What is it the Plutocrats like the Koch brothers want? Many more billions for themselves and "their kind."
How do the Plutocrats get that? Lower taxes on the wealthy and less government.
How can the Plutocrats lower taxes and cut back on government regulations? Control Republican (and some Democratic ) politicians..
How do Plutocrats control politicians? Invest so much money in their political campaigns that they cannot get along without them. Plutocrats like the Koch brothers consider it an "investment;" you and I know it as "Pay-to-Play."
Back in the day, the John Birch Society (a Koch project ) somewhat unsuccessfully attempted this, but once Ronald Reagan was elected, the gravy train for the wealthy picked up steam and has been gaining more and more steam. The George W. Bush administration put it on the fast track. Then in December, President Obama extended the tax cut for the billionaires because the Republican leaders were holding the unemployment insurance extension hostage. Today the wealthiest 1% of Americans take home 24 % of the American income -- that's up 9 % since 1976. (NYT,Kristof, 11/6/2010). Also, today the wealthiest top 1% enjoy tax rates 1/3 lower than in 1970. (CNNMoney).
From the time Reagan took office until 2005, 4/5 ths of the total increase in American income went to the top wealthiest 1% of the population. It was also Ronald Reagan who eliminated "The Fairness Doctrine" which held that if you were permitted to use the public's air waves, you had to make an effort to present both sides of a story. The elimination of this doctrine gave rise to Rush Limbaugh and his ilk who can use the public air waves to propagandize 24/7. The Plutocrats can keep the money flowing into these megaphones of misinformation.
And the threat of plutocracy is not something new. In 1816 Thomas Jefferson wrote; " I hope we shall...crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government in a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
No comments:
Post a Comment