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Are we/have we devolved into a de facto fascist country where the line between
government and big business is hard/impossible to distinguish? Or is it worse
than that? Add in law enforcement (local to federal) with diminishing limits on
power who are often called upon by corporations to enforce their business needs
(& RIAA) and you have a dangerous mix. At least for us not running the
corporations.
Every generation or so, a major secular shift takes place that shakes up the
existing paradigm. It happens in industry, finance, literature, sports,
manufacturing, technology, entertainment, travel, communication, etc. I would
like to discuss the paradigm shift that is occurring in politics.
For a long time, American politics has been defined by a Left/Right dynamic. It
was Liberals versus Conservatives on a variety of issues. Pro-Life versus
Pro-Choice, Tax Cuts vs. More Spending, Pro-War vs Peaceniks, Environmental
Protections vs. Economic Growth, Pro-Union vs. Union-Free, Gay Marriage vs.
Family Values, School Choice vs. Public Schools, Regulation vs. Free Markets.
The new dynamic, however, has moved past the old Left Right paradigm. We now
live in an era defined by increasing Corporate influence and authority over the
individual. These two “interest groups” – I can barely suppress snorting
derisively over that phrase – have been on a headlong collision course for
decades, which came to a head with the financial collapse and bailouts.
Where
there is massive concentrations of wealth and influence, there will be abuse of
power. The Individual has been supplanted in the political process nearly
entirely by corporate money, legislative influence, campaign contributions, even
free speech rights. |
