Cole writes: "There are so many open secrets in our corporatocracy. But precisely because they are the open secrets of powerful multi-billion-dollar concerns with phalanxes of attorneys, which after all themselves own most 'news' media, they are the secrets that dare not say their name."

Rupert Murdoch threatened a British prime minister. (photo: AP)

10 Open Secrets of the Corporatocracy

By Juan Cole, Informed Comment

13 June 12

here are so many open secrets in our corporatocracy. But precisely because they are the open secrets of powerful multi-billion-dollar concerns with phalanxes of attorneys, which after all themselves own most “news” media, they are the secrets that dare not say their name.

But every once in a while, some evidence for these secrets is proffered to the public, perhaps because the corporation involved has been embroiled in a major (known) scandal and so is too weak to prevent it any more. So here are today’s “You always knew it, but…” revelations:

10. You always knew it, but yesterday former British prime minister John Major admitted that billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch came to his office and threatened him that if he did not change his foreign policy, Murdoch’s corporations “would not be able to support” him. Major confesses to having been overly frightened by the prospect of bad publicity. Murdoch’s Fox Cable News likewise works by intimidation and fear tactics.

9. Even though corporation profits as a percentage of our gross domestic product are at a high for the post-War II period, workers have seen little benefit, since CEO compensation is is now 350 times that of the the average worker, up from 50 times in the period from 1960-1985.

8. You always knew it, but now WHO has officially announced that diesel fumes cause lung cancer.

7. Romney wants to remake Obamacare so that millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions will be excluded from it.

6. The UN peace-keaping head has now pronounced whatever is going on in Syria to be ‘a civil war.’

5. Criminalizing ever more drugs is getting in the way of bio-medical research.

4. Stealth Republican-enacted state laws supposedly intended to prevent voter fraud don’t actually work.

3. Too much dependence on natural gas will cause carbon emissions to sky-rocket, according to the International Energy Agency

2. Even congressmen are having to use strong-arm tactics to find out how many Americans are being spied on by the government.

1. Economic inequality is leading the US to the brink, according to a Nobelist in economics.

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+31 # pernsey 2012-06-13 14:56

In summation the Republicans, Fox News, and Rupert Murdoch are ruining the US, UK, and world economies, ecologies, and our health care.

Great job Right wingers keep supporting the party of NO and soon you wont have anything, and typically and magically it will be Obama's fault! Geroge W. Bush do you remember him? Nooo, of course not!!

+3 # Smiley 2012-06-13 21:41

Don't forget that most of the Democrats are also bought out.

+2 # JSRaleigh 2012-06-14 06:40

Quoting Smiley:

Don't forget that most of the Democrats are also bought out.

Except for the ones who have been shut out.

+4 # SoCalStar 2012-06-13 21:50

Strange. I thought it was Big Corporations in bed with Big Government supported by Big Republicans and Big Democrats, based on what I see of voting records, that was ruining our country and our world.

+4 # pernsey 2012-06-14 05:52

Quoting SoCalStar:

Strange. I thought it was Big Corporations in bed with Big Government supported by Big Republicans and Big Democrats, based on what I see of voting records, that was ruining our country and our world.

What I find strange is the name George W. Bush (who ruined this country) is never mentioned by the right wing. Mainly I think because Fox News hasnt given them their talking points on what to say about him. Also because they transferred all his blunders onto Obama.

+2 # Kwelinyingi 2012-06-14 04:38

I DO remember George W. Bush. He started this whole cycle. But to forget that Obama is doing a sterling job of continuing GW's policies is to be naive to the extreme.

+5 # JSRaleigh 2012-06-14 06:41

Quoting Kwelinyingi:

I DO remember George W. Bush. He started this whole cycle. But to forget that Obama is doing a sterling job of continuing GW's policies is to be naive to the extreme.

Saint Ronnie started the whole cycle.

0 # pernsey 2012-06-14 10:15

Quoting Kwelinyingi:

I DO remember George W. Bush. He started this whole cycle. But to forget that Obama is doing a sterling job of continuing GW's policies is to be naive to the extreme.

Thats right minimize Bush and keep pumping it all on Obama! Its so typical...

+6 # soularddave 2012-06-13 22:47

Here's a couple more:

The war in Iraq was avoidable, completely, as it was based on lies.

9/11, as well as 7/7 were, to some degree, inside jobs.

The big question, though, is this:
Are we totally screwed forever and ever?

-3 # John Locke 2012-06-14 07:08

soularddave: We are screwed until people wake up! People have to understand BOTH parties, Obama included (especially Obama) are not interested in our welfare either individually, collectively or as a nation. With all the current scoundrels (being kind here) running for office with only a couple of exceptions, they don’t give a second thought to us or the environment, or even about creating jobs. It’s all about money, and their heightened pay scale, and guess where they get that money from! US, in one form or another! We are the expendable equation…

It’s all out warfare, the 1% against the 99%... they will continue to take from us to feed their inflated ego’s as long as we allow them to, and that will be until we stop playing in their playing field….

They NEED US, more then we need them, without labor their power is useless and they can’t produce the weapons or products to sell!!!! In short what good is there money when nobody will accept it? And how will this fascist regime in Washington carry on with NO tax revenue coming in from the 99%?

When people stop enabling these bums like Obama to accomplish the Republican goals, and stop apologizing for his (intentional) failures, only then will we have a chance...

Think about this…Blind faith indeed makes you blind to reality,

+2 # Granny Weatherwax 2012-06-15 07:01

Hi John,
I guess people give you thumbs down for holding Obama to account, but I agree in general with your comment. I do disagree with you on the motivation - to me the politicians (Democrats or Grumpy Old Pharts) are bought because there is money in politics.
Whatever their core beliefs, they can't do a thing before they get elected and once elected they have been bought and paid for.

To me all this points to one thing and one thing only: get the $$$ out of the elections.
Then politicians will have to appeal to their constituents and not to their funders.

+13 # RMDC 2012-06-14 02:47

Where is the open secret about corporations paying almost no taxes while getting the most services from government? Last time I read anything, corporations contributed less than 4% of the total taxes collected by government. Back in the 60s corporations contributed about 45%.

Where's the open secret about corporations externalizing their costs -- that is pushing any cost they can on to government, society, or the next generation. Instead of paying now to clean up toxic waste, why not just dump it and let the government clean it up.

Where's the open secret about rewarding incompetence and failure. CEO's conspire with Boards to set salaries of top offiers. These are not linked to performance. CEO's often actually loot their corporations.

+5 # CHFels 2012-06-14 03:42

All the points made are right, but some have nothing to do with the corporatocracy (Syria?), and there are much bigger open secrets out there. (Maybe already commented in another list.)

Re 4., those laws were never intended to prevent voter fraud, they were intended to get poor, hispanic and black voters off the rolls. And they are working!

+1 # dovelane1 2012-06-15 01:21

And students.

+7 # JSRaleigh 2012-06-14 06:39

That's because the so called "voter fraud" laws aren't meant to prevent fraud, they're intended to defraud the citizenry of their right to vote.

0 # John Steinsvold 2012-06-14 10:24

An Alternative to Capitalism (if the people knew about it, they would demand it)

Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: "There is no alternative". She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.

I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider. Please click on the following link. It will take you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?" which was published by the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:

http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm

John Steinsvold

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."~ Albert Einstein

0 # barbaratodish 2012-06-14 15:05

The biggest "secret" of all is that our social contract is neither social nor a contract! Instead of being social, we are anti-social to our selves and/or to others, and instead of the social contract being a contract where there is "meeting of the minds" there ARE no minds to bring TO any meeting, because instead of having our minds (and our identities) our minds (and our identities ) HAVE US! We have seen the enemy and the enemy R us! We need to replace the social contract with self validity contracts: Now in a Kindle (What colors would YOU choose for your self celebrity stars?)
http://www.amazon.com/Self-Validity-Contract-Replace-Social/dp/1477409327
and/or paperback edition: http://www.amazon.com/Self-Validity-Contract-Replace-Social/dp/1477409327#reader_1477409327

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