The U.S. Government - controlled by a wealthy oligarchy

[Photo of Alan Simpson from the NY Daily News by Roberts/Bloomberg]

We've heard the word, "socialism," bandied about incessantly over the past year or two, mostly by people who don't know the difference between fascism, communism, capitalism or socialism.

Socialism, which in essence refers to a system whereby the government owns the means of production, is the least of our worries at this point. But the word is a problem as it is being used as part of a tactic to scare the ignorant and unsuspecting which is part of a larger tactic by the rich and powerful to subvert our democratic system and take over our government, leaving us with an oligarchy of the wealthy.

Alan Simpson, a Republican and former senator from Wyoming, gives us an imperfect, yet precise look at the collective mind of such an oligarchy. Simpson, who for some unfathomable reason, co-chairs Obama's fiscal reform commission, has it in for seniors and people in need. This commission, sadly echoing Cheney's meetings of oil magnates in the early days of Bush Jr.'s presidency, meets behind closed doors, so we are not privy to what is being debated or planned or recommended. We do know, however, the commission intends to go after the three big entitlement programs. Simpson said, "We are going to stick the big three," referring to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

If there's one thing Simpson lacks, its that so-called compassionate conservatism with which Bush Jr. conned an entire nation. Thus, Simpson derides the elderly among us by claiming that Social Security is "a milk cow with 310 million tits." Every person who has paid into the Social Security system should be up in arms and demand this hide-bound bozo be fired from the fiscal reform commission. That so-called "milk cow" has milk only because we have filled it with milk out of our hard-earned paychecks year after year after year! Social Security is not the government's money, it is OUR money!!!


Simpson is the face of the oligarchy which is, ipso facto, ruling our nation at the moment, an oligarchy, which to his detriment, Obama has not dismantled, but rather perpetrated.

It is an oligarchy which is growing by leaps and bounds, energized exponentially by the recent Supreme Court decision which declared, incomprehensibly, that corporations are people and therefore whatever millions of dollars they donate to political causes or their political lackeys is protected as "free speech" under the First Amendment.

Already the horrific results of this incredibly stupid decision are showing their ugly face. The United States Chamber of Commerce, no longer fettered, is increasing its political budget by 1/3 to help elect candidates and support laws that would benefit the business sector.

But some of what is happening is not so overt. Glenn Beck, who plans to hold a rally in Washington on August 28 (the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech), is being sponsored covertly by a number of right-wing groups. Beck claims this rally is non-political, but as usual, he lies through his teeth. One of the headliners is Sarah "the quitter" Palin!

Beck's rally is being backed by the NRA, one of the most political organizations in the country which has attacked Obama with every means at its disposal since Obama threw his hat in the ring. Beck is also backed by Americans for Prosperity, one of the Koch brothers organizations which also served as a front for the so-called teapot party crackpots.


The Koch brothers, are, by themselves, two of the most important players in the oligarchy of wealth that is committed to taking over control of our government. They have used their resources to fund a plethora of right-wing groups, all of which have focused on destroying the Obama administration and replacing it with people who will play their game.

Charles Koch, for example, helped to found the right-wing Cato Institute. David Koch was involved in the organization of Citizens for a Sound Economy, which has morphed into the outfit called FreedomWorks, which is a front for Dick Armey's right-wing hit men.

There are several Koch foundations that exist mainly to fund right-wing groups; giving away millions of dollars over the last 15-20 years. Jim Hightower believes the Koch brothers to be extremely detrimental to the well-being of our nation and has documented their involvement in slimey right-wing efforts. In one article, Mr. Hightower, specified that involvement; you can read it here.

Some of the above material has come from Media Matters, which also referenced comments made by Think Progress in December of 2009:

"David and Charles Koch are the wealthiest and perhaps most effective, opponents of President Obama's progressive agenda. They have been looming in the background of every major domestic policy dispute this year. ...

"At the dawn of the Obama presidency, Koch groups quickly maneuvered to try to stop his first piece of legislation: the stimulus. The Koch-funded group 'No Stimulus' launched television and radio ads deriding the recovery package as simply 'pork' spending. The Cato Institute - founded by Charles - as well as other Koch-funded think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, produced a blizzard of reports distorting the stimulus and calling for a return to Bush-style tax cuts to combat the recession. As their fronts were battling the stimulus, David's Americans for Prosperity (AFP) spent the opening months of the Obama presidency placing calls and helping to organize the very first 'tea party' protests."


All of this is really the tip of the iceberg. Most of us don't have a clue what other creepy creatures slink around beneath the surface of our understanding. But everyone of them is working to arrange for a wealthy oligarchy to remain in control of our government no matter what the cost to the other 95% of our citizens.

Consider that candidates in Florida and California and elsewhere spent millions and millions of their own dollars to get nominated to run for state and national offices. Why would they do that? Why would they risk such huge sums of money? Where's the payoff?

It's coming. And you and I are going to foot the bill. It's going to be very painful. Some of us may not survive. Especially the elderly and the sick and the weak.

Hell! We are footing the bill. Most of the rich pay very little in taxes. Thousands of our largest corporations pay no taxes at all. We subsidize the oil industry and the auto industry and god knows how many other industries, which is not "socialism," of course, but "good business." It's also "welfare for the rich" while the common folk struggle to eat with their dwindling share of America's wealth as evidenced by their dwindling supply of food stamps.

It is already very painful. Some of us have not survived. Especially the elderly and the sick and the weak.