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Excerpt: "The furor over Friday's report revealed a political movement that is rooting for American failure, so obsessed with taking down Mr. Obama that good news for the nation's long-suffering workers drives its members into a blind rage."

Portrait, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, 06/15/09. (photo: Fred R. Conrad/NYT)

Truth About Jobs

By Paul Krugman, The New York Times

08 October 12

If anyone had doubts about the madness that has spread through a large part of the American political spectrum, the reaction to Friday's better-than expected report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics should have settled the issue. For the immediate response of many on the right - and we're not just talking fringe figures - was to cry conspiracy.

Leading the charge of what were quickly dubbed the "B.L.S. truthers" was none other than Jack Welch, the former chairman of General Electric, who posted an assertion on Twitter that the books had been cooked to help President Obama's re-election campaign. His claim was quickly picked up by right-wing pundits and media personalities.

It was nonsense, of course. Job numbers are prepared by professional civil servants, at an agency that currently has no political appointees. But then maybe Mr. Welch - under whose leadership G.E. reported remarkably smooth earnings growth, with none of the short-term fluctuations you might have expected (fluctuations that reappeared under his successor) - doesn't know how hard it would be to cook the jobs data.

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-37 # MidwestTom 2012-10-08 07:08

When it is widely reported that the economy must gain 125,000 jobs per month just to absorb the new workers entering the labor force; and we report that employment rose 115,000; how did the unemployment rate make a big drop? There must have been several hundred thousand give up looking for work. Many economists think that a Labor Force Participation rate would be more informative than the Unemployment Rate.

+2 # HowardMH 2012-10-08 10:39

Tom, You, tell the actual truth about what is really happening in this country and you get negative ratings. Does that show you just how stupid most of the people are in this country? What a bunch of imbeciles, no wonder they continue to elect and re-elect the corrupt totally bought and paid for by Wall Street and Big Oil politicians that will continue to totally screw the idiots and they are too dumb to even realize they are getting screwed. Look at the choices we have this time Romney the flip flopper looking out for the 1%, and Obama the Wimp with about as much back bone as a whipped dog hiding in the corner under a chair. A Third party you say, never going to happen, because the big money will never support it – they got things just the way they want them right now!
Romney makes a comment about Big Bird and the whole country goes into panic mode over cutting funding. The total is $445 Million for PBS which amounts to 0.01% of the budget or ONE Penney out of every $100. BUT, not a WORD is said about the BILLIONS, and BILLIONS that Wall Street gets every year due to the loop holes the totally bought and paid for politicians have written into law.
I could go on but I have already exceeded the attention span of most people.

+31 # bingers 2012-10-08 13:25

Actually over 400,000 MORE people entered the job market last month. Apparently you didn't read the article which explains that because of the retirement of baby boomers we now need 95,000 jobs a month.

-42 # jtatu 2012-10-08 13:31

The biggest problem we have as a nation is an electorate that can be motivated by class pandering into electing a totally incompetent megalomaniac president. Remember the IPod with his speeches on it given to Queen Elizabeth? Obama defines narcissism. His self-love makes him oblivious to everything else, a fact that was apparent in the first debate.

+12 # BlueReview 2012-10-08 17:50

Quoting jtatu:

Remember the IPod with his speeches on it given to Queen Elizabeth? Obama defines narcissism. His self-love makes him oblivious to everything else, a fact that was apparent in the first debate.

Wasn't that iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of HER 2007 visit to the US?

+7 # popeye47 2012-10-08 18:19

Speaking of the kettle calling the pot, black.

+12 # JanisL 2012-10-09 07:18

Pardon, jtatu your bigotry is showing! Better consult Snopes before you make such statements. And the megalomaniac and compulsive liar is none other than Willard Romney!

-5 # jtatu 2012-10-09 10:37

My bigotry? Pray tell, what is it about my comments that indicates bigotry to you? And BTW the IPod had at least 2 and maybe 3 of his own speeches on it.

+6 # BlueReview 2012-10-09 21:54

Quoting jtatu:

My bigotry? Pray tell, what is it about my comments that indicates bigotry to you? And BTW the IPod had at least 2 and maybe 3 of his own speeches on it.

Along with, as I said, video footage and photographs of the Queen's 2007 visit. Also included, a bunch of show tunes, because it's rumored the Queen of England likes show tunes. What did she give the Obamas? Same thing she gives all other dignitaries: A picture of herself. Why aren't you calling her narcissistic?

Any why shouldn't the President give a gift with something of himself in it? As her gift contains something of herself.

-4 # jtatu 2012-10-11 13:21

Maybe the Queen is narcissistic. So what? I am not aware of her saying anything like, "I am the One we have been waiting for." Even Joe Biden while explaining the President's absence from an event said, "He's getting ready for Easter; he thinks it's about him."

+1 # BlueReview 2012-10-12 08:23

Hypothetical situation: You meet your favorite musician; he gives you a CD, signed by him, of his own music. The case could be made that he is narcissistic—af ter all, it’s all about him. The fact that you, a fan, might treasure that gift is irrelevant.

Any musician, any sports figure, you could call them narcissistic—th ere had to be something there besides just the talent, to keep them pushing themselves until they got where they are. Until they succeeded. Believing in yourself, thinking that you might “be somebody” can be construed as being narcissistic to some.

Remember that, the next time you’re talking to somebody, telling them about something you said or did. The case could be made that you’re being narcissistic.

+1 # engelbach 2012-10-08 14:39

Yes, several hundred thousand did stop looking fo work.

+10 # rockieball 2012-10-09 08:08

Two years ago I was one of those who stopped looking for work. The thing is no one asks why these people stopped looking. Me I looked at my age at the time 62. I looked at my health, bad back and knees to start with. I looked at what I would get from Social Security and my UNION pensions which lost no money unlike the 401K's. I looked at my expenses. I looked in the mirror and decided to retire. I was going to work till 65-67, but I asked myself why? I have since met other people whom are not regular friends ranging from 56 to 68 who lost their jobs and decided to do the same thing. So it's just that people gave up looking but one must ask why? Did they retire, go back to school, decided to be a stay at home spouse and take care of the kids? Or did they like others I know begin to work for cash in the so called underground society?

+4 # Billy Bob 2012-10-09 09:32

A "labor force participation" rate would make the economy look much better than ever, now with all the 2-income families STILL just barely getting by. Compare that to the fact that people could afford the American dream with just one income back in the 1950s (at the same time the maximum income tax rate was 90%).

If we loosen child labor laws we could REALLY ramp up our "labor force participation" rate.

Sounds like a politically loaded scam to me.

+71 # BanCello 2012-10-08 07:08

I thought I'd add the obvious remark which is: That had the shoe been on the other foot, and these numbers had come out on THEIR watch, that the Neo-cons and conservatives would most likely be seen preening their plumes and puffing their chests, saying,'How great are WE!?"

+59 # jrmcq1 2012-10-08 08:16

Welch even tweeted, as a follow-up, that he assumed the jobs report can be manipulated like quarterly earns reports -- a flat out admission that he cooked the books at GE. He cooked the books so badly that he was shamed into returning a large portion of his "performance based" retirement benefits. His business school should be renamed the Liar's Club.

+8 # JanisL 2012-10-09 07:20

Just because Jack Welch is a crook and books-cooker, he shouldn't assume that everyone else is as crooked as he and GE! And he was the key actor in stealing the election from the winner, Al Gore, for sociopath George Bush! He is the ultimate traitor to his country! He needs to shut his piehole for the rest of his dotage--nobody is listening to his crap

+40 # LeeBlack 2012-10-08 08:16

The media is focusing on the 'lie' being told by the right-wingers about the job figures instead of the lies from Romney in the debate. Many more voters will see those comments than will read this reasoned article,

And so goes our election.

+65 # fredboy 2012-10-08 08:23

Yes, they want America--all of us--to fail. But so many of us can't take the hints: allowing the 9/11 attack, ignoring Katrina victims, ignoring the housing bubble and allowing the financial world to consume itself--then bailing out the wrongdoers. The list goes on and on. And they openly declared that their only goal was not to serve America but destroy Obama. This is blatant treason. Amazing that so many Americans are just sitting there and allowing it to happen.

+32 # Todd Williams 2012-10-08 09:44

Not only allowing it to happen, but enabling these pigs. Disgusting, isn't it?

+37 # Barbara K 2012-10-08 09:50

fredboy: You are absolutely correct. The TbaggingRs are so disgusting that they can't even be glad that 118,000 more people found jobs. They would rather gripe and moan about having to give them food stamps and unemployment, etc., than be happy that they are now employed and able to take care of their families. Kick them all out of OUR government.

DON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN at any level, we have several states that need cleaning out too.

+2 # Eldon J. Bloedorn 2012-10-10 01:11

I am registered as an Independent. Tho, I usually lean toward the Democratic Party. I "cry" that the Deomocrats have not appropriately (except for certain MSNBC shows) presented their case to the American people. The Republicans have proven themselves to be predators. Democrats have several reasons to exist. One reason to exist is to "pushback" against the Republican Darwinism without compassion. Is it an oversimplicatio n to say that the "predators always win?" If we were to say that THE "PREDATORS ALWAYS WIN" then there would be no reason for the Democratic party to exist.
It is for this reaon, "the reason to exist" that the message ought to brought to America's attention. But, here is the failure of the Demmocratic Party. The Party "ain't do'n their job." Is there a difference between Communism and the Republican Party? NO, If one forgets the purpose of the Democratic Party. The Democrats make the difference.

-31 # mrbadexample 2012-10-08 08:24

I mean no disrespect to a Nobel Laureate, but it's quite easy for the government to cook the employment data over a long term. Just as Nixon redefined 'core inflation' so that it doesn't include energy or food prices and LBJ redefined the 'unified budget' so that Social Security surpluses would mask the cost of the Vietnam War, the statistics on unemployment have been tweaked numerous times. The BLS also sugar-coats its numbers as it did this time--anyone who pays attention knows that 114K new jobs leaves us 11,000 short of keeping even with population growth. And many such jobs reports contain numerous statistical tweaks (seasonal employment and the like) which are claimed as jobs but not actually employing anyone.

Softening the blow of the real unemployment rate(which if you factored in U3 and u6 plus long-term discouraged workers would be in the neighborhood of 22%) does not help Obama OR the real people who are unemployed. Since 2008 the GOP has been reluctant to admit that we were/are in a Depression, not a deep recession. Gaming the numbers up makes it that much easier for Repubs to demand an end to stimulus and unemployment spending.

-27 # letsfixit 2012-10-08 10:09

THIS guy knows what he's talking about.

It is so easy to play with numbers. Like the national debt. We don't want to say we are spending 33 percent more than we take in. So we speak in terms of the GDP so the number doesn't look quite so large.

Well when we exceed the debt percentage of Greece- a piddling little country and use our GDP as a measure- we will then be talking REAL money.

The numbers are so large we can't quantify them in our braIn anymore.

+19 # bingers 2012-10-08 13:31

We take in too little because of the Reagan stupidity of trickle down and cutting the top marginal rate from 74% to 28%. That made it more profitable to take that money and invest it in things like Cayman Island accounts instead of in their companies as previously because that was better for them financially.

Perhaps, if they actually were job creators, creating jobs here instead of Asia because they don't mind sweat shops and slave labor if it makes them more money so they can have a car elevator in their houses we wouldn't be in this Republican disaster.

+11 # engelbach 2012-10-08 14:42

There's no evidence that the current numbers are "cooked."

-14 # jtatu 2012-10-08 16:00

I cannot help but mean some disrespect to a Nobel Laureate who has the audacity to tell us that the Labor Department is free of political appointees. Isn't it headed by a Presidential appointee?

+37 # MainStreetMentor 2012-10-08 08:29

Mr. Welch does what all RepubTeacan pundits do: Try to create a diversion, and reference IT in their attempts to make the diversion, rather than the facts, the point of focus. They have become so dependent upon diversions and fabrications, they no longer can identify TRUTH as it occurs.

+33 # Atia 2012-10-08 08:41

That's right, a .3% lower unemployment number was a conspiracy, but had it been a .3% rise in unemployment, would those same principles been applied? Gee, I seriously doubt it.

+42 # James Smith 2012-10-08 08:41

What we are seeing is the Rethhugnicans willingness, even eagerness, to use lies to further their goals of seeing Obama fail rather than America succeed. It's difficult tho think of anything more disgusting, even treasonous from a group that wishes to control the country.

+21 # pernsey 2012-10-08 09:46

Quoting James Smith:

What we are seeing is the Rethhugnicans willingness, even eagerness, to use lies to further their goals of seeing Obama fail rather than America succeed. It's difficult tho think of anything more disgusting, even treasonous from a group that wishes to control the country.

Your right James, the whole disgusting thing about it is, Fox news and Hannity are screaming this over the airwaves at people 24/7 if you dont watch other news you assume all this crap is true. I cant wait for the day the Fox news bubble pops.

Then Sununu goes on MSNBC and Fox calling the president a lazy liar, and Newt saying Obama is not a real president. This is all right wing propaganda cooked up to create so much confusion that people will vote for Mitt not realizing they are voting for their own demise.

When I watch these people on Fox or on Msnbc I think what is wrong with you? Are you insane? Then I see the right wing bubble sheeple spewing the same nonsense, I think really? They have actually convinced themselves this nonsense is true?

When I heard what the righties were spouting on about with this jobs news...I thought they are certifiably insane. Their greed has no boundaries and neither does they desperate lies.

+12 # bingers 2012-10-08 13:33

The BLS is all career bureaucrats, not political appointees. They crunch numbers and they aren't on Obama's side or Romney's either.

-14 # jtatu 2012-10-09 06:21

No good American wants Obama to fail. The trouble is he is in fact a dismal failure, an empty suit or chair, and we need to get rid of him so America can get back on the road to success.

+9 # Billy Bob 2012-10-09 09:20

First of all, what would YOU replace him with?

Second of all, if you think "no good American wants THE PRESIDENT to fail", then you obviously hate the repug party. Have you been listening to them since the day he was elected?

-7 # jtatu 2012-10-09 16:14

First of all? I think I would replace this POTUSA with any clear thinking human that is really concerned about this country and is not so in love with himself. Obama is a narcissistic incompetent. That leaves a lot of good replacements.

+2 # Eldon J. Bloedorn 2012-10-10 01:57

I am amazed with your psychological awareness and perception. Did you receive your psychology degree from Glenn Beck University? Should abnormal students be admitted to "psychology for normal people courses?"

-2 # jtatu 2012-10-11 11:06

I don't have a psychology degree but I can recognize self adoration when I see it. Remember His Arrogancy's telling us, "I am the One we have been waiting for."

+7 # Billy Bob 2012-10-09 09:23

Since no "GOOD" American wants the President to fail, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE REPUBLICANS?

-5 # jtatu 2012-10-09 16:15

That leaves the Republicans wanting to get rid of a dismal failure who is so in love with himself he cares about no one else.

+3 # Eldon J. Bloedorn 2012-10-10 01:59

Love your disfunctional anecdotal errrr, "reasoning." But, who ever accused the Republicans of being capable of rational thinking?

-2 # jtatu 2012-10-11 13:10

Where is the anecdote?

+3 # motamanx 2012-10-10 22:39

The road to success that was the Cheney/Bush/Rum sfeld train wreck?

+31 # BlueReview 2012-10-08 09:01

My first thought when reading Jack Welch's tweet about 'cooking the books' was, "He would know about that, wouldn't he?"

So--am I just a cynic, or am I gaining an understanding of human nature?

+11 # AMLLLLL 2012-10-08 11:13

Blue;
Jack Welch, on the air, confused 6% with .6%. He should shut his pie hole before he has to be rigged with a velcro strap to keep from drooling over himself.

+9 # bingers 2012-10-08 13:34

And remember, Welch was the architect of outsourcing and its' #1 fan.

+23 # Todd Williams 2012-10-08 09:42

Yesterday I took a 45-minute drive in a rural area of northern Ohio and was astounded by the number of Romney/Ryan signs in the front yards. Then I noticed that most of these homes were either dilapidated small houses or run-down, overgrown small farms. Made me wonder why these folks supported Romney. I assume that many of these home owners/renters were fairly down on their luck. Go figure...

+9 # Mannstein 2012-10-08 15:51

They are referred to as toothless Republicans. They can't afford dental care but will vote for any ass as long as he is wearing a GOP sign around his neck.

+20 # polgal333 2012-10-08 09:50

It's easy to understand why the Repugnants believe the numbers are wrong. After all, they've gone the distance to corrupt ("fix") the election (redistricting, voter ID when there's no proof of voter fraud) that it has to be unbelievable to them the unemployment number has dropped. Hmmmm......what to do? What to do? Make it into a conspiracy therory! Other false conspiracy theories have proven to work for them with the dumbed-down crowds they attract, so why not just use another conspiracy theory? Unfortunately, Repugnants will vote for ANYTHING without questioning it. Someone on TV today said, "Put an R on a tin can, and the Republicans will vote for it." So true. So true.

+8 # Antemedius 2012-10-08 10:06

The democratic and republican parties have lots of openings for shills. No experience or brains required, apparently.

+1 # dick 2012-10-08 10:16

There are 3 issues in this election, but NOT "Jobs, Jobs, & Jobs. "RAGING HATRED; Unlimited GREED;>>Power/C ONTROL. The driving force is NOT Rand, but Rove, who should have hanged for TREASON for outing CIA WMDs operative Valerie Plame. Too bad the COWARDLY BETRAYER Barry did not have the Backbone & good sense to reopen that case on Inauguration Day. Cheney & Rove committed treason; Obama will not FIGHT for ANYTHING that's really worthwhile. His "victories" are BOGUS shams.

+3 # Eldon J. Bloedorn 2012-10-10 02:24

Would you say he did not fight for the "next" 45,000 Americans who could have died if it were not for the Affordable Care Act? This country is considered a laughing stock for those citizens in other countries which have Univeresal
Health Care. The U.S.is "just another backward country" when examined for how we stack up: education standards, highest crime rate in the world, mass transportation, air pollution.
America is the greatest country in the world when it comes to military power, killing our neighbors. If you doubt this last comment, ask Bush, Chenney. Avoided and are now evading world-wide criminal prosecution for war crimes.

+20 # Todd Williams 2012-10-08 11:22

I don't know about anyone else, but I find it quite odd that the poorest states who contribute less than $1 for each $1 they pay in federal taxes, take the most money back in federal tax revenue. Conversely, the richest states contribute the most money in tax dollars, but receive the least in return. Guess which states are the poorest? And guess which political party runs these states? What are these poor, and for the most part white, folks gonna do if Romney is elected? Goodbye food stamps, welfare, section 8, aid to education, postal jobs, unemployment comp, minimum wage, etc. But watch these suckers go out and pull the lever for the man whose is going to screw them.

+15 # bingers 2012-10-08 13:41

Well, the two most common reason for voting Republican are ignorance and stupidity, but three other factors sound out the sum total of all Republican voters, insanity, bigotry and greed.

A study of Tea baggers showed 25% of them to be out and out racists.

For those who think Obama is weak, you should study history. Compromise is the way hings get done and he's always been the adult in the room. Lately he seems to be getting fed up with the obstructionists and Reid has said he might end the filibuster if the sane people keep control of the senate, so a new term might just be eye opening.

Also, he's stood up to China and ended their dumping of products here winning 5 of 5 and just having filed another unfair trading complaint, so not as weak as you surmise.

-11 # jtatu 2012-10-09 08:14

If Obama gets reelected, we can all find out what he promised Putin when he didn't know the mike was on. All we know now is that we are not going to like it because if we did know now he wouldn't get reelected. We've seen the Wizard. Now lets get rid of him and send him back to Chicago so he can resume organizing the communities.

+2 # Billy Bob 2012-10-09 09:17

So, to paraphrase what you just said:

"We aren't going to like it if the President is re-elected, because if we knew why we wouldn't like it he wouldn't get re-elected"

?

?

Google "circular logic".

+14 # bobl811 2012-10-08 12:23

A friend of mine once said it best: "If your a middle class working person & you vote Republican it's the same as a chicken voting for Cornel Sanders." These Republican's have been on a witch hunt for the last 2+ years, have blocked EVERY proposal the Obama Admin has presented to this Congress to get the country back to work by creating jobs; which in turn would have helped the economy grow. The Republicans have put their Party BEFORE what would be best for America & EVERY one of them is guilty of outright TREASON. Obama's Admin should be credited for creating the jobs they have WITHOUT ANY help from this obstructive Congress. Just imagine how many more jobs could have been created if this Congress would have just cooperated with the Admin & met them 1/2 way. Vote EVERY one of then OUT in November!

+10 # MindDoc 2012-10-08 14:12

um... Isn't Welch's GE a company cited as a case study of the plutocracy's ownership of our country? As in, GE paying ZERO taxes? He's quite the voice of big-time hypocrisy and - typical of the tea/Koch/Rove party - using word-spin to reverse true meaning and reality. War is peace. Lies are truth. Etc. (Images from Orwell's 1984/2004, highlighting the role of Big Brother owning the media and channeling the "Ministry of Truth".

Facts can be spun, but this shrill whining by this messenger of the % contented hogs-at-the-tro ugh (speaking of Welch here) -
is really a diversion at best. When will Trump join in and question the birth or validity of the Bureau of Labor etc... ? Sick, sick, and... dangerous!

Why so much screeaming about .2 %? or the 1% who want to proclaim that "it's all Obama's fault" and no even slightly positive progress is to go unchallenged... The Rove/Koch party's message, brought to you by the plutocracy we so love, the "owners" of America, rather than the "We the People".

And the point? Mine: Let's focus on weeding the blight from Congress, and the propaganda from "public" airwaves. Krugman's: Facts are sometimes facts. Get over it! Embrace the truth, and erase the corruption of ideas and governance.

+5 # Eldon J. Bloedorn 2012-10-08 15:04

It's still great to have guys like Bill Maher around. Frank Luntz made a comment that would have been gleefully picked up by low information voters as "really hot stuff." Maher's comment to Luntz, "that's bullshit." Come on Obama, you can do the same thing with mitt.

+2 # Rick Levy 2012-10-08 18:53

After all this time since the Great Recession, the unemployment rate is still too high. A decrease of .3% in the rate is a drop in the bucket. For all this we can thank the Republicans and enabling Democrats for focusing on the deficit instead of jobs.

If Obama had any balls, he would have pushed for a revival of the Depression-era Works Project Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps to get America back to work and back on its feet again.

+4 # _Pooh_Bear 2012-10-08 22:50

If Israel hates Obama he must be doing something right!

+7 # Ralph Averill 2012-10-09 03:24

What the actual job numbers are is beside the point. The real issue is that the President of the United States is NOT a dictator. Congress is more responsible for what happens, or doesn't happen, in this country than the President.
Republicans blame Obama for everything; as if Congress, and congressional Rpublican blocking of every effort to increase employment, doesn't exist. Romney brags about what he will do, i.e. repeal ACA, as if Congress doesn'r exist.

+2 # Sandy G 2012-10-09 06:56

Maybe Mr. Welch should go back to producing Grape-Juice (a.k.a. 'Koolaid')

0 # Malcolm 2012-10-09 10:07

In the "for what it's worth" department, during the Nixon days, the feds (Nixon, presumably) had a cool way to falsify employment numbers. In order to show what a great job destroyer he was, he made grandiose claims about the umpteen millions of jobs he'd cut from the federal govt.

Truly, though, he merely substituted stopped counting those of us who were "WAE's", which meant, at that time in our history "waiting actual employment". The only difference between us WAEs and other employees was that we got no benefits, and we were not counted as employees. Thus, Nixon -or Noxin as he was called back then, by flipping his bumper stickers upside down, had his cake and ate it too.

I wonder is the current prez and his chums does anything dishonest like NOXIN did?

+1 # ghostperson 2012-10-10 20:42

The right increasingly reminds me of the "conspiracy brother" character of the Wayan brothers TV show--only in reverse.

The GOP (Grand Old Plutocrats) have finally found the single Black man responsible for all the bad things that happen to rich white people and their mesmerized minions.

We now know Stephen King writes non-fiction by comparison to what is our national daily political fare.

I suspect that this craziness will not stop until there are riots in the street as occurred during the Viet Nam era.

There was no movement to end the war until middle class, middle-aged white people were out in the streets joining the students.

One thanksgiving, I came home from college and my mother, out of nowhere, said, "It's a good thing I don't have sons." We asked why? She replied, "Because we would all be living in Canada." My folks were the WWII generation.

As a nation, we are prone to what is called "transitory hysteria." E.g.'s prohibition, Joseph McCarthy, murder in the name of life.

This will burn out and I hope it is sooner rather than later. It will not burn out sooner if good people do and say nothing.

We must re-establish the primacy of the middle class. Without it there is no ladder that allows movement from bottom to top and no group with sufficient education to contain plutocrats.

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