2010-02-04

You ain’t seen nothing yet

Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, Corporate American existed largely as a benign, somewhat amorphous giant, which provided many, many people in this country a good and stable living. At that time, corporations shouldered almost 75 percent of the United States tax burden while individuals made up the other 25 percent.

Over the intervening 50-odd years things, corporate-wise, have changed drastically. Corporations have moved most of their workforce overseas, leaving the flailing American Worker to swim or drown.

Corporate financial headquarters have been moved off-shore so that their enormous profits can now be hidden in sheltered accounts – completely off-limits and invisible to the US tax base.
Today, Corporate America is responsible for only about 25 percent of the US tax base while we individuals are left to pony-up the remaining 75 percent.

They were able to perform this ingenious slight-of-hand by one very simple means – they quietly bought up the government. Not the government as a whole, but its individual parts – its politicians and lawmakers.

No laws are written in the Congress of the United States today that were not drafted and approved by the army of corporate lobbyists in Washington. Alarmingly, today, there are six lobbyists for every member of the US Congress – and ditto for the various state legislators.

A number of years ago, it was realized the Corporations with their unlimited bank accounts needed to be held in check, and so laws were passed attempting to limit the amounts which they could interject into this country’s elections. Of course, loopholes were quickly found which allowed these giants to keep applying their massive influence. The law, however, at least slowed the torrent of money that could be brought to bear in our elections.

But last week, the US Supreme Count struck down these few feeble impediments to unrestrained Corporate power in this country. The Court ruled that Corporations would, in the future, be completely free to buy any election that they can afford.

The Court was finally able to blatantly thumb its nose at the rest of the country because of the two ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justices that former President George Bush Jr. appoint to its bench.

Bandera County has been eagerly promoting George Bush throughout his inelegant career. Now, it’s time to reap the benefits.

If you think you’ve been gouged in the past by banks, oil companies, insurance companies and the like, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Sadly, we have become a nation of sheep. And the shearers have just been handed brand new, oiled and automated shears.

Murry Walker
Medina Lake