Dubai, Diebold and Dan Rather...all part of the plan.

I've tried to figure out why BushCo doesn't care about the ratings disaster of the Dubai deal, but I just ended up scratching my head. So I tied together some stray thoughts from DU posts and stories, and added a healthy dose of cynicism that I approach every BushCo question with. The conclusion took me around the world.

Early in his first term as pResident, the Chimp in Charge took an unpopular position on a nasty battle over media consolidation. In the face of convincing bi-partisan outcry, Michael Powell of the FCC allowed the media to consolidate to frightening, unprecedented levels. In hindsight, it was no mistake that this was one of the first things tackled by BushCo who already had key allies in top media positions at Fox, CBS, Clear Channel and others. A quick neutering of NPR and--viola!--everyone is on message. Sprinkle in some cross-contamination between the mega-media moguls, our pals in Defense/Big Pharm/Oil/Et Al, along with BushCo itself, and you can see why the news media is nothing short of an infomercial. Lobbying is only the public face of this economic incest. And by extension, Abramoff is merely a metaphor for the corporate rape of American politics that is happening on a much larger scale.

As we steamrolled through the Reagan years, American Corporations' foothold in politics became the critical element in their plan for profit. The payoff was direct and substantial. While their relative taxes have steadily decreased, their profits increased exponentially and their foothold became a chokehold. But the real coup for US Corporations was in the last 20 years with the world-wide economy that developed after the Fall of the Wall, NAFTA and the development of the world-wide web. Globalization allowed American Corporations unlimited labor and financial resources to exploit, opportunities to maximize profits like never before, and ultimately, enough power to slay their master. Their tail now wags our dog. American politicians are now merely corporate management, government division.

But what's worse, and what's at the core of the destructive practices of the BFEE and today's Neo-Con politics is this...American Corporations have literally become parasites on our country, not worrying about killing the host, because they no longer require a symbiotic relationship with their birth parent in order to survive. They no longer need to plant the seeds for the next healthy American generation because there are now more lucrative opportunities elsewhere in places like India, China and Dubai. Whether it's out-of-control debt, outsourcing or backroom Medicare deals, today's Neo-Cannibals are eating the young (and old) Americans.

Just watch the news to see that the Promo Dept. is doing a truly sensational job for Big Biz. It's hard to argue that the masses aren't suckers for media creations the likes of Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman, The Case For War, the 911 Commission and the phantom War on Terrah itself. Accordingly, the bed will always be feathered for politicians to re-write the laws that further enable the Corporations while the outrage goes unreported and essentially stifled. Think about it--Diebold would be absolutely dead if it even got fair press. But even Al Franken is afraid to get Rather'ed on the issue of election fraud.

Without doubt, foreign companies have tried to get over on America as best they could. Just part of the game. But it's the globalized, American-born Corporations that are now killing our future by using their tools: Mainstream Media consolidation, the stacked Judicial Branch, Diebold and Bush's Neo-Crooks. Like Heir Bush himself, their attitude is, quite literally, First America, now the world. A weaker America essentially makes both Bush and his Corporate Affiliates stronger, and that's why the Dubai deal makes so much sense.

Like The Hunt for WMD's, the Hammer Gets Nailed, Loose Lips Libby and Uncle Dickie goes Hunting, the Dubai deal is just another scandal that perpetuates the illusion of legitimate media. Better yet, Dubai serves as a mechanism to allow strong, independent Republicans to stand up for freedom even if it means disagreeing with our pResident. When the deal goes through anyway, at least they tried, right? This then feathers the bed for (ehem) "better Republican numbers" and more stolen mid-term elections. The House stays with the Pukes, investigations die on the vine and Bill O'Liely is your daddy for the foreseeable future.

Why don't American-born Corporations have to pledge allegiance to the flag?

...all durnin' the election recounts....long before he became pResident.

He was disclosing corporatism long ago and helped me feel like I wasn't becoming a radical loon.
I like him. Don't agree with 100% of his choices, but hell... he's told truth to power all in all.

but EVERYONE should listen to him and read his books.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

Is his approach that if you take care of the people up top, that that'll take care of the people below?

Abso-fucking-lutely stellar.

"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way, and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theatre."

~ Frank Zappa, 1977

Frank beat me to it for sure. That one sentence says it ALL.

They had some pretty good ideas in 1776.

Zappa saw it before many others...

:applause:

You know:

The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
You Cant Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 - 6
Broadway The Hard Way
Does Humor Belong In Music?

And so on.

Listening to those albums has kept me from losing my sanity over the last 5 years!

I think Homeland Security would probably have him on their 10 most wanted list. :tinfoilhat:

His superior experience makes him a natural for pursuing criminals.

They have a few problems: a) global warming is making the planet inhabitable at much quicker pace than ever expected, 2030 will be a sort of doomsday with the air quality being "unacceptable" all over the world at that time; b) the corporate ownership is not yet able to travel to and colonize another planet.

Therefore, they will suffer with all of us. I believe that there is a civil war amongst "management" (the corporations) with a rational faction who views the world as "the host" and the other faction, neocons who actually believe their bull shit. That's what we're seeing played out now.

I think you're dead on with regard to the port deal. However, this is a bit wacky because power cannot be consolidated fast enough to provide assurance a restive public won't actually do something. Here is another example of "neocon managements" incompetence. The infrastructure for the Federal computing system has been handed over to a company owned in large part by a designated funder of and member of the Islamist terror faction.

New and exclusive to Scoop.co.nz....

Port deal is nothing compared to Ptech -- US computer infrastructure compromised by terrorist-owned company; Cheney 'friends' with owner

The American people are not brain dead by a long shot. These guys, the neocon faction, did well when anyone would do well by taking advantage of real patriotism after 911. Now, they've spent "all that capital" and they're in the middle of a great unraveling.

It remains to be seen if the public, enough of us, will wade through the next marsh of lunacy the neocons present.

Stay tuned, pictures at 11:00.

Great post. Recommended.

pissed off Iranian who doesn't look at war as a "good quarter". What happens when things get out of control and they realize that this is not just some game?

They better hope that their corporate headquarters are in bunkers. They probably are.

I think your analysis is very good and I think that the conclusion of a weaker America actually being better for them as they plan for their global corporate conquest is accurate.

The corporation is dead. Long live the corporation.

He's a key ally in what's left of the "liberal" media. Get rid of him, the rest of the "liberal" media start falling down like dominoes. People are easily brainwahsed and continue to vote republican.

:yourock: You got it!!!

:kick:

The loyalty oath for corporations is words they can't say on TV.

Natural persons against artificial persons & the traitorous public officials & CEO/BODs who do their bidding.

Corporate personhood must be revoked. It was wrongly invoked to begin with -- why would it be so hard to set right that 1886 ruling that never really stated that corporations are persons?

I'm having a harder & harder time supporting a party that will not address this issue in their platform.

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/personhood/

snip...

...corporate lawyers (acting as both attorneys and judges) subverted our Bill of Rights in the late 1800's by establishing the doctrine of "corporate personhood" -- the claim that corporations were intended to fully enjoy the legal status and protections created for human beings.


http://reclaimdemocracy.org/political_reform/proposed_constitutional_amendments.html

snip...

An Amendment to Revoke Corporate Constitutional Privileges
SECTION 1. The U.S. Constitution protects only the rights of living human beings.

SECTION 2. Corporations and other institutions granted the privilege to exist shall be subordinate to any and all laws enacted by citizens and their elected governments.

SECTION 3. Corporations and other for-profit institutions are prohibited from attempting to influence the outcome of elections, legislation or government policy through the use of aggregate resources or by rewarding or repaying employees or directors to exert such influence.

SECTION 4. Congress shall have power to implement this article by appropriate legislation.




on edit: spell check!

As she dies, we die.

Dr. Dean has said that the Dems will be targeting Red states. This means that some of the electoral votes that are still counted by legitimate means will actually count. These votes, previously unapproachable, are now in play because of the dreadful political climate for the Repubs. Al Gore is now trying his hand at Major Media and AAR has still got a market share in some places that did not offer that distraction from the Pub Party Line. Most importantly, if too many of the small companies and even some of the bigger ones in this country feel that they could make more money in a different political system than the one dominated by the Neo-Crooks, then they will find a way to assert themselves using the universal language--$$$$$$. That financial pressure is probably our best chance at meaningful change.

It bugs the fuck out of me that "money" has to be the end game. BUT, we've got to push the collections: every dime, nickel and quarter.

I still HATE that money shit,...feeling like we have to rise above or beyond it.

Help me, here. We are bigger than that. WE have to do more.