This diary entry is a post of an essay I wrote back in November of 2003. It is just as applicable today. It shows a glaring example of how corporate corruption has infected the US Government and comments on the complacency of the American electorate.
Below is an excerpt from the senate congressional record on Nov. 24th, 2003. It's short, but if you what to get to the meat skip to the bolded text.
The Senator from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. Under the unanimous consent, I believe I have been allocated 5 minutes. Is that correct?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.
Mr. DURBIN. I ask for 4 and ask if the Chair will notify me when I have 1 minute left.
A few minutes ago, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, was on the floor. It is his right to visit with us. It is an opportune moment for him to come as the Senator from Pennsylvania reminds us that we are not going into socialism, socialized medicine, command and control; we are not going to have the Government bargaining on the prices of medicine.
Yet I guess the Senator from Pennsylvania has forgotten that during the anthrax crisis when Cipro, which was going to be used as an antidote, was $4.67 a pill, Secretary Thompson negotiated for America to reduce the price of that drug in the midst of the crisis to 75 cents. He was quoted as saying:
Everyone said I wouldn't be able to reduce the price of Cipro. I'm a tough negotiator.
Sounds a lot like command and control for me.
For Americans, they are taking a look at this bill and saying: Who is going to speak for us? This 1,100 page bill prohibits reimportation of drugs from Canada. So our friends, the seniors and families and others who are looking there for relief, they will not be getting it out of this bill. Even worse, as has been noted, in this one page that I take out of 1,100, page 53, lines 18 through 26, we prohibit Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices.
The Senator from Pennsylvania says that is because we believe in the free market.
Let the market set the price.
I might say to my friend from Pennsylvania, how do you explain the multibillion-dollar subsidies for HMOs included in this bill? How do you explain the $6 billion subsidy for your friends with health savings accounts in this bill? Frankly, you can't, under free market principles.
Let me say, when you take a look at this bill you understand that we are squandering $6 billion for retiree coverage. That is one of the key elements. We create these new health savings accounts. I will not go into the long and lurid history, but when Mr. Newt Gingrich of Georgia took control of the House, he brought with him one of his best pals, the Golden Rule Insurance Companies from Lawrenceville, IL. In fact, the Speaker was so smitten with this company he cut a television ad for them with their medical savings accounts. Frankly, they returned the favor, contributing over $3.6 million to Republican congressional candidates. It was such a sweet arrangement. They would pass bills sending more business to Golden Rule, Golden Rule would send millions of dollars to Republican candidates.
Frankly, that meant nothing compared to this bill. This bill gives $6 billion for health savings accounts that have nothing to do with Medicare and nothing to do with prescription drugs for seniors. This is the largest single giveaway I have ever seen in 21 years. It is in this bill.
Now, let me connect the dots. Turns out Golden Rule Insurance Company was recently purchased. Who bought Golden Rule Insurance Company? A group called UnitedHealthcare, down here, whose CEO, Channing Wheeler, was paid $9.5 million, a sweet salary; compared to other HMO execs--not that great.
Now connect the dots. Golden Rule, a friend of the Republican Party, purchased by UnitedHealthcare; UnitedHealthcare is the largest insurance group working with AARP. It all comes together.
AARP is selling this product for UnitedHealth Group, a $6 billion subsidy in this bill, and now they have discovered this is the best bill in the world.
I suggest to all my colleagues and all those watching this debate, call AARP. Here is the telephone number, 1-800-424-3410. Tell them to stand up for seniors for a change, tell them to fight for Medicare, tell them to stop the sweetheart deals with Golden Rule and UnitedHealthcare. We need to make sure the people who wrote this bill get back to work and eliminate these giveaways, the multibillion-dollar giveaways, the subsidizing for these great free market disciples that are included in this bill. And we need to do it now. Sustain the point of order. Vote no on the waiver of the point of order.
Read this definition
plutocracy
Plu*toc"ra*cy, n. [Gr. ?; ? wealth + ? to be strong, to rule, fr.? strength: cf. F. plutocratie.] A form of government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the wealthy classes; government by the rich; also, a controlling or influential class of rich men.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Now ask yourself this question. Do I live under a Republican Democracy or a Plutocracy?
This is no wacko internet site making the above statement, it is a US Senator on the floor of the Senate.
So here's how it works. The wealthy corporations and individuals give millions to the political campaigns of our "elected officials". Who in turn use the money to manipulation you into voting for them. The "(S)elected Officials" then return to office and do the bidding of the wealthy campaign contributors "Plutocracy". All the while you dutifully send a portion of your hard earned money, payday after payday to the "Elected Officials" to spend as they see fit to do the bidding of the wealthy campaign contributors. In defense of "you", a clear majority of "you" in this great country of the United States of America, can not even name the people who hold the US Senate and House of Representatives offices in your state. "You" may as well give your paycheck to some stranger and tell them to look out for your best interests. In essence this is what the "average" American Taxpayer is doing. Unless you can dole out significant sums of money to your elected officials. You are of no consequence to them as long as you dutifully send them "their cut" from your paycheck. They are currently giving away billions and billions of dollars you and I send them each paycheck. And none of it seems to benefit the American Taxpayer. Quite to the contrary, corporations and countries around the world seem to benefit from the American Taxpayer. Lest we forget the American Taxpayer finances the IMF and the World Bank.
Now read this definition
democracy
De*moc"ra*cy, n.; pl. Democracies. [F. d['e]mocratie, fr. Gr. dhmokrati`a; dh^mos the people + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength.] 1. Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.
- Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic.
- Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government. --Milton.
- The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called. [U.S.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Now as yourself this question even if rhetorically.
Am I properly exercising my supreme power given to to me in this form of government?
If the answer is no then maybe you are more comfortable with a Plutocracy, where the wealthy take care of the government. So you can raise your children (Is the military draft going to return?), have a job (until your job is "outsourced" overseas), watch TV (the "electronic" valium), have a few hobbies (Tennis anyone?) and not have to worry about all that government stuff. Because all the "Politicians in Washington" excuse me I mean "(S)elected Officials in Washington" will look after my best interests. And how many times have we heard people opine "All Politicians in Washington are crooks"?
Sometimes I think the American electorate needs to listen to what they think.
And now for something completely different.
Rush Limbaugh has stated many times on his program that the top 10% income earners pay 50% of the taxes and that the other 90% of the income earners pay the other 50%. Fair enough, but here's what he doesn't want you to know. The top 10% income earners control 80% of the available "money" while the other 90% of the income earners control only 20% of the "money". So now "Let's do the Math", shall we?
80% of the "money" pays 50% of the taxes
And
20% of the "money" pays 50% of the taxes
Oh no, looks like "fuzzy math" to me.
