The U.S. Congress was unable to pass a Corona Crisis Relief Bill without giving big corporations HUGE bailouts. Regular people, on average, will receive barely enough money to endure another two weeks. Frontline medical support funding was merely squeezed in, like an afterthought. WHY? Because global corporations rule the U.S. Congress.
Big Money Corrupts Government
Big Money has a corrupting influence on the American government. Here’s how it works… Money creates power. And then, power is misused to bribe politicians with campaign donations, insider stock information, the implied promise of future favors, etc. Legal or not, such corporate influence creates conflicts of interest that corrupt our elected officials. And know this: many Congress Members go along with shady practices because they’ll be politically punished if they don’t — not because they want to.
Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
~ Lord Acton, 1887
The average voter hates corruption. But they think you can’t do anything about it. However, we must do something about political corruption, and fast. Corporate greed is the direct cause of our planet’s climate crisis. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is pummeling us with immediate danger. Though corporate greed did not cause COVID-19, it has impeded an effective response to the disease, here in the United States, and is capitalizing on this crisis event — at the cost of American lives.
Rumblings of a General Strike
To attack corruption, we first need solidarity. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns have built massive solidarity, exemplified by the #NotMeUs slogan. The idea of intersectional solidarity has gone mainstream. Now, because of the COVID-19 crisis, people are quickly figuring out that action is also required, and the rumblings of a #GeneralStrike abound. See Twitter examples below:
Frontline workers are terrified of catching COVID-19 and infecting their families and neighborhoods. As a result, some of them are causing inconvenience and discomfort for heartless bosses who won’t support worker safety — with labor strikes.
The labor strike is a time-honored tactic that leverages the power of workers. As desperation and unity grow, as people experience this coronavirus crisis together, expect to see THE General Strike take place, all across the U.S.A.
Anti-Corruption Yellow Vests
In addition to the General Strike, the county needs an organized, nonviolent Anti-Corruption Yellow Vests movement — to further disrupt the civil passivity of those aligned with the corporate establishment.
This is taking #NotMeUs to the next logical level. And while America’s modern Progressive Movement has been hugely inspired by Bernie Sanders’ political revolution, we’ll see everyone joining in — conservatives, independents, and non-politicals, alike — in order to experience the strength of solidarity and action that will save lives.
Today’s Playlist
Here’s the latest independent news playlist, with a progressive point of view. Listen, as you isolate. We’re all in this together. Solidarity!
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Progressive Graffiti 
Thank you so much for this post my friend!
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We must overcome our impotence to “take on the billionaires.”
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Corporations are evil. I sincerely hope that USAns can do something about reining in the insanity; if you can, the rest of the world will follow.
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It’ll take revolution in the streets, which frightens me. The anonymous people behind corporations are ruthless and brutal.
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Corporations are artificial sociopaths. They consistently lie, deceive and break laws for economic gain. They don’t make long-term plans, and they act without regard to risk of harm to people. They don’t feel guilt or remorse for having harmed or mistreated others.
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I couldn’t have put it better myself.
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With an economic collapse, there would be millions of people out-of-work with no other option but to head for the streets. The hungry masses would have nothing left to fear but a slow death by starvation.
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A very fearsome vision, Rosaliene.
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Who is going to lead the revolution? It won’t be Bernie.
This is hard to take, but we need to be realistic about Bernie. Matt Stoller on the Jimmy Dore show today calls Bernie a coward and a loser. Bernie has no problem throwing his friends and supporters, like Zephyr Teachout, under the bus in order to curry favor with his establishment “friends” like Joe Biden. For some reason, Bernie has a need to be liked by the establishment. He won’t draw a line in the sand, and he won’t negotiate to achieve a desired result. Consequently, it’s no surprise he sold us all out on the stimulus bill.
We need a bold, fearless leader.
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I think we need to be realistic about Jimmy Dore. He and Stephanie no longer offer a valid alternative progressive view. They’ve lost all objectivity. Bernie-bashing has become their schtick.
I saw Matt Stoller on “Democracy Now” and “Rising.” He’s some kind of expert on corporate power… and maybe a little sociopathic. He, like so many of the Republicans, appears willing to risk American lives in order to see his vision fulfilled… and sell more books.
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Dore and his wife aren’t the only progressives who have criticized Bernie.
Don’t get me wrong. Bernie is 1000x preferable to most other politicians, but I don’t think that makes him immune from criticism. I’m guessing, but I doubt you agreed with Bernie when he disavowed Teachout’s criticism of Biden after Biden or his campaign complained. I thought that was a cowardly and unjust thing to do to his own surrogate in light of the fact that everything she said was true. He should have stuck by her and what she said.
You may have been alright with Bernie’s rejection of Cenk Uygur’s endorsement after he received criticism by a vocal minority for his initial acceptance of it, but I thought that was cowardly at the time too. Yes, Uygur said some stupid, obnoxious things 20 years ago, but he has been a strong supporter of Bernie’s for years as has his network. IMO you don’t cast your best friends aside for views they held years ago and have since renounced. I believe in the concept of redemption.
Bernie’s policies are wildly popular so why is he lagging in delegates? Yes, there’s the electability scam, but there’s also Bernie’s failure to forcefully attack “his good friend” Joe Biden and establishment Democratic Party policies.
As for Stoller, I know nothing about him except what I heard in that one interview so I’m not endorsing him or anything he has to say on other issues.
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What will you think of Bernie if he endorses Biden, as he has promised to do many times if Biden gets the nomination?
This will be particularly hard to take after the sexual assault allegation against Biden. I hope that Bernie withholds his endorsement on the basis of this “new” allegation, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I will be heartsick if he makes the endorsement but not surprised.
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I imagine he would follow through on the Biden endorsement, unless allegations are proved true.
Bernie being “nice” to fellow Democrats and the Party, and endorsing nominee, all play into negotiations with the DNC/nominee for policy concessions. For instance, he might trade his endorsement for student loan debt forgiveness, or something.
Remember how Hillary says he could have done more for her? Bernie did 39 rallies for her! What does she mean? Well, he didn’t leap into action before getting some kind of policy platform agreement or promise from her. That’s what I figure, anyway.
Bernie treats an enduring progressive movement as more valuable than a limited time as President. He’s 10 steps ahead, always playing 3-dimensional chess.
Besides, Bernie already indicated to Biden that despite his endorsement, Sanders supporters would make up their own minds (during the last debate). I don’t know that Bernie was sending a signal, but it certainly describes how I will vote, and that is Bernie or Green.
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Is Big Money corrupting AOC now? She is withholding endorsements from progressive insurgents and has replaced progressive senior staff with people who have worked for so-called moderates.
I expected AOC and the squad to stick with their principles even if they lost their seats doing so.
This is depressing. Do they get to everybody? It’s like that old movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Maybe everyone is seduced by the money eventually. Imagine going from cafe waitress scrounging out a bare existence to congressperson living like a princess with the promise of ending up with $100 million like Pelosi (who she now calls Mama Bear–ugh).
Ryan Grim talks about AOC’s evolution (or devolution) on Rising (JoAnn, can you leave the link and delete the visual so the link opens in a different tab?)
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Big Money is powerful beyond belief. It will destroy any blocking its path. I don’t know where AOC is heading. We have to wait and see. I am worried about her, too.
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If progressive candidates and politicians starting with Bernie can’t sell Medicare for All and UBI to the majority of the people in the middle of a pandemic and economic collapse, they never will.
It shouldn’t be difficult.
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