Fascism Coming to a Computer Near You

[kalm]

Just like with healthcare and the financial services sector, corporate controlled government is gaining power. This should be a non-partisan issue. Hint: It ain't the hippies you knuckleheads need to be worried about.

For the short attention span sufferers here are some excerpts, but the entire article is a damn good and semi-frightening read - that is if you enjoy certain freedoms.


Monday, Mar 29, 2010 03:30 EDT
Mike McConnell, the WashPost & the dangers of sleazy corporatism
By Glenn Greenwald
In a political culture drowning in hidden conflicts of interests, exploitation of political office for profit, and a rapidly eroding wall separating the public and private spheres, Mike McConnell stands out as the perfect embodiment of all those afflictions. Few people have blurred the line between public office and private profit more egregiously and shamelessly than he. McConnell's behavior is the classic never-ending "revolving door" syndrome: public officials serve private interests while in office and are then lavishly rewarded by those same interests once they leave. He went from being head of the National Security Agency under Bush 41 and Clinton directly to Booz Allen, one of the nation's largest private intelligence contractors, then became Bush's Director of National Intelligence, then went back to Booz Allen, where he is now Executive Vice President.

Aside from the general dangers of vesting government power in private corporations -- this type of corporatism (control of government by corporations) was the hallmark of many of the worst tyrannies of the last century -- all of this is big business beyond what can be described. The attacks of 9/11 exploded the already-huge and secret intelligence budget. Shorrock estimates that "about 50 percent of this spending goes directly to private companies" and "spending on intelligence since 2002 is much higher than the total of $33 billion the Bush administration paid to Bechtel, Halliburton and other large corporations for reconstruction projects in Iraq."

In every way that matters, the separation between government and corporations is nonexistent, especially (though not only) when it comes to the National Security and Surveillance State. Indeed, so extreme is this overlap that even McConnell, when he was nominated to be Bush's DNI, told The New York Times that his ten years of working "outside the government," for Booz Allen, would not impede his ability to run the nation's intelligence functions. That's because his Booz Allen work was indistinguishable from working for the Government, and therefore -- as he put it -- being at Booz Allen "has allowed me to stay focused on national security and intelligence communities as a strategist and as a consultant. Therefore, in many respects, I never left."

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Baldy]

Just like with healthcare and the financial services sector, corporate controlled government is gaining power. This should be a non-partisan issue. Hint: It ain't the hippies you knuckleheads need to be worried about.

For the short attention span sufferers here are some excerpts, but the entire article is a damn good and semi-frightening read - that is if you enjoy certain freedoms.

I'm sure it is frightening to the shallow people who get their reading material from far left-wing out of the mainstream radical wacko mouth breathers like Glenn Greenwald.

[kalm]

Just like with healthcare and the financial services sector, corporate controlled government is gaining power. This should be a non-partisan issue. Hint: It ain't the hippies you knuckleheads need to be worried about.

For the short attention span sufferers here are some excerpts, but the entire article is a damn good and semi-frightening read - that is if you enjoy certain freedoms.

I'm sure it is frightening to the shallow people who get their reading material from far left-wing out of the mainstream radical wacko mouth breathers like Glenn Greenwald.

So now you're anti-constitution and pro-centralized control via private-public partnerships that lack oversight? Another well reasoned, thoughtful response.

Similar to most of Greenwald's work, he takes both sides to task - if you read the article.

[Baldy]

So now you're anti-constitution and pro-centralized control via private-public partnerships that lack oversight? Another well reasoned, thoughtful response.

As you probably already know, I am not an Obama supporter (guess that makes me a racist, too )

Similar to most of Greenwald's work, he takes both sides to task - if you read the article.

Yes, he goes after the right because they are the right, he goes after the left because in his twisted opinion, they aren't leftist enough. *yawn*

[Col Hogan]

Baldy, the really crappy thing about this article is that the author chose to cite only a former Bush Administration official who has blurred these lines...totally ignoring all the former Clinonistas who have done the very same thing with the Obama administration...

It's not a left or right...Republican or Democratic...Conk or Donk issue...

It's $$$$$$$ and how to make it...and the friends you make in the Administration of choice...

It really is a problem...not a new one...and it's one of those problems Obama promised change in...


Yea....Change We Can Believe In...

[kalm]

Baldy, the really crappy thing about this article is that the author chose to cite only a former Bush Administration official who has blurred these lines...totally ignoring all the former Clinonistas who have done the very same thing with the Obama administration...

It's not a left or right...Republican or Democratic...Conk or Donk issue...

It's $$$$$$$ and how to make it...and the friends you make in the Administration of choice...

It really is a problem...not a new one...and it's one of those problems Obama promised change in...


Yea....Change We Can Believe In...

Colonel gets it, and FWIW, Greenwald has gone after the Clintonistas a bunch in previous articles. McConnel just happens to be the example du jour.

[Chizzang]

The below picture: T-man and Baldy... the resemblance is amazing

[oldsloguy]

Just like with healthcare and the financial services sector, corporate controlled government is gaining power.

Yeah well,
One of the fundamental reasons conservatives (as per my definition) want smaller government is that as government gets bigger, with the huge amounts of money that are involved corruption is absolutely certain to follow. Since government politicians will pick winners and losers it becomes a matter of survival for corporations to become involved.

Government corruption and money look no farther than fannie:

Franklin Delano Raines ….he used it as his personal piggy bank, looting it for a total of almost $100 million …..Other Clinton cronies, including Janet Reno aide Jamie Gorelick, padded their pockets to the tune of another $75 million.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysi ... oot+fannie" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

But you know what is really interesting and blows my mind. Libs’ do not seem to realize this. They push for bigger government and then are outraged when it blows-up. Their response is comical; just blame the Republicans. Greed is fundamental aspect of human nature. When you make opportunities available someone will eventually come along to take it.

[kalm]

Just like with healthcare and the financial services sector, corporate controlled government is gaining power.

Yeah well,
One of the fundamental reasons conservatives (as per my definition) want smaller government is that as government gets bigger, with the huge amounts of money that are involved corruption is absolutely certain to follow. Since government politicians will pick winners and losers it becomes a matter of survival for corporations to become involved.

Government corruption and money look no farther than fannie:

Franklin Delano Raines ….he used it as his personal piggy bank, looting it for a total of almost $100 million …..Other Clinton cronies, including Janet Reno aide Jamie Gorelick, padded their pockets to the tune of another $75 million.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysi ... oot+fannie" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

But you know what is really interesting and blows my mind. Libs’ do not seem to realize this. They push for bigger government and then are outraged when it blows-up. Their response is comical; just blame the Republicans. Greed is fundamental aspect of human nature. When you make opportunities available someone will eventually come along to take it.

Good post. I agree that liberals are naive when it comes to unintended consequences. Although lately, they've been playing the game quite well and winning elections as a result. But true conservatives should be absolutely fired up about this kind of crap. I think it's a far more likely path to fascism than pure government takeover. As I said before, this should be a non-partisan issue.