Every progressive should remember the Four Freedoms proposed by FDR and pictured so ably by Norman Rockwell. They are (or were): 1) Freedom of Speech (and expression), 2) Freedom of worship, 3) Freedom from want, and 4) Freedom from fear. Of course, that was in a less enlightened age. We've learned putting them into practice would be Socialism and Letting the Terrorists Win. They are now recognized as just more incendiary rhetoric coming from the extreme liberals of the Left.
It's time to update. We now live in a world where it is widely recognized government is not the answer, market-based solutions are always superior, and we all must be prepared to sacrifice because the social safety net is not something we can afford any more as a society, especially not if we must keep cutting spending and taxes. The New Four Freedoms are: 1) Freedom from risk, 2) Freedom from uncertainty, 3) Freedom from restraint, and 4) Freedom from criticism.
Of course, only the top 1% need apply...
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This diary was inspired by a response to a comment I posted about the diary by jamess, Things Go Better With Koch-- Says the Beckster. It cross-pollinated with another comment I'd made to Eddie C's Have Democratic leaders ostracized Jan Schakowsky? It's also fueled by Matt Taibbi's central thesis in Griftopia. Bobswern's So Much For So Few, Yet So Little For So Many on the rec list this morning fills out the picture a bit more. The poignant diary by tonyahky is a moving account of what seems a vanishing mindset in Things My Dad Could Teach Us--Life Before The New Deal.
But let's face it. This is not FDR's America. The government now works for the top 1%. - not the rest of us.
When the President of the United States lets tax cuts for the richest Americans continue without even putting up a fight, when he makes noises suggesting Social Security may have to be reworked because it's not working as planned (NOT), when there's talk of a "Grand Bargain" that will put taxes and all kinds of things on the table....
When political campaigns can be swamped by torrents of money coming from undisclosed sources thanks to Citizen's United, when Republicans can take over the House on fear and lies going unchallenged by the media and promise to repeal Health Care Reform, cut Social Security, shut down the government rather than raise the debt ceiling, gut EPA regulations....
And the Very Serious People all view this as right and proper and a reasonable course of events....
It's pretty damn close to Game Over. We might as well understand the New Four Freedoms - because the owners of America Inc. are going to continue to insist on them. Here's how they roll.
1) Freedom from risk. This is better known as "Too Big To Fail" - the idea that the big banks and the big corporations are so big, the country could never survive their collapse due to... well anything. Stupid insane risk taking by management. Really bad decisions. Reckless disregard of laws and regulations intended to prevent risky actions. The right to pursue profits at all costs, regardless of risk - because the rest of the country will assume the risk while they reap the rewards.
What this means is bail outs and interest free loans. Golden Parachutes. Failure to prosecute individual and organized group criminal behavior if enough millions are involved. Cutting social programs and pensions because tax revenues have dropped, investment funds have collapsed. Socializing the losses while privatizing the gains. Etc. etc. ad infinitum.
2) Freedom from uncertainty. Transferring risk to the other 99% of the country isn't enough. Uncertainty must also be eliminated. What this means is simple: No one in that top 1% should ever have to worry that their unending quest to amass ever more wealth will be blocked by laws, regulations, or taxes. Every day, in every way, they have to know that the country will be doing everything possible to keep the wealth flowing in their direction. The fight to end the 'Death Tax' must go on. The environment, deficits, failing schools - all of those are other peoples problems.
3) Freedom from restraint. What's the point of having more money than God if there are still things money can't buy? There must be no restrictions on mergers or aquisitions; Big IS Beautiful. It's all about being 'competitive' (although who cares given #1 and #2 above?), productivity, and 'economies of scale'. By the same reasoning, caps on CEO salaries, bonuses, stock incentives, etc. are counter productive and downright evil.
If a factory, mine or a big box store makes sense for the bottom line, zoning laws and local governments can get out of the way. Ditto for health and safety laws, labor laws, and for the environment. Review of pricing policies, collusion allegations, and other other industry practices? Fuhgeddaboudit! There is no such thing as "Too much!" in a consumer-driven market-based economy. If we should learn one thing from John Galt, it's that we need to get out of their way and stop holding them back.
4) Freedom from criticism. This is critical. We are dealing with the top 1% after all, the People Who Count, the ones the Very Serious People listen to. The other three New Freedoms will not work without this one. We must never, ever suggest in any way that what these people do is bad for the country or the world. We must never complain how the rules do not apply to them. We shouldn't even think of suggesting they could contribute more to the society that supports them. We certainly should not question their morality. They should not be punished for their success. Class War is never to be mentioned again.
They create all that is good in America - just ask them or listen to the media they own. Jobs flow from them (even if mostly to overseas.) They are wiser than us because they meet the classic test: "If you're so smart, why aren't you rich? Is there any other meaningful test today? They are not afraid to defend their New Four Freedoms, no matter what it costs the rest of us, no matter how many politicians they have to buy. And they have very thin skins. They need to know they are loved; otherwise they'll cry and leave us to collapse without them to guide and protect us. (Drive Wall Street veterans out of DC, and there'd be an awful lot of empty top government offices in Washington.)
So there you have it. IF and when President Barack Obama is able to bring off his "Grand Bargain" which will be a Bipartisan effort supported by the Very Serious People, you can bet it will go a long way towards codifying the New Four Freedoms into the law of the land for decades to come.
Any Questions?
UPDATE: Huzzah! Rescued again - many thanks!