globinfo freexchange
As David Harvey describes:
In the early 70s, a series of events set out to establish the suitable conditions for the complete dominance of neoliberalism in the socio-political field, as well as the economic field through financial capitalism.
Some of these critical events were:
In 1971, Nixon ended the direct convertibility of the US dollar to gold, and as dollar became the global reserve currency, the absolute dominance of the financial industry became definite.
In 1973, through the U.S.-backed military coup, Chile became the first lab-rat of neoliberalism.
Milton Friedman and the Chicago boys advised dictator Pinochet to kill
the state and privatize everything. Chile was occupied by big cartels,
US interests companies, people suffered from poverty and from Pinochet's
cruel regime.
In 1975, the bankers took over New York. What happened that year was a radical shift in power. The banks insisted that in order to protect their loans, they should be allowed to take control of the city. The city appealed to the President, but he refused to help. It was the start of an extraordinary experiment where the financial institutions took power away from the politicians and started to run society themselves. The city had no other option. The bankers enforced what was called "austerity" on the city, insisting that thousands of teachers, policemen and firemen were sacked.
In 1976, it was first established the right of corporations to make unlimited money contributions to political parties and political action committees.
The supposedly ‘progressive’ campaign finance laws of 1971 in effect legalized the financial corruption of politics. A crucial set of Supreme Court decisions began in 1976 when it was first established that the right of a corporation to make unlimited money contributions to political parties and political action committees was protected under the First Amendment guaranteeing the rights of individuals (in this instance corpor- ations) to freedom of speech.
Political action committees (PACs) could thereafter ensure the financial domination of both political parties by corporate, moneyed, and professional association interests.
Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives have already beaten this corrupted system by becoming the most popular politicians in the US without accepting donations from corporate lobbies. Next step would be the official abolition of this system..
So, one of the first things a progressive government should do, is to abolish this unacceptable condition which was forced by the corporations to falsely fit in the First Amendment. It will be a decisive hit against neoliberal totalitarianism.
So, one of the first things a progressive government should do, is to abolish this unacceptable condition which was forced by the corporations to falsely fit in the First Amendment. It will be a decisive hit against neoliberal totalitarianism.
Comments
Post a Comment