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Home / Mike Norman Economics / The Unseen Agenda Behind Trump: Destroy the Public Realm to Free the Rich — John McMurtry

The Unseen Agenda Behind Trump: Destroy the Public Realm to Free the Rich — John McMurtry

Summary:
In the words of Time, the US chose every step. “We chose to cut taxes on billionaires and to deregulate the financial industry. We chose to allow CEOs to manipulate share prices through stock buybacks, and to lavishly reward themselves with the proceeds. We chose to permit giant corporations, through mergers and acquisitions, to accumulate the vast monopoly power necessary to dictate both prices charged and wages paid. We chose to erode the minimum wage and the overtime threshold and the bargaining power of labor. For four decades, we chose to elect political leaders who put the material interests of the rich and powerful above those of the American people. – – – If wealth distribution since 1975 had continued in the same manner as between 1945 and 1975, today’s ,000 salary would be

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In the words of Time, the US chose every step. “We chose to cut taxes on billionaires and to deregulate the financial industry. We chose to allow CEOs to manipulate share prices through stock buybacks, and to lavishly reward themselves with the proceeds. We chose to permit giant corporations, through mergers and acquisitions, to accumulate the vast monopoly power necessary to dictate both prices charged and wages paid. We chose to erode the minimum wage and the overtime threshold and the bargaining power of labor. For four decades, we chose to elect political leaders who put the material interests of the rich and powerful above those of the American people. – – – If wealth distribution since 1975 had continued in the same manner as between 1945 and 1975, today’s $35,000 salary would be over $60,000. It’s little wonder that so many Americans are lashing out at the broken system”.…
I put an article exposing weaknesses in a potential Biden administration. Here is one that is more on Donald Trump.

Taken together, they represent a binary choice for the American people that for many leaves much to be desired and much to oppose in both cases.

I was talking to a friend in Vienna yesterday and he asked many questions about US politics. One that he was particularly puzzled by is why there are only two choices.

From the point of view of the many that disagree with both options, there is no winning here. It is the tyranny of the majority of the electoral college, not even the electorate. (Donald Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, as did G. W. Bush in 2000.)


See also at Counterpunch

Democracy Calls Us to Fight the Lesser of Two Evils
Nozomi Hayase

Mike Norman
Mike Norman is an economist and veteran trader whose career has spanned over 30 years on Wall Street. He is a former member and trader on the CME, NYMEX, COMEX and NYFE and he managed money for one of the largest hedge funds and ran a prop trading desk for Credit Suisse.

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