The Weekly Watch
The Corporate Coup
The success of the corporate oligarchy is evident all around us.... from a “for profit corporation in chief” to his cabinet that owns as much as half the citizens in the country. Like it or not (aware or not) we are subservient to the oligarchs. Remember the fellow hauled off the airplane last month? How about the corporate mercenaries attack against the water protectors at Standing Rock? Or, what about our helplessness as we use our own tax money to finance corporate wars for fossil fuels?
I've been having an personal encounter with my ISP/telecom this past month. I pay $60 a month for 3 Meg service. I've been getting 0.2-0.3 Meg most of the day. They have a capacity issue...meaning they've sold more service than they can supply. If I was closer to their main station (I'm 30 miles away), I would have a stronger feed. I'm only a couple of miles from a Georgia company's fiber system. It is across the state line.
So I call my telecom service department. They must be primarily in India. Each one I talk with is nice and tries to help. I'm mainly wanting to know when (or even if) I'll be back up to speed. So in today's conversation they admit they oversold service, simply can't predict when it will be repaired/upgraded, and yes you still have to pay your $60 a month.
Then I called the Alabama Public Service Commission and spoke with the most honest bureaucrat I've encountered in many a year. Surprise, surprise, Alabama voted years ago that internet service wasn't to be regulated. The telecom's obligation to deliver a contracted speed is totally up to the discretion of the corporation. She went on to say: “the FCC is about to allow the ISP's to choke down the delivery of sites they deem harmful to the corporation. It is gonna be a whole new world.” This from a bureaucrat watching degradation of a “Public Service Commission”.
Is corporate coup complete? Not quite, but we've been marching toward it a long time. The momentum is certainly in the oligarchs favor. I don't really have another good ISP option so I'll have to take whatever internet service my oligarch trickles down. My internet issues are simply a trivial example of the success of the corporate oligarchs.
So I've not been able to surf the net regularly for reliable news. However, I did catch a few stories I found of interest.
I liked Tim Snyder's 20 step approach to oligarchy I heard this week... his new book draws on his decades of experience writing about war and genocide in European history in order to find 20 key lessons that can help the United States avoid descending into authoritarianism
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/5/30/on_tyranny_yale_historian_timothy...
Don't you think the whole climate denial crap is simply putting short term profits above the future of people and the planet? Here's an interesting round table discussion... (video and transcript)
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/6/2/top_climate_scientist_journalist_a...
Jimmy Dore laid bare the hypocrisy of our approach to Saudi Arabia versus Iran. (11 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy1bsXG3TeA
Interesting saga of an Iraqi. Prof. Alnasseri tells the story of his militant working class family, class struggle in Iraq and the sectarian conflict created by the U.S. invasion in a six part personal experience.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&I... (video and transcript)
Chris Hedges is joined this week by actor, playwright and essayist Wallace Shawn. (30 min)
https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/
Robert Scheer discusses the history of imperialism and capitalism and current geopolitics, particularly regarding China. In reference to Trump, Scheer predicts that the president will be “sucked into imperial adventures because of all the faux redbaiting.”
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/robert_scheer_on_the_new_cold_war_2...
Tariq Ali talks to investigative journalist, Anabel Hernández, about Mexico’s struggle with drug trafficking and corruption, to which the US turns a blind eye whilst having a finger in the pie. They also talk about freedom of press and the hopes for the coming presidential election in Mexico. (30 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjKrWgRSvZE
The intercept's podcast this week focused on Jared...there's something about Jared
https://theintercept.com/podcasts/
And their other articles are great as always
https://theintercept.com/
My ISP appreciates our patience. However, I hope to have a more extensive look at the world next week. The election in the UK will be interesting. No matter what our situation, we see and feel the corporate grip tighten. Do your best to wiggle out from control and lead the life you want. Have a good Sunday!
Comments
For those near NYC, Chihuly has a multi-piece glass
and resin installation at NY Botanical Gardens. It looks like it's worth a visit.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Good morning
That sounds like a great exhibit. Out here in the boonies we don't get much art. We do have some "outsider" artists like Howard Finster. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Finster
He was a character, and last weekend they had FinsterFest at Paradise Gardens.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
His work
was shown here in the Denver Botanical gardens; the works are wonderful.
dfarrah
Real revolution
At least it feels real...I went out and finished planting sweet potato slips just before the start of this morning's rain. It's a small way to escape the corporate coup...grow your own (whatever).
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
@Lookout It may be a small way to
It may be a small way to escape, but those little sweet potatoes have great significance in a variety of ways. Sound like hyperbole? I don't think so.
Besides, I'm adding my eggplant to your sweet potatoes. That will help.
I agree
that's why I mentioned it. Hooray for eggplant too! Watch out for flea beetles on those young plants! They're a problem here anyway.
We must do what we can.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
@Lookout Thanks for the heads
Thanks for the heads-up on the flea beetle. I will be looking for them. I just looked in my gardening book and it says they can be controlled with garlic, seaweed, and citrus-based sprays.
Morning Lookout
How do I plan to mitigate corporate oligarchy?
Become a resident here in Ecuador.
Here in Cuenca it's a bit rough on me due to the altitude of 8500 feet.
Going to the 'Oriente' on Tuesday at the edge of the Amazon basin. It's 5000 feet lower.
I want a Pony!
I was just reading about Cuenca.
This was linked at naked cap this morning: Charlotte Observer
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Good morning
Yes 8500 feet takes some getting used to. Hope the 5000 ft elevation suits you better. I sure admire Ecuador for supporting Assange, and hope you find great success and peace in your adopted home!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hey lookout
I'm headed to the small town of Paquisha on the Nangaritza river.
It's actually at 2500 feet. Much better for me.
Azazello: that paints a rather rosy picture of ex-pat's here. Many come with a smug privileged 'Ugly American' mentality. Yankee go home to some. Fortunately most don't see it that way.
Lots of German tourists and ex-pats here. They make up for the 'Americans'.
I recommend a visit. Staying in a hostal/hotel a block and a half from the main square and the iconic cathedral. Private room but share a bath and only $10 a night.
I want a Pony!
Now that close to my elevation
I've been fortunate to travel to Mexico (mainly the Yucatan) several times. I hope to work my way down into South America at some point. Just about the time my Spanish becomes acceptable, I return home and lose my edge. If I had time I think I could become fluent.
I find it odd that many ex-pats never learn the language. Wishing you the best on your adventure and relocation!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
@Arrow I look forward to reading
I look forward to reading all about your life in Ecuador.
I love it there.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning ...
Mother Jones magazine has been a bit of a disappointment of late. I've been a subscriber for years but I will not renew. Here's Mark Ames on Mother Jones' participation in the new Red Scare: naked capitalism
For those who haven't seen it, Ames' interview with Abby Martin provides good background on the history of US/Russia relations. Empire Files, YouTube (27 min.)
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
The only good thing I've seen out of MJ
Is the fellow that infiltrates the RW. He became a prison guard in LA and joined the vigilante border patrol. Other than those pieces sadly MJ seems to have sold out.
Abby's interview was good! Chris just released his interview about racial justice with Larry Hamm, Chairman of the People's Organization for Progress. It was interesting as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF9FkgkY9jQ
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
So many good topics and expert links.
Each one is a stand-alone of utmost importance. Even your personal connectivity issues. Which is actually a human rights issue. Affordable robust access to the internet is quickly evolving into a basic human right, as the world edges closer to Enlightenment. Of course, like all human rights related to survival (food, shelter, medical care, etc) — such rights will likely not be afforded to the American people. BTW, was there a time when your internet service was better than it is now?
As for this one:
Putting immediate profits above future considerations is currently the US default. But I don't think the "climate denial" is about short term profits. The Corporate Deep State has made this decision for Donald Trump; probably told him it was a matter of national security and to be firm about it. The driving force behind this has not changed: The US must maintain dollar hegemony to achieve ultimate Empire over all nations. The key to that is the Petrodollar (dollar denominated oil sales). The Petrodollar is the only thing that gives the US Dollar the kind of value it needs to be a future global currency.. As you can see, climate-based catastrophes would be very disruptive to Deep State plans. Therefore, climate science must be discredited and denied until we finally rule the world.
(As I'm sure everyone knows, the US is one of the only oil-producing nations where the oil does not belong to the People. All the profits go to private oligarchs. Vast Government subsidies, too, as a special gift just for them. It's been that way since the Great Genocide that created the US. The People don't even get a discount from the oligarchs for providing the oil. Americans pay the same price per barrel as no-oil nations, who are forced to buy on the global commodities market. Americans pay retail on the plantation. They even have to run an overland pipeline for Canada's oil, and they don't even get a discount for the risk they take.
Our Corporate Overlords are vehemently opposed to nations with nationalized oil (aka: Axis of Evil). The one and only thing that the US has accomplished in the Middle East (beyond the current genocide of Shiites), is to systematically destroy any (Shiite-friendly) country with nationalized oil in order to divert oil profits to western corporations.)
Now, if America's oil were to be nationalized and returned to the People, climate change would become our first priority. We could even make plans for our futures. Especially if we nationalized the big banks, too. The only hope, if it's not too late, is finding an evangelist-politician to take the message to the American people. Canada may be doing that very same thing.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Good day
Yes the internet outage is a recent issue....for the last month.
I'm in total agreement about the petrodollar, and the US insistence that we stay addicted to oil. Remember Saddam started selling his oil in euros in 2000, and Qaddafi was taking about establishing a gold based African currency the dinar.
https://www.rt.com/news/economy-oil-gold-libya/
We know what happened to them. Keiser has been suggesting Russia and China might unite to develop a gold based currency which could collapse the US economy.
https://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
He's right about Russia and China; they can do that anytime.
They have stockpiled from their own gold mines and bought up every available ounce of physical gold on the commodities market. The US has kept the price of gold artificially low, too. Very amusing, that. The US has to force the price of gold down because gold negatively correlates with every investment class that the uber capitalists are maxed out on. So the US and their cohorts inflate the gold market with speculative "paper gold." More amusing, the Eastern hemisphere prefers to buy real gold, so I suppose the capitalists are selling faux gold to each other. It's never a good idea to try to fool mother nature.
In any event, as Keiser suggests, China could launch a gold-backed global currency. The banking infrastructure is there, globally, complete with a robust substitute for the NSA spyware known as SWIFT. At the same time, China's massive free-trade agreement, RCEP, is nearing completion after five years of negotiations. RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) dwarfs the US's failed TPP, and allies like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan have climbed on board. But the fact is, China doesn't want the Renminbi/Yuan to be the world's reserve currency. China wants direct currency swaps when possible and a global reliance on SDR's (Special Drawing Rights) from the IMF. China has invested heavily in that scenario. SDRs are a synthetic, artificial, and non-national currency This could neutralize the rogue Empire-seeking that has kept the planet in turmoil for centuries and it could decentralize and expose the insanity of the transnationals and private banks. For now.
On that note, there's buzz suggesting that the US is going to try and revive the TPP, which pointedly excluded China. The US will present a united front with Canada and Mexico. But, somehow, that just doesn't look as impressive as it once did. In turn, China is encouraging the US to join RCEP, which represents 40 percent of the world's economy and the lion's share of the Pacific Rim's. The Deep State of the US is fit to be tied: "B-b-but Pivot to Asia..."
I have long believed global realignment is the only way out for the American people. This new configuration is what will give the People control over the zombie zionist madness that has infected their leaders. YMMV.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Good Sunday afternoon, Lookout and everyone!
Thanks for the links and commentary, today. Our internet is slow - I'm in rural New Mexico so I feel lucky to have it at all.
Thanks to all the commenters providing additional links. They all help me winnow through the material in an endless search for what is true.
It's beautiful here today. We're doing much needed yard work.
Have a beautiful Sunday, folks!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
After last year's drought
I'm thrilled at today's rain. Glad you're having nice weather today. One of our local friends is in NM for a few weeks. I hope everyone enjoys whatever weather the sky provides.
It's always nice to have you drop by!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
bookmark comment (RE: corporate coup; links) Nice article - n/t