The One Percent is not only increasing their share of wealth — they're using it to spread millions among political candidates who serve their interests. Example: Goldman Sachs, which gave more money than any other major American corporation to Barack Obama in 2008, is switching alliances this year; their employees have given 0,000 both to Mitt Romney's campaign and to the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future. Why? Because, says the Wall Street Journal, the Goldman Sachs gang felt betrayed by President Obama's modest attempts at financial reform.
To discuss how the super-rich have willfully confused their self-interest with America's interest, Bill is joined by Rolling Stone magazine's Matt Taibbi, who regularly shines his spotlight on scandals involving big business and government, and journalist Chrystia Freeland, author of the new book Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else.
Following the conversation, Bill shares his thoughts on corporate executives who -- enabled by the Citizens United ruling -- are strong-arming their employees to vote as they say, from the Murray Energy CEO who reportedly made his workers spend unpaid time at a pro-Romney rally; to David and Charles Koch, who sent anti-Obama and pro-Romney materials to the 45,000 employees of their subsidiary Georgia Pacific; to ASG Solutions boss Arthur Allen, who sent an intimidating email to his employees.
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For the first time in history, more than half of all members of Congress are millionaires. Of the 534-current members of Congress, at least 268-had an average net worth of million or more. While the US is faced with unprecedented issues surrounding unemployment, food stamps, social assistance and minimum wage rates, it begs the question: has the US turned into a plutocracy?
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Jan96106 says
Income equality a global phenomenon, and she doesn’t think capitalism has
anything to do with it? She loves capitalism?
Larkinchance says
The job creators create public relation people, security forces and police
to protect their interests..
tigerone1970 says
The reason that it is a global phenomenon, is because Rothschilds and
Rockefellers operate globally. The IMF/World Bank visit austerity,
privatisation, deregulation and ‘free trade’ on every government in the
world. Before he became the head of the World Bank, James D. Wolfensohn was
in a joint venture with Lord Jabob, the 4th Baron Rothschild, called J.
Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co. (I’m still figuring out who the & Company is).
James D. Wolfensohn, from his autobiography “A Global Life: My Journey
Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank”:
” Meanwhile, after a fifteen year absence from the London banking scene, I
returned to form a joint venture with my friend Jacob Rothschild.
” We called our enterprise J. Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co., and our aim was
to deliver our own personal brand of investment banking across Europe and
in the newly opened markets of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
As a business venture, J. Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co. never really took
off. The firm earned fees, did some deals in Russia, and eventually turned
a profit, but we dissolved the London partnership in 1995, when I joined
the World Bank. “
millstap says
Its the British that are causing all of this. THE BRITISH!
Dana Corbin says
Moyers & Company Show 141:Plutocracy Rising: http://youtu.be/9nbZl0msX78
tallnuf4ya says
I really in my heart of hearts did not want to make a racial statement and
yes i am black….but dude out of all the workrs… coal miners and i like
energy, it’s cold as hell right now in Northern Indiana…….. coal miners
have a dangerous job but then to yes their part of the Coal Miners Union
part of that brotherhood is safety and benefits and High wages…My
point…. I saw not one Black miner in all 70 to 80 miners standing behind
Mitt Romney…this was a mandatory gathering by the company so i guess the
“Brothers” that worked for the company got FIRED! that day….I wonder
Ricardo Gabriel Amarilla says
Liam Wheeler says
fair & balanced & reality
desktorp says
Jewtocracy.
jay cee says
In Russia 110 Billionaires own 35% of all wealth. Russia is rated as the
most unequal of all the developed countries. In the USA 413 Billionaires
own 50% of the net wealth of the USA. Where does the USA rank as far as
inequality.
707westy says
I love his enthusiasm for anyone, ANYONE!, under 50 years of age who can
figure just how screwed they’re, and their kids, going to be!
jay cee says
BTW 1% of 300M is 3M. 413 is 0.00014% or one seventh of a thousandth of a
percent.
THEECF says
It’s scary people take this seriously. 1mm stats to say “here’s inequality”
“here’s racism” but they don’t want to admit the cause is Federal Reserve
monetary easing.
– you create more money, it goes into the financial assets and the people
with financial assets get richer.
Spartaculus Jones says
Social inequality is caused by continous war and keeping the masses
uneducated. If the vast majority of people had some degree of wealth and
education, they would rise up and sweep away the privileged class for
having no function. – George Orwell
Spartaculus Jones says
It’s no longer class warfare. It’s class genocide. When 45,000 Americans
die every year because they neglect their illnesses because of lack of
insurance – that’s class genocide. When employers take out “Dead Peasants”
insurance out on their employees and then refuse to pay the family
surviving the employee – that’s class genocide. When a building in
Bangladesh crashes to the ground killing a thousand people – that’s class
murder.
Chef Bryn says
very good doc. all you have to do is look at lobbying and you know the
government are not pulling the strings anymore. lobbying benefits the rich
to the detriment of society.
Clyde V Strickland says
Spartaculus Jones says
Room to create jobs?! The owners of the means of production are Hell-bent
on DESTROYING jobs by mechanization, automation, computerization and
robotization so that they can MAKE MORE MONEY for themselves by doing away
with salaries, wages, and commissions.
1wOrld No Nukes says
Moyers & Company Show 141:Plutocracy Rising: http://youtu.be/9nbZl0msX78
Spartaculus Jones says
The upper class soars above the law. The middle and lower classes crawl
under the law.
Spartaculus Jones says
The merger of corporation and state is not merely facism – it is
corporatism. – Benito Mussolini.
Spartaculus Jones says
The strong take everything. The wolves claw their way to the top and the
sheep are mauled.
Spartaculus Jones says
People who are rich don’t deserve to be rich. They got rich by lying,
cheating and stealing every day of their sorry lives.
Spartaculus Jones says
It’s not a taboo. It’s the dumbing down of America – especially young
people.
Spartaculus Jones says
Since 1964 SIXTY MILLION U.S. jobs have been automated. The buying power
of U.S. job wages has stagnated for FORTY-FIVE years (since 1968). From
now to the year 2050 A.D. ONE HUNDRED MILLION U.S. jobs will be automated.
– Jeremy Rifkin (The End of Work 1994) and Marshall Brain (Robotic Nation).
Aurum Argentium says
None of us know all the facts…the people against us are the American
politicians of both parties
Joel D'Alessandro says
Already there
michaelpsmusic says
I think this misses the point. The real plutocracy is that Congress is
fully dependent upon donations from wealthy corporations, special
interests, and individuals to get into office and to stay in office. This
dependency results in laws and policies that are favorable to those wealthy
donators at the expense of citizens and small businesses that can’t afford
to buy elections and policy decisions. Because of this, the wealthy
control most government decisions. Congresspersons’ individual wealth is
trivial compared to the money flowing into elections, influence, and
lobbying. The problem isn’t Congressperson’s wealth, it’s that Congress
works directly for the wealthy few rather than the citizens that elected
them.
ewan hussami says
if the americans are as smart as they think they are, it will be an
evolution rather than a revolution. but history shows that the accumulation
of wealth for the sake of wealth is not very smart. and those are the
people making the decisions for america and the whole world now.
Drew Gipson says
Individualism, Absolutism, Kingship what?
Brian Donaldson says
If you think the millionaire congress is the elite then you have no clue
Daniel Swanson says
Kind of hard to represent the people when congress is invested in big
business interests.
Donald Reith says
hwmcadoo says
I have been saying something like this for ten years. I think a term that
fits better is fascist world dictatorship.
rockerdc says
Capitalism must GO! This is the 21st century. The bankers and the
corporations re holding back patents on technology that will ELIMINATE
scarcity. This entire sham is becoming increasingly exposed. It’s all
ARTIFICIAL…..END CAPITALISM!