corporate power" -- Benito Mussolini
"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if people tolerate the growth of private power to a
point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself. That, in it's essence, is
Fascism -- ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private
power." -- President Franklin Roosevelt.
"Today, as we face financial and political crises, it's useful to remember that the ravages of
the Great Depression hit Germany and the United States alike. Through the 1930s, however,
Hitler and Roosevelt chose very different courses to bring their nations back to power and
prosperity.
Germany's response was to use government to empower corporations and reward the
society's richest individuals, privatize much of the commons, stifle dissent, strip people of
constitutional rights, and create an illusion of prosperity through continual and
ever-expanding war. America passed minimum wage laws to raise the middle class, enforced
anti-trust laws to diminish the power of corporations, increased taxes on corporations and
the wealthiest individuals, created Social Security, and became the employer of last resort
through programs to build national infrastructure, promote the arts, and replant forests.
To the extent that our Constitution is still intact, the choice is again ours." -- Thom Hartmann
[The Global Elite and Globalization]
The world's movers and shakers are convening once again in January at the annual
World Economic Forum in Davos, the posh ski resort nestled in the Swiss Alps.
Attendance is invitation-only, enforced by police barricades, razor wire and the
latest high-tech military hardware to guard against terrorists, protesters and
curious local citizens.
Wal-Mart, the Alpha Dog of discount stores, has also become the Alpha Hog at the
public trough.
The last 30 years has seen a reversal of the Welfare State from the neediest
people in society to the wealthiest corporations... from people welfare to corporate
welfare. Learn more about it here.
