The American people, at least the great majority who constitute the middle class, are no longer perceived as the wholesome backbone of America; the middle class is now perceived simply as prey; the domestic source of revenue for corporations to exploit with impunity. In the past, Americans have relied on the institution of Congress as a social backstop to protect the interests of the people from organized exploitation. But now, that institution has failed miserably as a protector of the public. This failure is further exacerbated by the practice of allowing private money to finance Congressional candidates who in turn pass favorable legislation for these private contributors, corporations. This practice effectively allows corporations to dictate public policy in their favor with the blessing of a turncoat Congress. Private, corporate money now dictates the law of the land in the US and those new laws limit legal liability and monetary compensation exposure of those companies whose practices damage us individually or collectively. The US legal system now favors corporate interests over public interest at every turn, the proof is in the fine print of every contract of every transaction entered by the middle class. Corporations have only one goal, only one legal mandate and that is to maximize the wealth of its owners, the shareholders. There are no legally required moral or ethical restrictions or caveats on business practices, no rigidly-enforced legal requirements regarding corporate social or environmental responsibility. The people of this country are simply prey for perpetuating an uninterrupted and unrestricted cycle of corporate greed. And with the help of Congress, the floodgates have been opened; corporate exploitation has been legalized and unleashed on the American people, on the middle class. We, the people, are prey.
[via COMMENTS in response to THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE: Meet Wendell Potter, Healthcare Executive Turned Whistleblower PART 1 ]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Michael Moore for plugging the interview on his Facebook page. Part 2 will post on Wednesday 12/14. It will focus on the healthcare industrial complex’s campaign to discredit Sicko.