An Economic Coup?

A threatened elite seeks to consolidate control and tighten its grip on a nation's resources ...

You could be forgiven for thinking I'm describing Bolivia, where conflict between landowners and backers of the democratically elected president Evo Morales claimed 30 lives so far this month, but I'm not. Reading the economic plan proposed by the Bush Administration for Wal St., I'm struck by the thought that what we're going through right here might not be an election season, but rather a coup.

The oligarchs in Bolivia used bullets and batons to undermine democracy. Here the weapons look like bailouts and blank checks, but the end goal is the same: Put the economy in a vice and you've tied the hands of whomever's in office. You, the voter, may not vote for the team that promises -- as the GOP service-cutters have promised -- to shrink the Treasury to a puddle that can be drowned in a bathtub. But no matter, your candidate gets the keys to the Treasury and - presto, the Treasury is bare.

We know the Bush team want to tie Congress's hands by preemptively committing troops to Iraq. The same thing's going on with our tax-dollars here at home. Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wants $700 billion, "clean," with no quids pros or quos from Congress. He's demanding absolute power plus immunity from review "by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Yet Democratic candidate Barack Obama hasn't "ruled out" keeping Paulson in place even if he wins this November. Getting a new person to start juggling those balls is going to be tricky," Mr. Obama said in an interview aboard his campaign plane Saturday. "Regardless of who wins the election, the issue of transition to the next administration is going to be very important. And it's going to have to be executed with a spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation," Senator Obama told The New York Times,

Is this still an election season? Or something else?

Laura Flanders is the host of RadioNation and GRITtv. Watch GRITtv on Free Speech TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415) or 8 pm ET on Channel 67 in Manhattan. OR on a cable station near you, or online at GRITtv.org. And become a subscriber.

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Comments

[DogLeg]

Why would he say anything else? Is there anyone who believes this is an opposition party. Is there anyone who believes this 'disaster capitalism' chess move will result in a decent future for the American people? Is there anyone who believes this Democratic party is capable of anything more than self serving career survival?

The other side of the aisle and their complicit criminal 'chimp' illegally wiretapped and spied on political enemies and has used that information to mute by extortion and fear Congress.

I don't have to prove it. It's in your face.

[Novista]

It's a coup, all right -- with geopolitik aspects.

The Paulson scheme had the domestic aspect -- but also the potential threat to foreign countries who fund America's debt: like Samson in the temple, he could threaten to pull down the pillars and trash the global economy.

It's likely an oblique response to the failed U.S. threats to Russia about another Cold War -- but they said they wouldn't mind.

[DickTater]

I like this...economic coup....much better than the folks spouting Socialism. Yes, it is an apt argument to claim Corporations constantly rail against socialism...but now that we are bailing them out this is THEM getting socialism. Sure, it is an apt ComeBack or rebuttal.

But what really is going on is SO FAR from socialism. Socialism is collecting our assets for even distribution for EVERYONE (I know that is not perfect description).

THIS is letting Corporations rip off the american public for generations....then after they lose all of OUR assets, we replenish their coffers and offer them a soft landing. And it might be a whole lot worse....where we sign over all control to the Treasury and gut congress and defund the Whole American Experience. That ain;t socialism. What we are watching now is The Corporations ate our lunch. And everything else in sight, and now they are gnawing on the carcasse of what remains. Pure predation, pure consumption.

[DAE]

It is socialization of the financial sector, one of the commanding heights, of our economy. But it is socialization while political power is in the hands of the monopoly capitalists. That is the definition of national socialism or Nazism, i.e. fascism. Call it corporate socialism if you will. Now that socialization of these resources has occurred, we the people must wrest political control from the corporations and establish economic democracy in this country. Corporations which rely on government funds for capitalization must be controlled by the people. Ipso facto democratic socialism.

[DickTater]

Wresting control from the corporations will be tough. They own the financial tools. They own medicine and insurance, they own the Media to flog their propaganda. They run our energy supplies, they own most arms of our govt. or the people in the govt.
Now they've managed to bankrupt us, so whatever leverage or power our govt. has to respond is now gutted. Just proves, they are smart enough to rip us off completely, even cutting their own throats. But they are not smart enough to keep it from happening, nor smart enough to govern, or be accountable. But good at lying, stealing, cheating, thieving, corruption, and ruining people.

I can't believe I forgot to slip Fascism into my earlier post, my whole point was it isn't socialism it is Fascism with pure monumental THEFT as a side order. Sorry. The word count on these posts rattles me.

[jeanrenoir]

Good, why not EQUATE Obama with McCain? Why not go the George Wallace route this year, and assure the Reagan Democrats, as Wallace used to, that "there's not a dime's worth of difference"? That should help get the Reagan Democrats to vote for their favorite "hero," even if he's now a doddering old man who can barely read his cards; or they might helpfully just stay home. Either way you should help elect McCain, and since Obama's just like him, what differenc could THAT possibly make?

[gro]

Time to counter with a promise of BIG changes on January 21st, 2009. Whatever this Congress approves for W and his buddies can be altered in the next Congress.
Or is a fair US election a total illusion?

[PDXKevin]

"A spectacle monopolized
The camera's eyes on choice disguised
Was it cast for the mass who burn and toil?
Or for the vultures who thirst for blood and oil?"

-'Guerilla Radio' by Rage Against The Machine