The Four Business Gangs That Run America

[ApatheticNoMore]

So why is the U.S. corporate run so much more so than other Westernized Democracies?

So much more may be merely a matter of degree and perhaps not that great a degree, depending on one's perspective. The whole world bailed out the banks and yet where are the criminal prosecutions of all those involved in all the financial shenanigans leading up to the crisis? As for the oil complex, the U.S. is addicted to oil yea and many countries are better on climate change treaties, but Canada is currently allowing the expoitation of it's tar sands for oil, despite all environmental consequences to the whole world.

What social actions, beside simple living and avoiding supporting corporations, would reverse this trend at higher levels?

Actually that's a pretty powerful action, they can crush dissent if they want, but what are they going to do force you to buy stuff? (yea um ok that has some precident now I guess, and will happen naturally if there is a monopoly when you have no other choices for a needed service, but that is very far from the whole economy at this point).

What's another tactic? Start educating people. No I don't mean children (have to be very careful with them as they are so easily influenced). I mean adults you engage with. No don't start screaming politics at strangers 24/7 or become heck bent to convert by sheer yelling people who will never agree with you. It might be fun ocassionally, but I'm not sure it's very effective. What I mean is there are whole realms of information that barely gets in the mainstream media, so get it out there. NDAA passes at New Years last year with barely any corporate media attention and no real support from the base of *either* party. Plenty of people want to boycott Monsanto and also happen to garden but don't know that Monsanto owns various seed companies. Heck, even climate change was silenced in the last election. Stuff like that. Educate those around you.

[Rogar]

http://www.theage.com.au/business/th...230-2c1e2.html

I found this to be a pretty good summary of how and why America is basically corporate run these days. It also explains why our health care costs the most but doesn't rank that high in terms of quality on a global scale.

I thought the title of the article was a little extreme..."The Four Business Gangs that Run America".​ No doubt the businesses and government are inextricably entwined, but the degree upon which business runs government, or just has significant influence is probably an issue for debate.

It is too bad that Occupy Wall Street could not focus on specific issues like these. Instead, it was like, occupy everything. And now the efforts of the protests are mostly vague memories with a few small fires left burning.

[Gregg]

One thing to think about is that corporate America is by far the biggest beneficiary if a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is reached. Any combination of band-aids and can kicking will keep the gravy train flowing where forced cuts could spell a pretty much immediate end to some lucrative programs. If Congress comes up with an 11th hour save I have to admit I will wonder which master it was they were serving.