The New Billionaire Political Bosses

[n2doc]

by Robert Reich

Charles and David Koch should not be blamed for having more wealth than the bottom 40 percent of Americans put together. Nor should they be condemned for their petrochemical empire. As far as I know, they’ve played by the rules and obeyed the laws.

They’re also entitled to their own right-wing political views. It’s a free country.

But in using their vast wealth to change those rules and laws in order to fit their political views, the Koch brothers are undermining our democracy. That’s a betrayal of the most precious thing Americans share.

The Kochs exemplify a new reality that strikes at the heart of America. The vast wealth that has accumulated at the top of the American economy is not itself the problem. The problem is that political power tends to rise to where the money is. And this combination of great wealth with political power leads to greater and greater accumulations and concentrations of both — tilting the playing field in favor of the Kochs and their ilk, and against the rest of us.

America is not yet an oligarchy, but that’s where the Koch’s and a few other billionaires are taking us.

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http://robertreich.org/post/80717261549

[MindMover]

1. Robert is not seeing clearly what we already are ...

We are an Oligarchy ...

[n2doc]

2. I think he just doesn't want to be called nutty

I think he does realize that the US has become an Oligarchy, but to tell the truth is to be ridiculed.

[MindMover]

3. We need more honesty, not more hedging ...

if we are to inform and educate about the need/potential for change ..

I respect Robert for taking a stand and being honest about how to grow an economy. He certainly is correct that we need more government spending in infrastructure and not less. So, for everything else Robert says, he is right on, it is just that he is hedging for whatever reason on this one ...

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Reich is in a position to know

This fellow knows first hand the true motives of most mega wealthy. At the turn of the twentieth century it was the Morgan's and Rockefeller names in the press. Today it's the same family's but just another generation with different names. Still about Oil and Minerals. With that said,just a repeat of a hundred years ago,and,these family's are still trying to complete their Fascist Government ideals.

Dumb down schools,two class society,racial hatred,and worst of the worst religious taliban,all being promoted by the so called main stream media.