End Corporatocracy Now

January 30, 2012

Corporations have been in control of the US economy since WWII, it gets stronger and stronger as they buy politicians with their donations. In 2010, they got a big boost from the Supreme Court which said that corporations had the same right as a person so now unlimited money can be spent on politics on their behalf as a free-speech issue. For example multi-billionaires Sheldon Adleson and his wife are openly trying the elect a candidate for President with millions of dollars in donations.

This situation benefits few and concentrates power and money into the hands of a small percentage. They use existing laws and political sentiment to keep it that way.

Incredibly, these corporations have created a way to spread their risks to the country as a whole by pressuring the government for bail-outs and for Federal Reserve measures to prop up their system. This means their profits are under-written by taxpayers and those profits are not reinvested into the country which helped them succeed.

Corporations also collect more money and power by institutionalizing their subsidies in oil, gas, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. No one in Congress has seriously challenged decades-old subsidies because they are beholden to the corporations that get those subsidies.

The net effect of all this has been the Great Recession which has thrown millions out of work and sent jobs overseas. People work less, with fewer benefits, for less pay and corporations are satisfied. Now they have their workers where they want them.

The rich including corporations pay disproportionately less taxes than the middle class which puts incredible financial pressure on it. The result is that the working class is perpetually afraid, they must fight for jobs and will do more with less to keep them. The is what corporations want.

Corporate influence negatively affects government policy in many areas, the most important of which are climate change and renewable fuels. This corporate shortsightedness supports the status quo and their bottom-line. Fuel inefficiencies, trashing the environment and selling over priced medications if great for profits.

We must not be silenced or in any way deterred in this effort to fight against Corporatocracy. We need to:

Accept climate change and support the move to renewable energy sources.

We must support better efficiencies for our existing power structure.

Insure a national health plan is successful so fewer are bankrupted by medical bills and our citizens get basic care and access. A single payer systems would be best. How about Medicare Part E (for everyone)?

Eliminate unlimited political donations by corporations or people.

Demand that all companies protect the environment and its workers.

Reduce the military establishment and the corporate influence of it. Corporate influence which serves little purpose in national defense and drains our treasury for the benefit of a few.

Pass a Constitutional amendment to state that a person is a human being, not a corporation. Corporations are created from laws for the benefit of society and don't deserve the same protections as a person.

Demand free and transparent elections at all levels and eliminate laws which disenfranchise our citizens.

Americans are at a cross roads where we must do something or face even more dire consequences of Big Business control.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy