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Bill Moyers concluding remarks:
"Here’s a significant
revelation of which you may not be aware. The plutocrats know it and love it,
and the rest of us should be forewarned. When the Supreme Court made its
infamous Citizens United decision, liberating plutocrats to buy our elections
fair and square, the justices may have effectively overturned rules that kept
bosses from ordering employees to do political work on company time. Election
law expert Trevor Potter told us that now “corporations argue that
it is a constitutionally protected use of corporate ‘resources’
to order employees to do political work or attend campaign events—even
if the employee opposes the candidate, or is threatened with being fired for
failure to do what the corporation asks.”
Reporter Mike Elk at In These Times magazine came across a recording
of Governor Mitt Romney on a conference call in June with some business
executives. The Governor told them there is quote, “nothing illegal
about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the
business, because I think that will figure into their election decision,
their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids
as well.”
And here’s Governor Romney two months later, campaigning at an Ohio
coal mine:
"This is a time for truth. I
listened to an ad on the way here. I’ll tell you, you got a great boss.
He runs a great operation here. And he—Bob? Where are you Bob? There he is."
Look at all those miners around him,
steadfastly standing in support, right? They work for a company called Murray
Energy and attendance at the rally, without pay, was mandatory. Murray Energy
is notorious for violating safety regulations, sometimes resulting in
injuries and deaths. And the company has paid millions in fines. The CEO, Bob
Murray, a well-known climate change denier and cutthroat businessman, insists
that his employees contribute to his favorite anti-regulatory candidates, or
else. In one letter uncovered by “The New Republic” magazine,
Murray wrote quote, “We have been insulted by every salaried
employee who does not support our efforts.” So much for voting rights
and the secret ballot at Murray Energy.
Mike Elk discovered that the Koch Brothers, David and Charles – who
have pledged to spend $60 million defeating President Obama – have sent
a “voter information packet” to the employees of Georgia Pacific,
one of their subsidiaries. It includes a list of recommended candidates,
pro-Romney and anti-Obama editorials written by the Koch’s and a cover
letter from the company president. If we elect the wrong people, Dave
Robertson writes, “Many of our more than 50,000 US employees and
contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices,
runaway inflation, and other ills.” Other ills? Like losing your job?
This is snowballing. Timeshare king David Siegel of Westgate Resorts
reportedly has threatened to fire employees if Barack Obama is re-elected and
Arthur Allen, who runs ASG Software Solutions, e-mailed his employees,
“If we fail as a nation to make the right choice on November 6th, and
we lose our independence as a company, I don’t want to hear any
complaints regarding the fallout that will most likely come.”
Back in the first Gilded Age, in the 19th century, bosses and company towns
lined up their workers and marched them to vote as a block. As we said at the
beginning of this broadcast, the Gilded Age is back with a vengeance. Welcome
to the plutocracy. The remains of the ol’ USA.
That’s it for this week. On our website, BillMoyers.com, at your
request, we’re starting a book club. Our first is Chrystia
Freeland’s “Plutocrats.” Read the book, ask questions,
share your thoughts. Then let’s have a lively conversation.
That’s at BillMoyers.com. I’ll see you there and I’ll see
you here, next time."
Maybe the Banks will threaten to crash the stock market if their indentured
servants, the American people, do not vote the right way. It worked when the
noble Congressional bureaucrats were cowed into submission when the Banks
demanded their 'no strings' bailouts and the people were adamantly against
it.
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