You have to listen to this NeoLiberal, Shock Doctrine Golden Boy. His indictment of USA policies and social injustice should be ON EVERY NEWS PROGRAM. But no, just crickets:
Listen to his words, please:
He states his preference for Social Democracy based on these three principles:
- Business has been a partner, but it's also been kept at arms length from politics
- Campaign financing is a public commitment, not dominated by private money
- Development and diplomacy over military approaches to global problems.
All things opposite to today's American Way and which seems to be hell bent on dismantling what remnants we have of Social Security/Democracy.
Apparently Mr. Sachs has experienced some remorse, although it's difficult to not remain suspect, especially with his ties to Monsanto; however, the speech he made above is an important. And, in context, can be used to our advantage if we so choose to do so.
Paul Krugman agrees in his article Down the Memory Hole:
Read almost any conservative commentator on economic history, and you’ll find that the era of postwar prosperity — the gigantic rise in living standards after World War II — has been expunged from the record.
Basically, US postwar economic history falls into two parts: an era of high taxes on the rich and extensive regulation, during which living standards experienced extraordinary growth; and an era of low taxes on the rich and deregulation, during which living standards for most Americans rose fitfully at best.
Good freakin heck, even staunch NeoLiberal Alan Greenspan admitted that US form of unfettered, unregulated capitalism doesn't work, after spending his life pushing for deregulation:
The entire world's economies are in a shambles because of NeoLiberal's success in deregulating the markets.
The people of the United states, with the exception of approximately 1.1 million, are being flushed down the toilet under the banner of Free Markets.
The remaining Americans are experiencing that our system is hardly Free.
Their stagnant wages, the rapid decline of the US infrastructure, the huge % of imprisoned, nearly 20% child poverty, millions of homes lost to foreclosure, and millions unable to find a job is the HUGE PRICE the so-called Free Market has cost.
Do you have to be an economist to see the forest for the trees?
No, all you need is a marginal flair for the obvious.
The system and policies of the United States are failing.
How far down the Hole do we have to descend before we demand change?
72% of Americans earn less than $42,000
50% earn less than $26,000
40% earn less than $20,000
This low level of income banging up against the cost of living will hinder growth even if all were employed, for two reasons:
- It can't provide the revenue the governments (State, local, and federal) need to maintain basic services; and
- It can't support the demand side of supply and demand growth.
Low wages mean a stagnant economy.
Either prices have to fall or wages have to rise in order for people to survive, let along thrive.
But, with a mere 1.1 million people in this country reporting huge incomes and holdings at low tax rates, the Hole will only get deeper.
When will the the NeoLiberals own defeat. Their system of unfettered, unregulated industry AND low tax rates for the wealthy has failed.
We are surrounded by the failures. We are needlessly dying because of their failed policies.
And now we have the rock headed/hearted GOP with power in the House.
Obama seems to buy into the NeoLiberal mantra as he is surrounded by them.
And the Senate is also full of NeoLiberals whether called Democrats or Republicans.
Bernie Sander is the only Congressman to claim he is a Social Democrat.
Sadly, 2011 is stacking up to look worse than 2010 for a lot of people.
WAKE UP.
Many smart people believe we are at risk of losing what we call Democracy, many writing here onDaily Kos:
Soros agrees, and is even fearful we might be on the verge of losing our democracy.
Justice Stevens agrees with Soros.
Before we are officially a Proto-Fascist country:
What are the signs of an upcoming shift to ProtoFascism:
So, before we are hoodwinked like many good people in pre-WWII Germany and elsewhere, perhaps it might be pertinent to know the signs of an emerging ProtoFascist state:
Do any of these fourteen signs of Proto Fascism seem familiar to most Americans?
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
Does any of this ring alarm bells by the media? Of course not. That's one of the fourteen signs!