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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPlaying God: The Rebirth of Family Capitalism or How the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson ........
from TomDispatch:
Playing God
The Rebirth of Family Capitalism or How the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson, Sam Walton, Bill Gates, and Other Billionaires Are Undermining America
By Steve Fraser
George Baer was a railroad and coal mining magnate at the turn of the twentieth century. Amid a violent and protracted strike that shut down much of the countrys anthracite coal industry, Baer defied President Teddy Roosevelts appeal to arbitrate the issues at stake, saying, The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for... not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men of property to whom God has given control of the property rights of the country. To the Anthracite Coal Commission investigating the uproar, Baer insisted, These men dont suffer. Why hell, half of them dont even speak English.
We might call that adopting the imperial position. Titans of industry and finance back then often assumed that they had the right to supersede the law and tutor the rest of America on how best to order its affairs. They liked to play God. Its a habit thats returned with a vengeance in our own time.
The Koch brothers are only the most conspicuous among a whole tribe of self-made billionaires who imagine themselves architects or master builders of a revamped, rehabilitated America. The resurgence of what might be called dynastic or family capitalism, as opposed to the more impersonal managerial capitalism many of us grew up with, is changing the nations political chemistry.
Our own masters of the universe, like the robber barons of old, are inordinately impressed with their ascendancy to the summit of economic power. Add their personal triumphs to American cultures perennial love affair with business -- President Calvin Coolidge, for instance, is remembered today only for proclaiming that the business of America is business -- and you have a formula for megalomania. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175893/tomgram%3A_steve_fraser%2C_the_return_of_the_titans/#more
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Playing God: The Rebirth of Family Capitalism or How the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson ........ (Original Post)
marmar
Sep 2014
OP
djean111
(14,255 posts)1. Great read!
Basically, those people just want to rearrange the country - and the world - to suit themselves and/or maximize their profits, and squelch competition.
hedda_foil
(16,373 posts)2. Wow! The author really synthesizes how the new robber barons think.
Every word makes sense in a historical context, present day, and projecting into the future. If there's a holy grail for understanding where these mega-assholes are coming from, this is it. Can't rec it strongly enough.