Neoliberalism Its History, Its Discrepancy and Why It's Bad News for Americans! [Part 1]

Neoliberalism Has Been A Disaster For The American People, And The Effort Has Been A Bi-Partisan Endeavor.

With the meteoric rise of Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders, the term Socialism is much in the news these days. With that said, another ISM is flying under the radar screen, Neoliberalism. Although somewhat hazy and hard to diagnose neoliberal dogma creeps in and infiltrates just about every aspect of our daily lives. Moreover, Neoliberalism is the ruling political ideology that both political parties have embraced for decades. 

Neoliberalism has mangled its way into our education system, our media, our think tanks, our corporations, and finical markets. Neoliberalism is dominating our state institutions, even our international institutions. 

Institutions like the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF.

Neoliberalism is political. Neoliberalism is economics. It is a system of social relations and a set of values. 

What Are Neoliberal Values? 

• Strong Property Rights.
• The Free Markets Should Shape Society.
• The value of the free market exchange portrays itself as an ethic that no one or government should hinder in any way.
• The neoliberal doctrine says the contractual relations in the marketplace will encourage higher social well being. 

Therefore, Neoliberalist claim neoliberalism works to bring all parts of society into the market. It seeks to make everything and everyone a commodity. Neoliberalism affects both personal values and personal relationships, and most Americans do not even realize it. 

We are not only taught to brand ourselves as early as possible in order to make ourselves more attractive and marketable to prospective colleges and employers. We, ve managed to reduce our relationships to market transactions as well. For clarity, " I do something for you, you do something for me.  Johnny buys Sheila dinner Sheila gives Johnny sex. That type of thing. 

While individualism and personal responsibility are the mantra's that constantly get shoved down our throats, common corporate interest dominates this world. We speak of equality of opportunity; however, Neoliberalism depends on and creates staggering inequality. [See America The Land Of Inequality]

At its core, this inequality serves to concentrate vast amounts of wealth and power in the hands of the few. It does this through privatization, deregulation, austerity, like cuts to public spending and tax cuts for the rich.

Neoliberalism Mask Neo Mercantilism As Free Trade!

Neo Mercantilism Explained

It is the view of the House of Public Discourse that neoliberalism has brainwashed untold millions across the globe that whatever is suitable for the markets is good for society.

The History of Neoliberalism 

Adam Smith

Neoliberalism has its roots in classical liberalism and the political-economic theories laid out by Adam Smith in his groundbreaking text " Wealth of Nations." Smith argues that humans are naturally selfish and self-serving. Moreover, that organizing society around such characteristics will benefit all involved. Competition is the mechanism that keeps self-interest in check. A point often overlooked is what we have is a system where self-interest, therefore, becomes the motivator of economic activity. 

Competition is the regulator, and together with self-interest, they form this "invisible hand," which magically creates the perfect environment for efficient resource allocation. It sounds like Reagan's failed " trickle-down economics" to this writer. Neoliberalism takes this idea, puts it on steroids, and then distorts it and perverts it. What is left is this corrupt and wrapped system based not on individual self-interest but corporate interest.

The results and effectiveness of these factors have been nothing short of the complete devastation of the once vibrate American middle-class. Our research here in the House of Public Discourse uncovered the organization and implementation was a reaction to the embedded liberalism imposed after the Depression and World War II. 

Embedded liberalism was the system of embedding market forces into a  structure where the state could regulate them. This regulation by the state meant a considerable expansion of the Welfare State. Social Safety nets like public services, state-led planning, and nationalization of major industries of the economy like iron, steel, even automobiles. 

This system remained until the 1970s when stagflation took hold.

The Stagflation of the 1970s

In layman terms, stagflation means high inflation, high unemployment, and stagnant economic growth. The effects of this stagflation reverberated throughout the world. There are conflicting views as to what caused stagflation. However, one thing is for sure it did not help that in 1973 the OPEC countries placed an oil embargo on anyone thought to have been supporting Isreal in the Yom Kippur War. 

Countries included were Canada, Japan, the UK, the Netherlands, and the U.S...  However, after the United States threatened to blow Saudia Araba off the face of the earth, the OPEC countries agreed to recycle their excess petrol dollars. Through New York Invest Banks. 

The Banks then use this money for loans to foreign governments, and to organize bribes and coos against democratically elected governments in foreign countries. This activity happened in Nicaragua, Iran, Chile, and more recently Iraq, and Libya. [See WarPropaganda an American Tradition!]

The first thing to understand, this money helped install the first case for Neoliberalism.  

During the 1970s, America participated in an extensive covert activity in Chile. The purpose of this activity was to prevent and then subsequently sabotage Salvador Allende presidency. America was fearing a Marxist government arising and wanted to protect the United States interest and investments. 

The CIA planned out multiple plots to take down Allende. Including, bribing of high ranking officials, spreading propaganda, and ultimately assisting in the military coup that overthrew Allende. This coup brought Augusto Pinochet to power. 

Pinochet dismantled Congress. Banned all mostly left political parties, installed a military dictatorship and then used the Chicago Boys to install a neoliberal regime.

Milton Friedman's Boys

To understand the significance of this, we must rely on history to guide us. Back in 1956, the United States, as part of their plan to counter the spread of Communism to Latin America, invited 25 Chilean students to come to the University of Chicago to learn about monetarism. 

Monetarism Is One of the Basic Tenants of Neoliberalism. 

These students studied under Milton Friedman. Friedman, along with Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises spearheaded the neoliberal school of thought. They also formed the Mont Perlin Society. The primary purpose and goal were to spread the neoliberal ideology. These students became known as the Chicago Boys. After completing their studies, they returned home to work for various South American governments including and no surprise the now military dictatorship of Chile under Pinochet. 

What transpired was the complete engineering of neo-liberalization of the economy. This engineering resulted in the privatization of dozens of state enterprises. Deregulating financial and economic activity and removing barriers to imports. This activity proved to be beneficial for U.S. investments.

Regan and Thatcher

This experiment in Chile provided the first test case of Neoliberalism in practice. This meddling in the affairs of another country served as a blueprint for Regan and Thatcher in the 1980s. 

 Infiltrating our Institutions

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Mont Pelerin Society garnered funding from various wealthy individuals and corporations. Neoliberal ideology slowly began to infiltrate our various institutions. Our schools, our universities, our courts, our media, and all our think tanks and institutions like the Cato Institute. 

The Cato Insititute and others were created explicitly for conducting research and performing arguments that favored the neoliberal policy. These institutions remained under the radar for the most part until the 1970s. It was in the 1970s when corporations banded together to fight off consumer protection legislation,  workers rights laws, and regulatory constraints. 

Also, these adherents of Neoliberalism and corporations sought to reform tax law and antitrust legislation. These neoliberal factions buddied up to the Republican Party formed political action committees and eventually bought their way into political favor. What we now know is in the present system of things, these same adherents and corporations have bought their way into both political parties establishments favor.

The Neoliberalist did a great job appealing to people's frustrations, fears, and insecurities. They achieved this by centering their message on freedom and liberty.  The neoliberal message is that society built on free-market principles, and ownership of private property deserves to be called free.

Free Planning, Regulation, and control are seen as a tax on this freedom and therefore deserve to be abolished. When Reagan and Thatcher took control, this is what precisely happened. With both these neoliberals now in charge of their perspective countries.  Thatcher in the United Kingdom and Reagan in the United States in the early 80s. What our research here in the House of Public Discourse found and history never lies a complete dismantling of the social safety nets put into place during the years of embedded liberalism.

We the People, saw mass deregulation in finance and industry take place and substantial tax cuts for the wealthy. There was an all-out assault on workers rights.[See Source]

Regan's showdown with Air-Traffic Controllers Is The House of Public Discourse Evidence In Support.

Under Regan, trade unions broke up, causing massive unemployment.[See Source] Privatization was the order of the day in the Regan Administration. We are talking about transportation, healthcare, education, water, even prisons — the prison industrial complex in the United States has become a billion-dollar industry. [See Source] 

Capitalism + Privatization + Prison Industrial Complex= Largest Prison Population In The World [See Source]

George Monbiot writes:

"Freedoms from trade unions and collective bargaining mean the freedom to suppress wages, freedom from regulation, to poison rivers, endanger workers, charge iniquitous rates of interest, and design exotic financial instruments. Freedom from tax means freedom from the distribution of wealth that lifts people out of poverty." 

Freedom does not exist but for the people who can afford it. [Johnny Hill-House of Public Discourse] 

The facts do not lie Neoliberalism has led to this truism personified, " The Rich Are Getting Richer, and The Poor Are Getting Poorer." What is even more striking and a major focal point of Sen.Bernie Sanders(I-VT) an Independent running for president in the Democratic Pary is the gap between the riches and the poorest continues to widen.[Read: Why Ending The Ills of Plutocracy Matter?]

In Russia, the privatization of state assets like steel mills and oil fields led to the concentration of wealth and the seven oligarchs.[See Source] Privatization of land in China led to an elite capitalist class formation. This formation came at the expense of nearly 180 million peasants. These peasants were forced from their homes. Carlos Slim became the richest man alive through monopolization of Mexico's telecommunications company Telmex. This monopolization was made possible when Mexico privatized the industry. 

Neoliberalism during the 1990s solidified its position as the Democrats in the United States and the Labor Party in the United Kingdom. Both Bill Clinton and Tony Blair adopted neoliberal policies. Bill Clinton, like more recently Barak Obama betrayed his traditional constituency. Clinton bought into the neoliberal agenda and became the champion of welfare reform. [See Source] You would think Republicans would love Bill Clinton. Moreover, this with multiple other factors is one reason the House of Public Discourse did not support or trust his then-first lady Hillary Clinton for her attempt at the White House in 2016. 

It was Bill Clinton along with support from other Democrats like then-Senator Joe Biden(D-DE) and later Vice-President of the United States in the Obama Administration. That implemented the disastrous three strikes crime bill. It is the viewpoint of the House of Public Discourse, one of the biggest blunders ever committed by an American president was the repeal of the Glass-Stegall Act by the Clinton Administration that played a part in 2008 financial crisis. What we are getting at here is all of these facts history tells the truth every single time served to deepen social and economic inequality. America's social policy effectively was put in the care of Wall Street bondholders. Once again, Republicans should love neoliberals like Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden.

Another critical point, the justification for these neoliberal policies like deregulation of Finance is to create wealth at the top, which will trickle down to the bottom by some invisible hand.  If Adam Smith ever got anything right, it was the Invisible Hand. The hand remains invisible to this very day.[Johnny Hill-House of Public Discourse]

Trickel-Down Economics does not work; we have a vast history of empirical data to back this proclamation up history never lies wealth is not even being created. The main achievement of Neoliberalism is to redistribute rather than to generate wealth.[See Source]

The neoliberal lie is this redistribution will trickle-down to We the People, when in fact, this redistribution goes upward. There is a term associated with this upward flow of wealth called the "Accumulation by Disposition."  Accumulation by Disposition has happened through commodification and privatization of land and the violent removal of peasants in China, debt peonage, and the credit system. Instead of increasing wages and expanding workers rights unions, neoliberalism has created a system which Regan exploited to the fullest this writer knows because he saw it with his own eyes and had the debt to back it up, a system that says " Buy Now, Pay Later." 

 Personal debt soared under Republican GOD Ronald Regan.

It Is The View of the House of Public Discourse That Reaganomics Proved One Thing: Debt Is The Slavery of The Free.[Johnny Hill-House of Public Discourse]

 Personal debt has been a critical problem for American's. Debt essentially enslaves people and holds them captive to the neoliberalist future commodity " We the People's"  future labor. 

International Finance systems only protect the interest of the imperial creditor nations. We had a demonstration of this in 1982 with the Latin America debt crisis. Fed Chairman Paul Volcker radically increased interest rates overnight.[See Source] Mexico defaulted on its loans to the United States setting of a rippling effect across Latin America. Regan, with the help of the IMF, agreed to roll over the debt but only if Mexico agreed to structural adjustments. 

Structural Adjustment calls for the same shitty policies mentioned above that do not work — Austerity, Privatization, Deregulation, instead of domestic inequality, we have international inequality. 

Western countries have gotten rich at the expense of developing countries. Neoliberalism 101! [See Source] What behooves the House of Public Discourse is these neoliberalists then calls this exchange " Free Trade." No, this is not free-trade this is neo-mercantilism! The reason so is only one country is benefiting. Neoliberalism has meant the financialization of everything. Period! Deregulation, the opening up of borders to air flows of capital increased investments in stocks, property, and other assets.  

This activity created a shift in which the financial sector became more potent than the product and services. Big Corporations once focused solely on the production began to become more financial in their composition. Manufacturing Companies could now report losses in production offset by gains from finical investments. Investment and Speculation of epic proportions took place.[See Source]

New Markets sprang up based on futures trading, derivatives, and securitization. These markets led to riskier and riskier business practices. All American's know about the "Too Big To Fail," banking system. These factoids, and once again, history has 20/20 hindsight resulted in the 2008 financial crisis. 

If we have learned anything from the 2008 crisis, it is that those in power would rather watch the system collapse than give up any of these powers or wealth. 

The people responsible for the crisis in 2008 the financial institutions not only walk away unscathed and legally untouched they have gone on to double their bonuses.[See Source] These same financial institutions reaped enormous benefits from the breakdown of smaller businesses and individuals — neoliberalism 101. Not too much has changed since 2008. This non-action falls directly on the shoulders of the Obama/Biden regime who swore on the campaign trail they would do something and did nothing but bail them out. 

American Politicians Love Socialism When It Is To Their Benefit!

It is the view of the House of Public Discourse that it is just a matter of time before another collapse happens. When Bush II invaded Iraq, he claimed to be bringing freedom and democracy to the people. However, what BushII envisioned was a neoliberal state. 

The neoliberal States imagines freedom but freedom for whom? Private Corporations, Financial Institutions, and the wealthy. Neoliberalism does not mean freedom for the people who are its commodity. Moreover,  Neoliberalist decisions have had a devasting effect on the average everyday working individual.

The United States and the United Kingdom led a brutal assault against the  Iraqi people. This assault based on a manufactured neoliberal lie of " Weapons of Mass Destruction," as justification for this carnage. People were stripped from their homes, livelihoods, political affiliations,  all to ensure the open flow of Iraqi oil to British and American markets.  

It is the view of the House of Public Discourse that we see this same neoliberal play being executed in Venezuela. 

Our research here in the House of Public Discourse has identified a recurring theme with Neoliberalism. Time and time again it is the neoliberal doctrine that espouses limited to no government, however, in practice, we found exceptions and, in fact, encouraged state interventions as long as it serves the interest of capitalism. What we have found in our research is that the role of the neoliberal state is to ensure a pleasant business climate by any means necessary. If democracy needs suppressing to make the free-markets easier that is okay with the neoliberal. The main focus of Neoliberalism is to protect the corporate interest if this means force and violence that is okay with the neoliberalist.

Neoliberalism = By Any Coercive Means Needed!

What is paramount to the neoliberalist is to defend the property owner class and beat down all opposition. It is the view of the House of Public Discourse that Neoliberalism is one of the worse things ever in the experiment we call America.[Read: The American Experiment Is Under Crisis!

More and more people are starting to catch on to Neoliberalism. It is the view of the House of Public Discourse we must fight against Neoliberalism and the Droops who propagate it. 

No one politician or person can do it alone. Thanks to Bernie Sanders and " Our Revolution," we see a concerted effort by growing millions of American's who say " Enough is Enough." People are waking up. Important to realize is this fight is a dangerous one. Influential, wealthy people and corporations will not just give up this influence. We must reside ourselves not to remain silent any longer. Hence, this two-part essay by the House of Public Discourse.

Part one of this essay goal was to give some background and history of Neoliberalism. Part 2 will cover the many contradictions of Neoliberalism. 

Written By: Johnny Hill 

Why Ending The Ills of Plutocracy Matter?

Plutocracy Has Turned Our Democracy Upside Down And Its Happen Before. 

The rising rate of inequality in America matters and there are several reasons why. Some American say it doesn't or they don't seem to care. These Americans are living in a fantasy world. History has shown us that plutocracy is bad for America and “History Does Repeat Itself in Politics."

In the real world, inequality is a thief and it is an alienating force. The rich are buying elections at every level of our democracy. Local, state, and federal levels it doesn't matter. Corporations are buying politicians to shape our laws to their advantage. Regardless of the consequences to our environment and our economy. 

The basic needs of life are affected by inequality resulting from plutocracy. For example, affordable housing. Across America, people of ordinary means cannot afford decent housing. In certain parts of the country like in New Jersey three out of five couples can't afford a two-bedroom apartment at market rates. In San Francisco, residents from an angry middle class have taken to the streets in protest to the plutocracy of Silicon Valley elites who have created a market on Real Estate that has thrown average citizens out on the streets.

These stories of unfairness could be documented city by city state by state. In the 20 largest metro areas in America, less than 50% of the homes are affordable.[See Source] This reality hit this writer dead in the face back in 2003 when I took a job working in the New York garment district. I thought the world was at my disposal an 85k salary was the most in my lifetime and I was sitting on top of the world. This euphoria quickly came to an end when I started to look for housing. It was very discouraging to say the least. 

In communities all over America, the rich are driving up real estate values making it virtually impossible for the working poor to obtain good housing. The growing impressive skylines of our major cities is a constant reminder of how wealth and power have driven the everyday American into a life of having to settle for less. 

This is just one example why inequality matters? 

Not only does inequality matter but we should also reflect why the ills of plutocracy have cast a long shadow on our democracy. Rich people in America think they are the wealth creators. They feel that all us mere minion are parasites living off them. They have the gall to argue that there is too much government regulation and that's what killing the American economy. 

We are living in an age where we have wealth inequality raging down on us like a "bull in a china shop." For example, take New York City where wealth inequality rivals any third world country. According to our research of the 25 most populated cities in America New York is one the most unequal. The median income for the bottom 20% was less than $9,000 while the top 1% of New Yorkers have an income of 2.2 million. Across America, this divide between the super rich and everybody else has become as wide as the Grand Canyon. Major economic studies have indicated that this chasm has and will stifle jobs and economic growth for years. [See Source]

Never in our history as a nation has the top one hundredth of the one percent owned more of our wealth or paid as low a tax rate. Current Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is trying valiantly to make this issue a focal point of his campaign. In the view of the House of Public Discourse rightfully so. However, in the debates thus far the topic has only been skimmed over.

We here in the House of Public Discourse put this issue way up on our priority list way before Bernie Sanders announced his run for president. [ America The Land Of Inequality]

Income inequality has risen and continues to rise to its highest levels since the time of the "Great Depression." This inequality is growing daily and should be the most pressing issue in a Democratic Party presidential race. Why has it not? One reason the Democratic Party hierarchy are just as addicted to money in politics as the Republicans and talking about this issue is still taboo. It's the old " don't bite the hand that feeds you" syndrome. That big money in politics is the law of the land and no matter how wrong this is how the game is played and not to go along with the game means sure defeat for the Democratic Party.

I would like to pose a hypothetical question but one that has relevance. When you talk about poverty in America politicians run and jump for the opportunity to speak about the issue and what they would do to help the problem. However, when you ask those same politicians to talk about one of the main reason for growing poverty in America and around the world " Wealth Inequality" and the role plutocracy plays in it mums the word. Why?

When you talk about poverty in the abstract it has this feel good ring to it people love feel good stories. When I say feel good I mean that people love hearing how someone or group is going about helping the poor. But, when you ask politicians their views on wealth inequality and how the wealth has been distributed among the top 1% they become hesitate or refuse comment altogether. Could it be their wealthy donors will not  like it very much? 

The growing wealth inequality resulting from plutocracy is the biggest economic challenge we face in America today. Moreover, discussing the issue for corporate owned politicians is threatening to them. No sooner than President Obama suggested a higher tax rate for the rich in America you heard this cry of "Class Warfare" coming from the Plutocrats and their hip-pocketed politicians.

Let's be clear here no one is attacking anybody for their personal success. But, as a writer and someone who takes pride in writing about where the research takes me would be wrong not to point out that much of the blame for this inequality rest on the backs of the so-called New Democrats. After the defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984, the hierarchy corporate Democrats made a conscious decision that we're never going to lose the funding battle involved with running a political campaign again. This mindset did nothing but help the problem of wealth inequality grow. 

Yes, the Democrats continued to campaign on the social issues the same way they have before containing their liberalism in that sense. However, economically these corporate centrist Democrats began to side more and more with Wall Street and the very rich. The bottom line is that the Democrats do not represent the poor like they used too and the issue of representing the poor is being put further back on the burner in 2016. 

This issue does not affect just the people at the bottom of the economic scale it also affects the middle class as well. The middle class has been hammered by plutocracy. Their jobs have been sent overseas and the recent Obama supported TPP trade deal will only make this reality worse. We are not advocating isolationism and we embrace globalization as being a good thing for society as a collective. But, we need to address these issue in America first in the view of this writer and the one candidate we see doing this is Bernie Sanders. Not just on the campaign trail but throughout his over 25 years in public service.What is tragic is that factions from the top and the politicians they own 

are trying to slant the political process even more in their favor. 

Why Are Americans So Passive About Wealth Inequality Resulting From Plutocracy? 

For starters, the poor people in this country have been totally demoralized by the unfairness in our political process. Many have surrendered. They feel their voice is one crying in the wilderness. When you have residents from poor and minority communities being stop and frisked and shot by police without proper cause in many cases it tends to make one indifferent to politics period. It makes the rising up and voicing concerns difficult. 

There is also a relentless narrative coming from mainstream media, Christian Right fundamentalist pastors, and right wing politicians that paint this picture that being in poverty is a person fault and people who are rich deserve to be rich and that all these poor people need to go just " fend for themselves." 

Lots of Americans have become disillusioned about their financial situation and feel nothing can save them from their poverty. Some people who are poor actually believe they deserve to be poor.[See Source] For this reason, poor people are not motivated to get out and revolt against a system that is repressing them. 

What Happens If America Leaves This Issue Of Wealth Inequality Unchecked?

If we as a collective society do nothing wealth inequality will continue to take us to a very bad place. Our political process will be even more captured. The top 1% super rich will do whatever they can to control our political systems. More importantly, the cognitive capture by the mainstream media and the vast conspiracy theorist like Alex Jones. One of the main reason for the financial crisis in 2008 was the entire intellectual establishment not just people inside investment banks, but regulators, academic economists, and financial journalist got mesmerized by the financial sector's vision of how the economy should work.

Also, there is a broader cognitive capture perpetrated by the intellectual class that plutocracy is inevitable and that if you are poor it's your own fault and that you're part of this 47% dependent class. Unions are bad. This cognitive defect increases if wealth inequality is not addressed.

Global elites proclaim they're acting in the collective interest of society while evidence shows they're acting for their own personal vested interest. What this leads to is a continued downward spiral of social mobility. Social mobility is decreasing year by year in America.

We see powerful sectors like the Oil, Technology, and Finance industries receiving government subsides funded by the taxpayers. With less and less tax money going to the middle class and poor. That is why we see this full blown war on the first step up entitlement programs.

Why Are The Plutocrats So Eager To Cut Entitlement Sending? 

The answer is a simple one. They [Plutocrats] don't need it and they don't want their tax dollars funding it! Where was that outrage when the six trillion dollars of bailout money was coming their way? This is something in this writer's view we should all worry about. All of these factors do stifle economic growth. What America has evolved into is a Latin America type society where you have really rich people at the top and the majority of the population really struggling.

The Bottom Line.

The Plutocrats and their plutocracy in Washington are so close to monopolizing our government. For that reason, it's the view of the House of Public Discourse that the election now confronting us is truly the most important in my 55 year lifetime. Our government has been bought lock, stock, and barrel. This has made change from within impossible. Only a revolution by “We the People" can change this ominous tide of corruption and basic unfairness. Washington has become a looted city because of plutocracy and the only people benefiting from the spoils are the Plutocrats. They get the tax breaks off the backs of the middle class. They get the legislative loopholes that their money buys them through influence peddling. They are awarded government contracts from payoffs and bribes. Just like Bernie Sanders has expressed on the campaign trail they have fixed the system. These Plutocrats pay a lesser tax rate than school teachers, police, firefighters, and basic caregivers. We are giving subsidies to rich corporations and denying food stamps to poor working people, they remove oversight of the Wall Street casino speculators and bailout the crooks who drove our nation's economy into the ditch. They fight reinstatement of Glass-Steagall and are against the reforms of Dodd-Frank. They provide tax havens for multinationals and stick it to the American workers and consumers. And, the most serious ill of all the American middle class and low wage workers pay the tab that these Plutocrats write off. This is " Why the ills Of Plutocracy Matter!"

Reminds Me Of A Song

America The Land Of Inequality

There is no denying that America has become a nation of inequality. The $64,000 question is "how do you constrain capitalism from doing stupid things that are not in the public interest?[Robert Reich] In practice we have a set of rules and regulations to check these rogue factions in our community. However, our democracy has been corrupted, and these rules and regulations are being discarded or not enforced. If the corruption by the excesses of the American Capitalist is the cause of this malfeasance then the first thing we must do is get big money out of our politics.

Robert Reich On Inequality For All

On the issue of inequality in America, there is much confusion. Most people of the right-wing persuasion blame the poor. On the other hand, people on the left want to blame the rich. There is a lot of blame going around. According to well-respected economist Robert Reich, "people are not looking at the actual structure of the economy as its evolving." "They're not looking how we need to change the organization of the economy." America is the most unequal of all advanced societies in the world. Our research found many misconceptions floating around out in the public sphere. Many believe the economy is some natural force that can't be changed. In short, we all are slaves to the immutable economy. However, when you " peel back the onion," the economy is a set of rules and regulations.

Our economy is not a state of nature. 

Robert Reich

There are rules regarding property and liability, anti-trust laws, bankruptcy, subsidies, and taxes for various things. These are the rules and guidelines for the game we call the economy. These rules determine the outcome of the game. In a democracy, if you don't like the rules of the game you can create a conscientious and change the rules. If we had a democracy, that was working as envisioned by our founding fathers[See Source]  The rules for the game of economy can be difficult to explain in writing. To get a clear understanding, one must refer to the experts. Our source Robert Reich book " Beyond Outrage," does an excellent job of explaining these rules in writing. American economist has some hard questions to answer. Why does the United States have an unequal distribution of income and wealth by far than any other civilized country? And it's surging! Reich's metric for answering this question is to evaluate the earnings of the people at the top[1%] compared to the earnings of a typical worker[47%] which represents the middle.

Wealth Inequality in America

In Today's America, 400 of the nation's richest people have more wealth than half the population of the United States.

According to our source, which looked at IRS data stretching back to 1913 the beginning of the progressive income tax wealth inequality reached an all-time high in 2012. What was apparent from our research here in the House of Public Discourse America's economic growth has consistently been going to a small group of people at the top.[See Source] 

The Wealth Inequality In America Is Startling To Say The Least!

This inequality is tearing at the fabric of America. In the first three years, of the recovery from the recession brought on by the financial collapse of 2008, the top one percent of Americans took home 95% of the income gains. Amazing! In the past, as the economy grew so did everyone else. Ronald Reagan and his God-awful trickle down economics saw an end to this equitable formula and what we got in return was a nation in debt and growing now surging wealth inequality. Regular Americans knew this as shared prosperity. Along came the Republicans in the 1980's with these so-called family Christian values 'War on Drugs,' 'War on Women,' and "War on the Poor" calling this shared prosperity socialism. Hell, Eisenhower a Republican was president during most of this time of shared prosperity and We The People did not consider him a socialist, We did not think him abnormal. 

In the years of shared prosperity our nation's economy doubled. Moreover, everybody's income increased as well. Even, Americans in the bottom 5% percent did better. Then here comes Ronald Reagan and the extreme radicalization of the Christian Right,and  the "slobbering at the mouth," Capitalist Elect.  The 1980's changed the historical relationship of shared prosperity between economic growth and the growth in productivity and wages. Over the last three decades, most of the wealth and most of the new wealth has gone straight to the top.  Income gains went to the top and people in the middle, the median worker, the median wage stagnated.

How Do We Fix It?

To the point, a strong and vibrant labor movement needs to be orchestrated and based on our research here at the House of Public Discourse could be the " wonder drug" for lack of a term. 

Drawing on a myriad of evidence  as in our nation's past a re invigoration of equitable labor practices would go a long way in achieving an equal society.  The research bears it out clearly. Almost all health and social problems that disproportionately affect poor and middle class are greater in societies with higher levels of inequality. The widening income gap as mentioned earlier seems to be a direct result of the " War on Unions" and the lack of a strong and consistent labor movement in America. Another factor is the dwindling democratic constraints on the top 1% income earners. One of the conclusions we came to here in the House of Public Discourse is to implement practical limitations by extending democracy to our economic institutions.  Our study found equal societies gain greater equality by redistribution. We need a fundamental approach to reducing inequality in America. Our exhaustive research on the issue of " America The Land of Inequality," found that the weakening of the labor movement over the last quarter of the 20th Century has severely impacted the ability of working people to influence their standard of living and overall quality of life. 

One of the House of Public Discourse primary points of advocacy is to recreate a healthy, active labor movement in America. We achieve this with both political and social influence that will enable the old labor movement to regather itself and fight for a fairer more sustainable future for our country.

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The American Dream Has Been Hijacked By The Capitalists

As a kid growing up in rural North Carolina, I often remember hearing the term ” The American Dream.” It brought  a vision of a white house with a white picket fence, with Mommy and sister Suzy playing homemaker inside the house while father and son played pitch and catch in the backyard with the family pet barking for attention. What a utopia setting it brought to my mind. We were Americans fighting for what was right and fair and a sense of community filled the air. Democracy was the way, and Communism was the evil society trying to destroy our way of life. I distinctly remember people would leave their front doors to their houses unlocked and the keys to the family car in the ignition. What happened? The American Dream has been hijacked by the capitalists and their thirst for profits. Two quotes come to mind with the end of this dream:

Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. – Edward Abbey

A growing nation is the greatest Ponzi game ever contrived. – Paul Samuelson

Capitalism is Killing Democracy 

Our roles in a market economy and democracy have slipped by the wayside. It is our responsibility to a congruent society to participate in keeping our democratic traditions vibrant while keeping our markets and political mechanisms from running wild.

Free markets were supposed to lead to free societies. Instead, today’s supercharged global economy is eroding the power of the people in democracies around the globe. Welcome to a world where … government takes a back seat to big business. …(Robert Riech)

There was always this misconception that if capitalism flourished so would our democratic principles and way of life. Today in this new age of vulture capitalism we see this is not the case. In fact, we see the very opposite. Capitalism… is thriving, while democracy is struggling to keep up. China, for example, over the years has transitioned into free-markets but not political freedom. There are other countries like Mexico and Russia who claim they are democracies but like the Untied States have allowed elitists and corporations to hijack the politicians who in turn limit government's capacity to adjust and address the concerns of its citizenry.

Though free markets have brought unprecedented prosperity to many, they have been accompanied by widening inequalities…, heightened job insecurity, and environmental hazards such as global warming.

The side-effect of this has been an alarming equality gap that has splintered the nations’ democracies around the world, including that of the United States. A representative democracy is designed to allow citizens to deal with these inequalities in a structured, balanced way. However, this has not been the reality, and most people feel a sense of powerlessness that is on the rise in all the world’s democracies. What we are seeing around the world and here in America is the failure of the trickle-down economic theory that reared its ugly head back during the Reagan years and an uncompromising collective pride to admit it was a mistake.

No democratic nation is effectively coping with capitalism’s negative side effects.

Capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industry and the means of production are controlled by private owners with the goal of making profits in a market economy.( Wiki)

The real function of capitalism is to expand the economic pie. Nothing more, nothing less. The role of democracy [government] is to allow citizens through public discourse and their elected officials to collectively determine how that economic pie is to be divided and determine what rules should apply to both the private good and the public good. Nowadays, due to several mitigating factors these choices are being left to the markets. We The People need to take immediate action and task ourselves to delineate the role of global capitalism versus democracy. The free-marketeers have clearly shown a cavalier attitude towards democracy and have created a survival of the fittest mentality and let the losers fend for themselves. Corporations have treated this like a game but unlike most games they have created one who plays by no rules. We The People must ensure that there are rules and guidelines for these corporations to go by and adhere to, who now have the advantage of being treated as a person, with the knowledge that there will be repercussions for not doing so.

It has become all so clear that if the main function of capitalism is to allow corporations to play the markets with earnest zeal we must as citizens challenge ourselves to stop these modern-day economic entities parading as persons from being the writers of their rules.  If not, the question of the growing inequality in America will only get worst. We The People, living in a democratic form of government,  can counteract this  capitalistic conquer all approach culture. The cost to our society and the forever shrinking opportunity to actualize the American dream is at stake. However, due to our lack of interest and our feelings of helplessness, we continue to allow corporations and companies through their battalions of  lobbyists, public relations, and now special interest Super-Pacs like Citizens United and others, to walk the dog all over us while pretending to be acting for the public good. The bottom line over and again has proved that these business entities only desire to maximize profits with little to no consideration for the common public good.

Why is this? We The People have become disabled from the democratic process largely due to the ever-increasing influence of money in our political sphere. Greater sums of money are flowing into the process with a bribe here and a kickback there. This behavior has resulted in laws being passed that have created an atmosphere of imbalance. This reality has created, for lack of term, an ”arms race” for political influence that has suffocated the voice of the everyday citizen.

The purpose of democracy is to accomplish ends we cannot achieve as individuals.

This truism has been circumvented and cannot be utilized because of the ever-increasing influx of money into the political process. This influx of money has allowed these business entities to advance their agendas while leaving most of us to stand in line waiting for some imaginary trickle down effect to meretriciously manifest itself.  In the meantime, we are seeing growing job insecurity, widening of inequality and the destroying of our environment.

In closing, this writer feels compelled to implore all of the citizens of democracies all over the world to rise and let your disdain for this cancer on our democracy be heard. Silence is not golden here it is a detriment. We The People have within us, collectively, the power to reduce this social cost to the fabric of our societies. We must take our roles as citizens seriously. The very first step, which is the most difficult, is to get our thinking straight by realizing, The American Dream Has Been Hijacked By The Capitalists.

  

Whatever Happened To Liberty And Justice For All?

FDR

While recently listening to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's [FDR] " Four Freedoms" speech, a glaring question popped out at this writer. Whatever happened to liberty and justice for all and was it ever a reality in America? One thing is a certainty.... justice for all is nothing but a catch phrase in America today. It does not exist. We have seen an ever increasing cornucopia of  institutional and social injustices manifested over the last decade in America. We have seen Barry Bonds inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame while on trial for illegal steroid usage.  The out of control banking industry has levied egregious banking fees on helpless consumers. The American Healthcare industry has raked the American people over the coals with. " five times the inflation rate pricing while practicing fraudulent  business methods like billing dead patients just to name one. Wall Street has become a den of thieves betting against their customers.  In 2001, the Patriot Act was enacted and has been turning citizens into suspects ever since. There have been proven cases of U.S. Bishops protecting pedophile priests. And of course we can't fail to mention  the day in, day out civil injustice in the American Criminal Justice System, which has recently been highlighted in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases.

The Speech

 

The Never Ending Fight For FDR's Four Freedoms!

It was 74 years ago that FDR made this famous speech and America today is still fighting for its narrative, a free and equal society for all. In this speech, FDR proposed four freedoms. Not only did FDR command these freedoms for all Americans but also every person in the world. FDR's speech was made just prior to the U.S. entering  World War II. The four freedoms were the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to worship or not to worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear.  The speech was hugely popular with the American people with many of the speeches' key components being a guidepost for many post-World War II countries redevelopment.[See Article]

With the help from what many call America's " greatest generation,"  this statement caused a reshaping of the fundamentals of American society. During this period, America became equal and more democratic. What has happened since the time of FDR in America is unconscionable. With the onslaught of Reaganomics in 1980's to our present time, these basic tenets of freedom for the everyday Joe and Mary in America have all but been wiped out. The equality in America is in shambles and the rising gap between the haves and have-nots is staggering.

How Do We Invigorate The Quest For FDR's, " Four-Freedoms?"

The paramount motivation for FDR delivering this speech in his State of the Union address was that Europe at the time was being overrun by the Germans and East Asia was being terrorized by imperial Japan. FDR knew it was inevitable that America was heading for conflict.  It was FDR's view that it was essential for America to begin to prepare for war. However, it was his[FDR] viewpoint that the most important thing for America to do was become an ''arsenal of democracy.''  England, France, and the Eastern Hemisphere who were under siege from what history has shown as one of the most evil empires ever in the world,  Nazi Germany.  President Roosevelt knew well if you were going to prepare for a national defense , you needed security forces for the nation, but, moreover, you needed economic security for the nation as well. FDR had been fighting for years on the economic  front with labor and others in the New Deal. This address was needed to rally these associations once again. FDR had to hone the American people in on his vision that he had been striving for, for eight years, and that was the " Four Freedoms." Our research into this matter revealed that one of the FDR major beliefs was that all Americans aspired for these freedoms and knew they were a galvanizing force to bring the country to a sense of oneness and purpose.

Freedom From Want

In addressing what FDR was touching on in his ' freedom from want' segment within the speech, one might need an understanding of the term " General Welfare.Clause."

General Welfare Clause Explained

As we know, FDR succumbed from his Polio disease before seeing these aspirations fulfilled, and the reason was well documented.  The Republican Congress and the  newly elected President Harry S Truman, who proved to be ineffective, were left to deal with them. The freedom from want aspect from this speech struck fear into the hearts of conservative Republicans. They [Republicans] imagined that FDR goals would be to take Social Security that he enacted in 1935 and build upon  it to the point that the program would include National Health Care. Moreover, in 1944 when FDR came back to Congress in another State of the Union address, he intended to put real practical meaning  to the program by laying out rights for Americans that would have included guarantees like  a job, healthcare, housing, food and shelter, and clothing. Behind the scenes, we learned that FDR was not hopeful these guarantees [wants], would be enacted.  He felt the Conservative Coalition of the day,  North Republicans and the Southern Dixiecrats would block it. But Roosevelt knew the American people wanted  a Social Democratic America.

The writer of the " Pledge of Allegiance" was a Socialist

Francis Bellamy

1. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.[See Source]
2. FDR was a very thorough person, and he had surveys conducted by various agencies. These investigations found 85% of Americans wanted National Healthcare and the other aforementioned desires which in practice functioned as an Economic Bill of Rights for the American citizens. 
3. FDR was a visionary and a man of his time and in addition to the socialist GI Bill [Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944] FDR advocated, as now President Obama has,  that all American citizens should have the right to a free college education. 

4. The Voice of America President Obama on Free Community College for all.

What we have in our present time is a post-educational system that has caused nothing but over-the-top debt for America's college students. There is no question that if FDR's vision could have come to pass it would have transformed America,  and leaves its supporters asking the question: what if, and why not? Just like in FDR's time and today as well,  a super-majority of Americans wanted socialized medicine and education and did not get it.   So why is this not a reality in America? Sweden provides its citizens with free health care and a college education. Denmark does this. Norway does this. Germany does this. France does this. Free health care and college were an American idea from arguably one of the greatest presidents this nation has ever seen and yet we do not offer these fundamental freedoms to our citizenry. In this writer's mind it's an outrage and should be something for which every American citizen should be fighting and advocating. 

Ronald Reagan

Unfortunately, what we have seen since Reagan has been an all out attack on Democratic and Social Rights in this country.  All the work and aspirations of the post-World War II generations' quest to bring about the vision of FDR's " Four Freedoms," done in the 40's, 50's, and 60's,   such as reforms in immigration, Medicare, and Medicaid, civil rights and right to vote laws, and environmental protection;  all being dismantled by the 1% stuffed shirts of the GOP.  It has reached a point in this writer's view that the true " Patriotic Duty," of every American should be to protect these rights from the radical-right, Tea Party, and Libertarian factions operating within today's Republican Party.

Is Liberty And Justice For All An American Pipe-Dream? 

One could argue that to imagine an America where all citizens are equal with the same protections and benefits a cohesive society should demand, is a dream long gone. We here at the House of Public Discourse believe it's paramount to remind ourselves of the founding principles of this nation. One of the common themes for this nation should be that this is our land, this is your land, and this is my land from the sea to shining sea. We The People are in this together should be the everyday focus of every single individual in this country no matter their race or any other mitigating factors. Moreover, the reason we have Democratic institutions and the reason we have a government, is to provide for the health and happiness of We The People.  The " General Welfare Clause" was based on these principles. According to the Declaration of Independence, when the government fails to provide for the " General Welfare" of its citizens it's that said government's duty and obligation to correct it or be overthrown by We The People. The founding documents of America are crystal clear. They reveal to us that the purpose of government is to do something good for everyone in our country and not just a privileged few. Our government was not founded on a principle for us but not them mentality. It is to represent We The People not We The Few. In addition, our government was designed to be  a help to us not a hindrance. 

The Declaration Of The Ages

74 years ago, FDR came out and said in his " Four Freedoms," State of the Union address:

"As men do not live by bread alone they do not fight by armaments alone. Those, who man our defenses and build our defenses, have the stamina and courage which come from the unshakable belief in the manner of life they are defending."  

What FDR is saying here is we are not just fighting Hitler, we are not just fighting against an evil empire, we are fighting for something. What does our nation stand for? Once again, this questions leads us right back to our nation's founding first principles of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness? The United States of America's Declaration of Independence was the first time any governmental document in the history of the world had a provision for its citizens to be happy. FDR continued:

" The mighty action that we are calling for is not based on a disregard for all the things worth fighting for, the nation takes great satisfaction and much strength from the things that have been done to make its people conscious of their individual stake in their observation of Democratic life in America. Those things have toughened the fiber of our population, renewed our faith and strength to their devotion to our institutions we make ready to protect." 

It's important to understand that when FDR made this speech we were in the middle of World War II. Certainly this was not the time for any American to stop thinking about the social and economic problems that were the cause of  the Social Revolution which was a supreme factor of the world at that time as it is in our present time.  Our research has found that FDR wanted to drive home the message that the fundamental things expected by the American people were. " Life, Liberty, Justice, and Happiness for All." This narrative is what President Obama should be covering with the American people in his upcoming State of the Union address. When you wade through all the political rhetoric of today,  what the American people want is very straightforward: Life, Liberty, Justice, and a fair shot at having happiness. What the American people are screaming for is an equal opportunity no matter the circumstance you were born into. Jobs for those who can work that pay a wage that correlates with the cost of living in an area would be a great place to start.  Why have the Republicans blocked the Obama administration on creating government jobs to rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure? We have seen since Reagan and his government is the evil mantra;  cut our children's education, lack of funding to maintain our roads and bridges, power grids, sewer systems, environmental protections, and the deregulation of the banking industry and Wall Street.  Like the Rolling Stones song proclaimed , it's enough to " make a grown man cry."

One can only imagine what our country would be like today if FDR's aspirations could have become a reality. But after 35 years of Reaganomics, all one can imagine is that it's too late to believe in an America that works for all. If Capitalism cannot provide enough jobs for We The People, when their sole motivation is a maximization of profits, then having government sponsored jobs for any myriad of General Welfare concerns and needs is not only practical and smart it, makes good common sense.  Since Reagan, we have learned new terms like downsizing, outsourcing; trickle-down economics just to name a few and all WE, The People have gotten in return, is the largest  wealth inequality ever recorded in the annals of history!  It is time for our President to be a leader like FDR and step up to the podium in his upcoming State of the Union Address and demand a passage of a jobs bill that will put Americans to work rebuilding our nation's infrastructure and  strengthening our public schools and making two-year college free for all Americans.  Whatever happened to liberty and justice for all?  It was sabotaged by greedy Capitalists and the corrupt politicians who do their bidding.  Citizen United ring a bell?  We as a people can do two things. [1] Do nothing but grin and bear it, or [2] Do something and stand up and fight and demand as our founding fathers did in the Declaration of Independence...demand  our government  change its ways or else be overthrown. So let it be written, so let it be done.