As the election get closer, the candidates for the "other" big business party, you know, the one that claims to be for working folk, are hot on the campaign trail spewing out populist rhetoric. John Edwards has been denouncing corporate greed (poor guy, he's only worth about $30 mil) and obscene pay for CEO's.

 Hilary Clinton meanwhile has proposed a $1 billion fund to help out homeowners forced in to foreclosure by the mortgage crisis, and according to commentators, is attempting to, "tap in to the nostalgia for the Bill Clinton era----or at least its economic record." (1)  She is not sure that the sexual advances made during the Bill Clinton era would help her campaign.

 Barak Obama has proposed an $80 billion plan to cut income taxes and increase deduction on mortgage interest.  He re-assured his audience though that he is a strong supporter of "open markets".  He claims that "cleaning up abuses and creating what he sees as a more balanced tax system is in Wall Street's interest as much as the publics." (2)

Naturally, no member of the public seriously believes this.  Even those who might vote for them probably don't; they will just be voting for the "lesser of two evils"---some choice. (3)
Despite all the phony rhetoric, one thing is certain and that is that fundamentally nothing will change by voting for these folks.  Politicians from neither Party have said a word about the vicious offensive against working people in America. Sure, the Democrats will whine a little about this or that cut and recommended slightly smaller cuts or shift the burden from one section of the working class to another, but their masters profit will be secure.

 The same issue of Business Week quoted here had two other articles giving some examples, a tip of the iceberg mind you, of the vast sums of money in society and the theft of it by the capitalist class and the corporations they control.

 One was on ethanol production.  According to BW, the oil industry is presently collecting $3.5 billion in subsidies in order to get them to add "small amounts" of ethanol to gas.  This ethanol added fuel is called E85 and is the product of a congressional plan to cut projected annual gasoline use by 15%.  The oil industry receives "51 cents per gallon federal subsidy for each gallon of ethanol it mixes with gas."

So the taxpayer is paying the oil industry $3.5 billion now and an estimated $7 billion by 2010 to add the ethanol.  But, pleased as it at the welfare state that provides this gift, the oil, industry is opposing the addition of ethanol to gas.  It is using all the arguments, many valid of course, but the point here is not to argue this issue but to point out the insane waste of the capitalist economy. Many more millions, probably billions are being used to fund studies at universities against ethanol use.

 The universities are bought and paid for by the corporations.  The drug companies along with other corporations fund studies and research that will; bring them "blockbuster" drugs and huge profits.

 Business Week also reports that drug and medical device makers spend about $19 billion every year giving gifts to doctors. Even some big business politicians are concerned given the abuse and some states have introduced legislation forcing companies to disclose payments the drug industry makes to doctors as gifts.
 The drug industry trade group that represents the industry considers it a practice that looks after the interest of the patient. "Doctors learn about new treatments from interactions with sales reps, and the legislation could discourage this critical educational component." an industry spokesperson tells Business Week.

 It just shows how secretive our society is that they worry about the weakest piece of legislation that won't curtail their operations anyway.  They don't even want to consider such things.  After all, it may give people ideas. This is capitalism, capitalists rule and their representatives make the rules. They are not about to divulge their business secrets and no federal or state agency will force them to do so, neither will their politicians. But to legitimize their arguments and maintain secrecy, drug companies are arguing that the payments are "marketing strategies that should be protected as trade secrets".  There you have it; if you support the free market you have to support this right.

 Even Business Week, a respected journal of the U.S. capitalist class, has to admit that legislation does nothing. It points out that Vermont passed a "disclosure law" in 2002 but "payments to some specialists are increasing at runaway rates." According to the report, "among psychiatrists, the 11 biggest recipients netted an average of $45,692 each last year-a jump of 119%.."
Specialty                         Psychiatry     Diabetes       Internal Medicine
Total gift value 2006   $502,612        $168,649        $150,210
 Increase over 2005      63%     81%     25%
 Ave gift 2006        $45,692 $$33,730        $9,388

 Source: Business Week 10-8-07

 Just a few days ago, auto-workers, whose benefits and standard of living were a beacon for most of us, suffered a major defeat.  The leadership of their Union refused to organize a fightback against the employers' offensive and the employers' victory will have repercussions for all workers.
We cannot drive back this offensive without generalizing each struggle against the employers and drawing in all sections of the working class including youth, low waged and the millions who have no unions at all.  We must also reject the employers' view of what is realistic and those in the labor movement that echo these arguments, those whose policies are dictated by their acceptance of the employers' view of society and what is acceptable to the Democratic Party.

 The examples above are just a glimpse of what is rampant in capitalist society, waste and theft.  It is true we do not live in a dictatorship like Stalinism, we are not living under a fascist regime like Germany during World War Two.  And we can say certain things, do certain things.  We are "free" to ride our Harley along the interstate or appear in a porno movie or say we don't like this or that politician, as long as we don't act on it.
 But we are not free to see the books.  We are not free to see the trade secrets that show the theft and waste.  We are not free to control how we want to produce the necessities of life or make the decisions about how we allocate the money and labor to produce them. These are their secrets and they will kill to protect them.

In addition to all this. Business Week also notes that employees now pay "an average yearly premium of $3,281 to cover a family of four."  That is a $1500  (85%) increase in five years.  During the same period, inflation rose 17% and wages 19%.  The present total cost of premiums of health care for employers and employees  is $12,106  for a family of four. But the execs do OK, in 2006, departing Henry McKinnell of the drug company Pfizer received more than $200 million in compensation.

 Just as long as we know what we're up against.  The resources are there.  We just have to go after them.

 (1)     Business Week 10-1-07
 (2)        ibid
 (3)        For more on previous so-called tax reforms see: America Who Pays the Taxes by Donald Bartlett and James Steele

Richard Mellor
AFSCME Local 444, retired
9-30-07