your time when you can hold a $10,000 a plate for say 100 people of whom you only have to pass legislation for 20 or so.
Besides, ordinary citizens are so grubby.
Agree LOL
The populace has been hoodwinked and manipulated into hating our government by Republicans since Reagan. Good government is the only thing that stands in the way of abusive corporations to protect people but when government appears to be complacent and collaborating with the ones inflicting the abuse, then hatred and apathy sets in. I've heard so many people say how all politicians suck, both Democrats and Republicans, they think they're all the same. I've been trying to convince people in my very limited sphere of influence that they're not all the same and pointing out how Republicans have been much, much worse when it comes to protecting "the little guy" from unbridled, unregulated capitalism.
I feel that the government is supporting Medicare Advantage to the detriment of Original Medicare. Just calling it Medicare Advantage is misleading. The Medicare booklet is full of MA information. It appears that our government is working to privatize Medicare. I don’t see the Democrats working to change that. The USPS is another institution that Americans can no longer depend upon. Once again, I don’t see the Democrats working to change that and no transparency into plans for USPS future. (Btw, will we ever learn WHY all those $million sorting machines were destroyed?). These are just 2 areas that touch the lives of many Americans.
George W Bush was very upfront about privatization of Medicare- that’s where the Advantage programs came from. If we had universal healthcare, that would all go away- now that the Insurance companies are making billions on those policies, it will be harder to change. “I have seen the enemy, and it is us.”- Walt Kelly
Susan, one of my favorite quotes from way back, my father used to say that.
Lol, we’re among the last to read Pogo in the comics- I’m glad someone got the reference!
Yes, Rose. Medicare Advantage has originated in the private sector. They are required to advertise they aren't part of the government, and if you listen or look carefully, you can hear them whisper that they are actually based in private insurance companies. We need to find a legal way to keep them from using "Medicare" as part of their brand. The worst thing about these "plans" is that when you sign up, you are also now turning over what you would have paid into Medicare, to a private insurance company. If you ask them, they are required to confirm that, yes, they are getting that money that would have gone into the Medicare fund; thus they are raiding the fund, and this is why it has been depleted over several past decades. I am still insured by Medicare only. It's a less expensive way to get health insurance, even with the required co-pay. We need to stop their false advertising.
Advantage programs are the most profitable to private insurers and there is not a day goes by that I do not get a message by phone, email, messaging that extols its benefits over traditional Medicare. You are correct Advantage has no right being classified as a Medicare product. But over 50% of eligible people sign up for it based on claims of no or virtually no premiums and added benefits for hearing, dental, and vision and preventative yearly physicals, which are not really needed. How can they afford this? First of all there have been studies that the more expensive Advantage programs show no better medical outcomes than traditional Medicare. First the private insurers refused to participate until they made the deal with the government to get paid for every person they sign up, annually. This HMO/PPO model deny a lot of referrals and tests and claims, and sometimes these tests are critical. So with much delay and multiple appeals, patients receive what is needed, but many give up in the process. Transferring back to traditional Medicare may be difficult because Part B private Medigap programs that cover 20% may have a waiting period of months or may deny. So where does all the money come from to give these companies’ 15% profits and pocketing billions of dollars, preying on the illness of the people. They overcharge the government for their services. Many do this fraudulently and there are now some high profile court cases trying to recoup the moneys, good luck! The overcharging is based on the fact Advantage can upcode patients’ visits to add on more serious diagnoses and get paid higher reimbursements. Eventually this may stop and the Advantage patients are going to pay higher premiums and of course the propaganda will be that the government is trying to take your Medicare away from you.
Unfortunately Biden supports privatization of Medicare, including the revival during the Trump days of Medicare Capitation programs called ACA. This gives lump sum moneys to large organizations to manage care and if “ efficient” then monies left over at end of year goes into company and practices pockets. We know how that works despite oversight, short cuts will be made in patient care. Medical practices can transfer your care into these organizations without your permission.
Of all the topics covered in the State of the Union address, this one was missing. No mention of working for the more humane efficient model of universal healthcare for all one payer system as seen in all the other industrialized countries in the world. The excuse: we cannot afford it, it’s socialism!
Bull crap---we cannot really afford wars anymore! The topic of negotiation of drug prices did get discussed but this will occur only for a limited number of meds and only to the elderly for now.
It is a travesty of corporate power, paid off Congress, corrupted courts, vast propaganda, defunding regulatory agencies, and under education of our citizens, and mercurial promises.
This phenomenon is also receiving support from some unions, such as the United Federation of Teachers local in New York CIty. Make no mistake about it. Those private insurers are tougher gatekeepers, meaning more likely to deny coverage, than Original Medicare. If Medicare has a solvency problem, it could best be solved by lowering the age of eligibility. Right now, it covers only those most likely to have need of medical services, seniors and the handicapped. Basically, more people in Advantage Plans translates to more difficulty in reaching the goal of Medicare for All.
I suspect that once a point is reached where the MA plans are used more than Original Medicare, they will shut down Original Medicare and only Advantage plans will be available. Once that happens, all the benefits that are attracting seniors, such as $900 for groceries (yes, I just heard that one), dental and gym memberships, etc., will dry up.
Please check link below for information about Rep Pocan (Dem, WI) & co-supporters for a bill "Save Medicare Act". Mr Pocan & Mr Khanna also make regular appearances on the Thomm Hartmann show where callers can pose questions to them. https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/u-s-rep-pocan-introduce-bill-to-strengthen-medicare-define-alternative-plans
Here's a helpful article:
https://chestnuthilllocal.com/stories/why-is-dejoy-still-in-charge-of-the-usps,25309
Thank you. In that article, I did not see why Judge Sullivan was involved. There must have been some charge. I will Google later. I agree with comments in the article. Postal service in my area has greatly declined since DeJoy was hired.
IMO, if DeJoy destroyed those sorting machines while they were in good condition, he needs to be charge with destruction of government property. The American people deserve to know what happened.
I wish you success in that endeavor! Thank you.
Kerry, you are so right about who runs this country and that they have bought enough legislators that they will be able to remain in power indefinitely unless We the People rise up and say "no" by actually electing people who will stand for and with us. I don't see that happening any time soon as I look at the pool of people, particularly Republicans running for office everywhere.
Don’t shake your head. People are just parroting the propaganda of the perpetrators. Organize to win at movetoamend.org
FYI, my son co-founded https://americanpromise.net/ with Jeff Clements.
I hope they are not advocating for a Constitutional convention because we know the Kochs have been working for it.
Nope. 28th Amendment. Overturn Citizens United and campaign finance reform.
Just joined and donated. Thanks for the link👍.
Another favorite term is "government overreach." We need a new dictionary of terms. We need to undo how the public has been brainwashed, there's no other word for it.
Yes Jeffrey, language and terms are really important. It seems we have left the development and use of terms up to conservatives. It is time the rest of us create new terms that actually identify what is going on rather than the gaslighting with language Republicans have been doing for decades: government overreach really means government standing up for those who can't stand for themselves at the moment. I have been thinking about this a lot, but don't know which true terms will have sticking power. It seems terms that lie have been really effective. We should be able to do better.
Based on years of experience in trying to find new terms for my particular interests my one fundamental learning is to keep at it. The key for me has been putting my thoughts into words on a regular basis, and then reading them whenever I can.. Think our minds react faster when it sees something as opposed to holding my thoughts wherever it does that. Often when I've tired of putting intuitions into words and I go get some air within a minute a bright idea, a solution, actually, pops up in my mind. It's happened often enough for me to conclude that my mind/brain is my best ally in solving problems that are unique to my interests. My favorite response to a negative view of "big" government is to say that if our government didn't take charge on 12/7/1941 we wouldn't be having this conversation in English.
Hi,, Ruth. I would believe that "government overreach" was coined by a team of branding experts and adopted after hours of meetings and related committee activities. One person alone has a hard time, as you describe. It would be interesting to go back and see if this is true or not.
So well stated! This is exactly how I feel and what we observe. Thank you.
There is a name for what is causing monopolies. It’s called corporate rule. And there is a way to end corporate rule and the march towards Fascism. It’s HJR48, the We the People Amendment. It will overturn Citizens United and restore the power of We the People. It will take away the unjust massive power of corporate interests and restore good government. But it won’t happen all by itself. Click on this link: movetoamend.org
Help us grow the Movement of the People ♥️
Lawrence, I agree that ending Citizens United would be of great benefit. The challenge, many of our legislators across the country and the conservatives on our Supreme Court have been bought and paid for by those corporations that have used Citizens United to warp our elections and will rule to keep it in place. This court's conservatives are not for this nation's people, just for themselves, what they believe, and what their rich donors want. How sad for all of us
There are at least 5 if not 6 Justices who are vetted and groomed puppets of Leonard Leo's secretive Federalist Society. They answer to the piles of dark money flowing into those hidden coffers.
Signed the petition and spread the word on social media.
I believe PepsiCo in part of the global InBev conglomerate, another monopolistic beverage and food provider.
Robert Bork argued that corporate concentration was an economic good as it created efficiencies as long as it did not lead to rising consumer prices. His view has been effectively adopted by every administration since Nixon. Internationalization of sourcing kept prices down for decades as US manufacturing was hollowed out. Now the worm has turned. Outsourcing has reversed and prices are rising due to many factors but corporate concentration is perhaps the greatest. Now even Bork's followers will have to admit, if they are intellectually honest, that anti-trust enforcement must be undertaken with more speed and vigor.
Teddy Roosevelt came into the Presidency by accident of a bullet but he gained enormous popularity by taking on the robber barons and was accused of betraying his class. Who is our new Teddy? Biden certainly sees himself in that role today. Perhaps you might be surprised, but Elizabeth Warren is another. She said in answer to a question asked before she ever ran for office, who her favorite President was. She answered Roosevelt, Teddy not FDR. She is certainly a prime Trust Buster, but so is her student, Katie Porter. More and more of the Democrat base is recognizing corporate power as target. This reversal from the Clinton era, is return to the politics that held the party for most of the 20th century. It has the power to return the party to the majority.
Bork followers "intellectually honest"? Not holding my breath.
Amy Klobuchar is a strong proponent of a more robust antitrust enforcement stance.
Jim, maybe there should be a trust-busting caucus in congress that Warren, Porter, Klobuchar, Sanders, and the others who share their position could belong and gradually convert others. There might even be a Republican or two who will take an antitrust position. Could happen!
Pay attention to who you’re thinking of voting for and what they actually stand for. Who’s behind them and contributing to their campaigns. Glen Youngkin comes to mind as an example. I feel he hoodwinked VA by pretending to be a centrist. Since there’s no such thing in the GOP, he portrayed himself as someone who didn’t support TFG or MAGA ideas when in fact that’s what he’s been trying to implement in VA. He’s been stopped a few times by the legislature, but he a prime example of what to watch for.
How do we encourage that?
David, I am totally in favor of the new Teddy Roosevelts. He was not perfect in his trust-busting, but he did try. I do wonder if he had stayed in office another term if he could have done even more. I would love to see a true trust-buster get to work. It would be better if there were more supporters in Congress and the other legislatures around the country. Maybe if we could make it seem glamorous or exciting or even exotic, some more trust-busters could be lured into running for office even without big donor money.
E-V-E-R-Y dollar I spend is a vote for the type of world I want to live in. Buy local. I can buy soap, eggs, meat, veggies from local sources. Grow a garden. Yes, it takes effort but it is a lot more satisfying than howling at the moon and complaining about big corporations that are so big they don't have to listen and don't have to care about the junk they pour into people's body that make them sick. Plus, by taking this local route, I am healthier, I get outside, I get to know my community. There are so many positives to stepping away from big corps.
Yes, HealTheSoil, all of us who live quite frugally and locally are not as closely swept into this corporate money-trap. However, Robert's awareness of corporate greed and power addresses the larger picture: the inequality in our society, growing daily. The larger picture is what must change, even if you or I have dodged the bullet in our immediate lifestyle. And we can play a part by supporting the change.
I understand that. There just seems to be far more attention put on the corporate powers and way less talk about empowering people to realize they have more economic power than they realize. We need both sides of the equation. I see rich and poor alike rail against the system but still totally buy into it. Buying into it totally negates any speaking out against it.
No surprise here. Follow the money. SBF showed how it is done. Give some to the Democrats. Give somewhat less to the Republicans. Republicans can be bought cheaply and are more reliable. But both parties can be bought. As for the "media", the same applies. Only here the owners dictate. And the owners do not dictate more competition and lower dividends. Do as you are instructed--or get fired. Voltaire was correct. Those whom you cannot criticize are the real rulers.
Wonderful reporting! It’s so good to have the facts. Stunning to remember back when monopoly power was a major issue. I had a temp job as an archivist when ATT was sued and eventually was broken up into the “the little Bells”. It must have been the last big anti trust case. Now it all goes on behind the scenes with rarely a reference. Your work and that of Tom Hartmann is crucial in understanding how we got to where we are now. It’s like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A right wing enchantment that went on for decades that totally transformed our reality - the raw power of which working behind the scenes is worse than devastating.
I was just in Europe for two weeks and was really shocked to see that prices for most commodities (except for fuel of course) we close to 50% the price of in the US... many locally grown and produced... more sustainable, cheaper and supporting local business...We have lost that and are supporting highly polluting agri businesses that are charging more despite their scale, and ruinous practices...
Yes, even Starbucks is cheaper in Europe.
It's time for a windfall profits tax
Because the media are also a monopoly consisting of multiple brands creating the impression of competition. They all take advertising revenues from the same manufacturing monopolies. Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper feed off each other. No Anderson Cooper, lower revenues for Fox. No Tucker Carlson, lower revenues for CNN.
Because they can. The media is owned by the corporations through the power of advertising revenues.
Inflation is a recognizable villain to blame for increasing costs; more so than the corporations and a handful of billionaires who are to blame. It impacts everyone but none more so than the minimum wage earner who must decide between gas for the car to get to work, and hot dogs for dinner tonight. The greater one's income the less impact inflation has on real life choices.
Our Nation needs several years of continued progressive leadership to offset the changes initiated under Reagan. We need another Teddy Roosevelt to fight monopolies, another FDR to to refocus our economy and another Joe Biden's political skills to make it all work.
Maybe we should think of inflation as a symptom and not a cause.
Except, nauseatingly, there are too many billionaires now to fit in a hand. I shudder to think how many. What’s the point? Really? So you have a gigantic pile of money. So what? It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. They need medical help, not more money.
They are hoarders.
Bill, I like thinking that inflation is a symptom rather than a cause. I suspect the cause is general neglect of the corporate world by our legislators. They mostly all receive significant funds from the huge trusts and pretty much need it with the campaigns for office that never end. This is unacceptable, but who is going to step back when it costs so much these days to put out the political ads everywhere to promote the campaign. It is now a perpetual motion machine that sucks up enormous amounts of legislator time as they keep making calls to bring in the bucks. One huge trust's contribution of a couple of million supercedes 500 small donor contributions that probably won't add up to near that much.
Because of the hegemony of supply-side economics. It wasn't enough that Reagan's voodoo economics changed how corporations worked, it also changed how many think about economics and any other dynamic that generally involves class. The owners of the means of production were and are cast as the heroes in an epic battle for human freedom. They have been granted the status of proxy for the 'common man' in the battle against any forces that seek to restrain freedom in any context. That makes the corporations and their major shareholders 'the good guys' by definition. In the context of inflation, both the Fed and corporations are under this illusion. The focus of both is to 1. use pricing to create an artificial 'crisis' and direct blame away from themselves, 2. use the 'crisis' as a means of profit-mongering, 3. undermine the rights of workers and demand more productivity without the need to invest more capital in production. At the same time, the rhetoric in Washington is swirling around a destabilization and/or eradication of the social safety net, which can increase the general anxiety of workers, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck and are one emergency away from poverty. It makes their future uncertain and they are less likely to rock the boat out of fear that the services they need will vanish and they will need any source of income to survive. Because the eradication of the social safety net is usually cast as privatization and because we have been taught to believe the market is all-powerful, we become more likely to vote against our own interests because we feel that we are voting for our freedom. In the warped calculus of the Right, 'the common good' is equated with 'socialism' which is defined as bad. I'm hoping this is changing because we could use some love focused on the common good right now.
Just as an aside, MARS (the candy company) has bought numerous veterinarian offices throughout the country and corporatized them. You may have heard of them as VCA or Banfield and numerous others (AniCura, Antech Diagnostics / Sound, Asia Veterinary Diagnostics, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group). So what have they done to ensure their profits? They created "Care Club" as their service model. Meaning you pay monthly regardless of whether you use their services, to ensure "discounts" on regular services, such as shots, pet dental cleaning, routine checkups, etc. Just an FYI, in case you use one of these vet businesses.
After decades of using one local, previously privately owned vet business (owned by the doctors), I've cut ties with them after they were bought out and became a VCA outfit. I stuck with them for several years, but found a different local, independent vet that I much prefer. I found my former vet office services declined significantly when they became corporate driven. Very frustrating, very sad.
In the same boat, Mark... only to find it is really hard to find an independent vet near by. 🐾😿
Leslie, I was very fortunate in that when I adopted an amazing yellow lab, the adoption agency sent me to a vet for a required heartworm test. This vet business actually has four offices in the town I live in, but is owned by the vets that run the business. They are wonderful, and I've not transferred the care of my cat to them, leaving the "care club" payments in our rear view mirror.
They continue to provide excuses for corporations because they are getting paid by those very corporations that they are supposed to regulate and hold accountable either through legalized bribery or advertisers. They would never put the blame on the real problem. Recently Walmart announced that it is closing stores due to theft that's a lie they are doing that because it has been Doug Mcmillon's dream because of his obsession with Amazon it's an effort to turn Walmart into an online retailer which is a failing proposition because people go to Walmart to shop in the stores and are not going to leave Amazon for Walmart. We are fighting them on this and calling them out At United For Respect because it put so many people out of work all in the name of profits..
Peter, isn't it interesting the way the people either workers or customers or both are blamed for the bad behavior of corporations? WalMart grew because of the way it cheated small manufacturers, got cheap stuff made in China by poorly paid workers, and sized out smaller retail locations in communities. Now they are claiming theft as their reason for closing stores? Rubbish! as Prof. Reich would correctly declare.
the “theft” excuse is to provide them cover so that they can terminate employees and not hurt their public image. Walmart is a very corrupt and greedy corporation that will do anything to make more money. They steal from customers every day and from their own employees through wage theft as they put small business owners out of business and leave people seeking work with few choices because they have monopolized the market. And now it has become a danger to your life to work for Walmart because of the mass shootings. https://www.gunsdownamerica.org/new-research-shows-gun-violence-is-serious-threat-at-grocery-stores/
The media wants to have viewership and sell papers (i.e. “clicks”) so I hate to say it but, the sensationalism and ridicules articles we see anymore seem to be geared towards a more uneducated and less interested population.
In answer to the second part of your question, Professor, elected officials and lawmakers will blame ANYTHING other than themselves for essentially being subservient to the big corporations since it is those same companies that foot their campaigns. Sickening, but true.
🌻
Yes what a country we live in. I remember the AT&T so called breakup. I read about standard oil breakup. When antitrust enforcement was real ,it did not stop the consolidation of industry. Amazon is mutating into a formidable octopus with growing vertical integration. I’m afraid there is no way to turn back the clock. Industry lawyers will make millions and mostly win if antitrust laws are strengthened and enforced. As much as abhor big business there is just no way to stop them.