The Cost of Corporate Communism
Lately I have been using the phrase "Corporate Communism" on my television show. I think it is an especially fitting term when discussing the current landscape in both our banking and health care systems.
As Americans, I believe we reject communism because it historically has allowed a tiny group of people to consolidate complete control over national resources (including people), in the process stifling competition, freedom and choice. It leaves its citizens stagnating under the perpetual broken systems with no natural motivation to innovate, improve services or reduce costs.
Lack of choice, lazy, unresponsive customer service, a culture of exploitation and a small powerbase formed by cronyism and nepotism are the hallmarks of a communist system that steals from its citizenry and a major reason why America spent half a century fighting a Cold War with the U.S.S.R.
And yet today we find ourselves as a country in two distinctly different categories: those who are forced to compete tooth and nail each day to provide value to society in return for income for ourselves and our families and those who would instead use our lawmaking apparatus to help themselves to our tax money and/or to protect themselves from true competition.
If you allow weak, outdated players to take control of the government and change the rules so they are protected from the natural competition and reward systems that have created so many innovations in our country, you not only steal from the citizens on behalf of the least worthy but you also doom them by trapping the capital that would be used to generate new innovation and, most tangibly in our current situation, jobs.
We are losing the opportunity cost of all the great ideas that should be coming from the proper deployment of that 23.7 trillion in capital. Everything from innovation in medical delivery systems to accessible space travel, free energy to the driverless car; all of these things may never come to bear because those powerful individuals who have failed, been passed over by technological advancements, innovation and flat-out smarts, have commandeered our government to unfairly sustain their wealth and power.
Unfortunately, they use our wealth and laws not only to benefit their outdated, failed companies, but also spend a small pittance of their ill-gotten gains lobbying and favor-trading with politicians so the government will continue to protect them from competition and their well-deserved failure.
The massive spike in unemployment, the utter destruction of retirement wealth, the collapse in the value of our homes, the worst recession since the Great Depression have all resulted directly from the abdication of proper government.
Even with all that -- the only changes that have been made, have been made to prop up and hide the massive flaws on behalf of those who perpetuated them. Still utterly nothing has been done to disclose the flaws in this system, improve it or rebuild it. Only true rules-based capitalism ensures constant adaptation and implementation of the latest and best practices for a given business, as those businesses that don't adapt fail, and those who deploy the latest innovations to their customers benefit, prosper.
The concept of communism is rightly reviled in this country for the simple reason that it is blind to human nature, allowing a small group of individuals near-total control, while sticking everyone else with the same crappy systems -- and the bill. America spent countless lives and half a century fighting against this system of government. So why are we standing for it now?
Follow Dylan Ratigan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DylanRatigan
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Professor Andrew Bacevich's excellent Boston Globe article, "Afghanistan ---- Proxy War", is on the topic of Afghanistan, but the real focus and 'Proxy' is Empire.
Bacevich outlines that if President Obama approves the McChrystal plan he will be implicitly , "Affirming that military might will remain the principal instrument for exercising American global leadership, as has been the case for decades" ---- i.e. that America will be choosing to be an EMPIRE.
Bacevich rightly senses that Obama’s decision on Afghanistan, the ‘Graveyard of Empires’, might lead us toward either publicly accepting or ending ‘The Last Empire’.
Although the Pashtun - Taliban kicked the Soviet Communist EMPIRE out in the late 1980s, but they will not so easily be able to kick-out this 'last Empire standing' on earth, the disguised "Corporate Communist" Empire without the agreement of the American people behind Obama agreeing to voluntarily renounce Empire.
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
This is what I wrote in response to this piece on October 7: "Dylan, you must be commended for your honesty and courage in stating the truth about what the US is becoming. I am also impressed that your corporate sponsors have not pulled the plug on you." Apparently, I was somewhat ahead of the curve on this; it took them a little longer to shut you up than I had suspected it would. You must recognize, Dylan, that if you want to survive in present day American TV journalism, you must be a little hypocritical and very malleable. Most of your colleagues have made this practically an art form. For those of us who only wish for the US to become a economic as well as a political democracy, our time will come.
Happy to see Dylan back this morning on MSNBC. Apparently, I got a few things wrong. My apologies to Dylan and especially to MSNBC.
There is the whole point missed about needing 2 incomes (really) to support a household. My father bought his first house while working as a hardware salesman. Try doing that today, especially in the the Northeast or California.
I agree with your analysis, but not with your choice of words. Corporate communism is an oxymoron. The two words are completely opposite in meaning. Communism is a loaded word. If someone is trying to get your meaning, they must see how you redefine the words, and I don't think most casual readers will be interested enough to go on.
I agree. What we're really talking about, here is a fascist government, not communist. In a communist system there are no corporations or personal possessions. Everything is technically owned by all of the people. Everyone works for the good of all. Its a utopian society. The USSR was sort of communist and China is sort of communist. China's traded its monarchal dynasties for a different dynasty.
On the other hand, a fascist government exists for the support of the corporation. Germany from 1933 to 1945 was a fascist dictatorship with an evil maniac at the top, but a fascist government does not have to be a dictatorship. Our government has been slowly turning fascist due to the big money and unbalanced access to our lawmakers by those who can pay, namely corporations. It won't change until we can get big money out of Congress and I don't see Congress about to bite the hand that feeds them. It will take enormous public pressure.
This financial offensive, foisted on the American people is not capitalism. Our political leadership refuse to recognize financial warfare; The U.S. is a conquered nation forced to allow a degenerate elite, domestic and foreign enemy, take all the financial resources of the United States while the stupefied population is forced to pay.
Nice rant!
The most recent issue of New Yorker has an excellent article on self-described passionate capitalist Nell Minow -- dubbed 'the CEO killer' by Fortune -- who is crusading against the thievery mentioned in this article. (It's probably on the New Yorker website, where at least some articles are accessible without a subscription.)
Not that one, however.
"Corporate Communism"
I like your term, perfect description of the "haves vs the havenots" The 5% who have the wealth trying to control the 95% that are the "workers" if they can find a job.
Thanks for an excellent commentary Dylan. I've been watching you take on the establishment and all I can say is, keep it up! There is no question that the power in this country is in the hands of the Wall Street bankers and Fortune 500 corporations who use their money and influence to rig the game and move beyond capitalism to a kind of benign dictatorship of the monied elite.
It is astonishing that these captains of industry can call for a society where we are all responsible for our own fate with no social safety net to protect us against unforeseen tragedies like illness or to help those who are most disadvantaged. It's as though they built these corporations single-handedly without any help from employees and taxpayers. Most are just employees like the rest of us schlubs; what gives them the right to act like they own these corporations and can pay themselves whatever they want? Applying their own philosophy to their business, why should we offer them a single tax break or government incentive?
Unfortunately, our country's tradition has been somewhat similar - our Pilgrims would never have survived their first winter without the help of the indians, who they ultimately displaced and subjugated. Perhaps we the people are the indians and the corporations are the Pilgrims. We have made the corporations what they are and now they are exploiting us pitilessly. You all know how that movie ends...not so great for the indians (or us).
Dear Mr. Ratigan, Corporate Communism is a misnomer in the context you use it. Your comments about Communism show more of a McCarthyan bent than one of reason. Communism failed in the USSR because they didn't practice "Communism", they practiced Fascism as does China. Fascism as defined by Webster's New 20th Century Dictionary, page 665, states Fascism is 'a system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictatorship, forcible suppression of the opposition (unions, other, especially leftist, parties, minority groups, etc.)the retention of private ownership of the means of production under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism and racism, glorification of war, etc.'. Fascism was and is practiced, not only by the USSR, China, the Axis in WWII, North Korea, Iran, but Corporate America; the Republicans have worked a Fascist agenda since before FDR. Why they do this is delineated in Win McCorick's book, "You Don't Know Me: a citizen's guide to Republican Family Values." Also please find a documentary called, "Seeing Red", about Communism in America. Thank you, yours truly, Timothy Gilmore
I am with you on this misnomer idea. We live in a fascist world and have been sold counterfeit democracy, communism and socialism. I believe we live in privately held commercial dictatorship controlled by the wealthy elites through Neoliberalism. The fascists (USA, China, Pakistan, USSR, ect) compete with one another using ordinary people such as us as pawns. The world’s leader is simply the fascists who is has wielded the most financial, informational, procedural, and military violence against their targets at any given point in time. The USA held that privilege for a long time. It appears we will one day have new world leader that our commercial dictators have financed through job creation in foreign lands.
Thanks again Dylan Ratigan. Once again you nailed it. We're at this sorry state of affairs because we the stupid let it happen. You are doing a great service to this country by helping to educate folks. Which is the only way it will be fixed. But only when we become informed and enlightened citizens once again and accept that it is our responsibility and ours alone to fix it. There is nothing stronger than true democracy.
So storm the gates but remember 'The fool rattles the saber, the wise enjoins'.
Get yourself a ball and a magic marker. Write the word "democracy" on the ball.
Draw an arrow to the left and write "socialism". Farther to the left write "communism."
Draw an arrow up and write "aristocracy". Above that write "feudalism."
Draw an arrow to the right and write "capitalism". Farther right write "fascism".
Draw an arrow down and write "religion". Below that write "theocracy".
Now extend all four arrows. Where do they lead?
Taken to the extremes all of the "systems" come to the same place. And that place for each of them is the opposite of "democracy".
Place the ball on the floor. What does it take to keep "democracy" uppermost?
I've heard it called "Corporatocracy".
Whatever it's called we need to pry loose the grip that tiny group of people at the top have on our government.
Starting with those mercenary lobbyists.
Lobbyists wouldn't have power if politicians wouldn't give it to them. From a corruption standpoint I would put the weight of corruption at the politicians feet, basically they're being paid off. The lobbyist is just doing what they do. Not that I enjoy seeing fruits of their labor for damn sure. I think the only way around it is term limits for all politicians. This would force them to do what's best for the people instead of self interest. I would also make it illegal for politicians to work for lobbying firms when their term expires, or receive money from them after they retire. My two cents
Term limits could backfire. If politicians are going to be corrupt, then having constant turnover would mean that the least experienced politicians would be dealing with the most practiced veteran lobbyists, who would eat them for lunch. (This is why rookie cops are not sent out solo to deal with narcotics traffickers.)
(Establishing term limits on lobbyists would make more sense, but is probably not enforceable.)
Your last two ideas (politicians can't work for lobbyists after their term expires, or receive money from them after they retire) would accomplish a lot by themselves, if strictly enforced.
Corporatocracy comes from John Perkins, in his book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", and sequel "Secret Building of the American Empire".
He explains his role in what the author basically describes, involving international debt and third world country exploitation.
Communism!? This country is all about the Right Wing buddy, ever since day one. Be it Religious Right or Corporate Right. . Thanks to the shrub from Texas he simply acceletated the rotting process that has led us to this state of affairs.
Corporate right? What nonsense. You're either lazy and not doing your homework or you're getting your information from other propagandists. The three top richest individuals in the U.S. are left, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Larry Ellison. Other mega rich liberals include Steve Jobs of Apple, Oprah. Goldman Sachs has a rich heritage of of their elite supporting liberal causes, whose alumni include Jim Cramer...the left has a list of giant corporate movers and shakers a mile long, at least as long as the so called "corporate right". Talk about an oxymoron.
all of whom support higher taxes-either on themselves or on their estates.
Gee, wonder what do they know that you do not?
The difference between Communism and Capitalism is that under Communism the government owns big business. Under Capitalism big business owns the government.
Right On!!
Under both systems the people blame the government for their problems. Seems like under Capitalism the people should blame big business.
Under communism, man exploits man. Under capitalism, it's just the reverse.
You may be right. Can't we have a more democratic capitalism? Is it possible? What can we do to make it happen? A lot more questions than answers. Just read interview on WSJ with GS CEO, big bonuses are on the way, in a nut shell, they say they have to take care of their own, forget politics, people http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703746604574460971679111660.html
Depressing at best
It seems a shame that we are continuing this trend with a plan for healthcare reform that will basically reward the Insurance industry. Will we ever learn?
It's important not to lose sight of the sweep of history. This country has had a rocky ride. Think about it -- it was founded on slavery, and on a democracy where only male property owners could vote. Are we worse off now then we were then? No, because throughout the last few centuries, the people have struggled for more freedom and more justice. And we have to KEEP ON struggling, no matter what. A more perfect union is not a destination, but a journey. Don't give up. If you do, then the consequences are on your own shoulders.
Good post. Your magic word was "struggled". Most folks these days are
struggling to get ahead in a rigged system instead of struggling against
the rigged system. What's a patRIOT to do?
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
