contents: 

• introduction
• the basic questions of existence
• corporatocracy
• corporations, the dark side
• Taoism & an analysis of our quandary

- introduction

hi all. a few months ago I wrote a well-received post on class warfare, a topic that has intruded into my adult consciousness over the last two decades, after fairly deep study of our money system. another area, closely intertwined, even more ambitious to tackle, which Ive studied is very worthy of a similar effort expended on awareness, analysis, research.

the analogy I like to use is the fish in water. is a fish aware of the water that surrounds it? a fish is born in the water, it lives in the water, it dies in the water. it can know know other reality. we, being land dwellers, can conceptualize its life lived in a sort of invisible "box".

similarly we believe we are rational and aware beings, that we can perceive reality as it is. anyone who has studied psychology knows that in some ways this is accurate but in other ways its a great fantasy.

there is a famous book called "flatland" by abbott, a schoolmaster. this is similar to the fish in water theme. a 2d shape lives its entire existence in 2d, with 2d surroundings and 2d cohorts. then one day he has a 3d experience, and he is awestruck. his whole life is lived in the box of 2d, and a 3d experience is a genuine "paradigm shift". but he cant communicate it to his 2d friends. they are mystified by his mystical experience.

abbotts brilliant book is a great and prescient metaphor for many things. it was written in 1884. I believe this book should be required reading in english classes. [it is in many]. its as great a work as any other classic. his book presages einsteins theory/revolution of relativity that upended physics' conception of the universe.

its also a great metaphor for a much later concept devised by Kuhn, called a "paradigm shift". this comes from another classic work in science called Structure and Interpretation of Scientific Revolutions, another book that should be required reading perhaps at the college level.

there are many, many paradigm shifts that have happened in science. kuhn only scratched the surface. they are a regular occurrence especially in todays age of millions of practicing scientists [it is said more are alive *right now* than who ever lived in history], and rapid advance of knowledge. kuhn discovered/revealed a remarkable "meta" property/fact/phenomenon about the process of acquisition of knowledge, that its not really incremental/linear.

I would say that paradigm shifts happen in our daily life. a paradigm shift is actually a psychological concept. it is a phenomenon referring to collective human consciousness. what the economist Galbraith called "conventional wisdom" in his book Affluent Society, published only a few years before Kuhns book (1962).

* * * 

- the basic questions of existence

here we are in 2011 at the apex of so-called human civilization. our ancestors dreamed of this day. but, our lives are not as one might have dreamilly imagined. we have light areas of our lives, and dark areas. there is a tendency of humans to be blind and unaware of the dark areas. in the dark ages, was humanity aware that we were living in the dark ages? of course not, it was a pattern only understood after the Enlightenment of the 15th century.

similarly I would argue that in some ways, we are now living in a kind of dark age. similarly this will only be seen in retrospect, "2020 hindsight" by our descendants. we are living in 2d and hope our descendants will find the 3d solutions. we have yet to experience some massive paradigm shifts in our limited consciousness.

if we look back on spans of time it seems that humans are still rather immature. there is evidence for this everywhere. individually some of us are brilliant, collectively we do irrational and at times stupid things. there are now 7billion of us teeming on this planet, and we have trouble with the big, basic questions of existence. such as--

• how do we obtain energy? 
• how do we live in harmony with the environment, in a sustainable way?
•  how do we live in societies that avoid inequality? 
• how do we govern ourselves?
• how do we avoid wars?
• how do we build large commercial enterprises/projects?
• how are they funded?
• how are wages distributed?
• what are appropriate levels of taxation?
• what is an appropriate boundary between the public and private spheres?
• how do you take care of the health of the overall population? how is this organized and paid for? 

these are all very basic questions of existence that clearly, we havent worked out the full/complete answers. we have not so much solutions as approaches. its a work in progress. we have some glimmers of ideas and solutions, but in every one of these areas, the evidence is that we are facing failures of current systems, a deficit/gap in our imagination. we have invented great solutions, and they have worked for smaller scale populations, but these solutions do not scale that well. [to be fair, 7 billion people is an astonishing scale.] in fact in some ways they scale catastrophically.

* * *

- corporatocracy

the answer that has been devised, through long trial and error, sometimes intentionally, sometimes haphazardly, to some or even many of these questions comes in the form of a fairly modern phenomenon and organizational unit called the CORPORATION.

the CORPORATION in its modern form is less than a few hundred years old. one of the original corporations was the british tea company used for importing tea. it was given/granted a charter existence by the government itself. hundreds of years ago corporations were a somewhat foreign concept/entity and were considered with suspicion by politicians and the public. they were thought to have the potential of too much power and abuse.

the core idea of a corporation early on was that it could organize itself without liability for its actions. therefore in a sense, the flaws of its existence arose from the very beginning. because astonishingly it was grounded in irresponsibility, in what in psychology is called "externalization". in short, a recipe for disaster.

corporations used to be a mere capitalistic entity, but they have grown in remarkable power in the last half of the 20th century to the point that they to some degree now definitely eclipse the power of governments. this mainly happened when they evolved into a newly virulent TRANSNATIONAL form. they began to conquer and even transcend geography and political borders. they were no longer contained by the laws of the countries that contained them. they were no longer legally contained in individual countries.

this origins and causes of this massive, mostly undetected shift is complex and not easy to pinpoint. however for example they encouraged and increasingly pressured politicians to pass laws to bring about this reality. these laws were known as "trade agreements" or "treaties". there was much propaganda about "globalization" and how it would always inevitably benefit the consumer in the end as if it were a unalterable law of nature or the universe. the reality is that they were a at-times near-radical rewriting of laws to favor the corporation over all other entities-- citizens, governments. citizens increasingly are reduced to consumers, and few detected the shift or understood the implications of it.

so today we have two political parties but they are both, underneath it all, arms of the Corporate party. neither challenges corporations. this has led to a recent striking abomination that even the public cant ignore any more, the massive 2008 banking bailout. this was essentially a massive subsidy or raid on the government treasury by the banking cartel. the banking cartel through mergers was intensely *strengthened* by this crisis. as rahm emanuel says, "let no good crisis go to waste".

 at this point older rules of economics do not apply. if we didnt have a banking cartel, increasing supply of money by the Fed would tend to stimulate the economy as the individual banks work to gain profit through lending to consumers and/or small businesses. but if you have a death-grip banking-corporate cartel where banks and corporations sit on vast war chests/bank accounts with more than a trillion dollars and still make massive new profits in a sort of closed-circuit economy stealthily/imperceptably sucking/vacuuming mass wealth from the middle class, they [quite understandably of course] have no particular strong motive or desire to alter anything about this new status quo. [fyi the word Mortgage comes from an old latin term meaning literally "death-grip".]

the only conclusion from simple study of our current reality is that we have imperceptibly entered a new era of Corporatocracy, when corporations are in some ways stronger than governments, and control governments themselves.

* * *

- corporations, the dark side

the modern result/culmination of Externalization are massive disasters such as the seething, uncontrollable, disastrous gulf oil spill from last summer. all the corporations involved pointed fingers at each other, in the end arguing that collectively none were responsible for already one of the greatest environmental disasters in the entire world of the young 21st century.

if we study this subject more deeply we find and begin to perceive more clearly that corporations are not what they seem to be on the surface. they are not the reality that they project through billions upon billions of dollars of highly sophisticated advertising [in every possible medium imaginable] and via massive government lobbying.

the idea that Corporations can be Evil is a starting point, but not an ending point. the reality is very subtle and complex. it depends on how they are constituted. it seems they have too much power right now, even dictating laws to our government, but what is the alternative? we dont seem to have one formulated. corporations are full of wonder and promise, too.

my favorite example is in my business of IT [info tech]. Intel is an amazing company, and computer chips have changed our lives. the symphony/orchestration of astonishing complexity to build a sophisticated laptop computer that can now be purchased nonchalantly at a pedestrian *office supply store* is breathtaking. the internet is another example of an amazing ecosystem that was built up primarily by corporations and unfettered capitalism.

how about the dark side, though? there are many dark sides. imagine corporations whose main line of business is literally, building weapons. of course they are euphemistically referred to as the "defense industry", but it is of gargantuan proportions now in our country. this is the business of, primarily, killing as efficently as possible.

killing what? that is always held as an abstraction, but it goes under the rubric The Enemy. who is The Enemy? the enemy is amorphous, ever changing, inherently unconquerable. there can be no end to this Orwellian dance unless the corporations involved want to commit voluntary suicide.

so, we get the most sophisticated technology invented on the planet encased in fearsome Drone airplanes that can easily obliterate an entire house and all its contents/inhabitants with a single strike, and is routinely done so, flying invisibly and undetectably in the air above it. and cause us no undue cognitive dissonance or moral doubt.

the technology in a drone represents & embodies the absolute bleeding edge, pinnacle of modern engineering ability. the guidance systems, the lethal payload, the remote control-- its an amazing achievement easily compared to the greatest technological achievements of mankind such as landing men on the moon. but, its a massive corporate-government enterprise, a partnership, employed to Kill the Enemy.

so yes, Virginia, corporations do have a Dark side. of course Im barely scratching the surface here. you will not find this information readily, because another massive corporate-owned area of existence is the Mainstream Media, MSM, which on the surface, benignly delivers your news, but beneath the surface, controls your perception of reality and even dictates your own and national priorities and even everyday choices.

* * *

- Taoism & an analysis of our quandary

corporations are not an abstraction. they control our daily lives. everything we do is increasingly circumscribed by corporate mentality and reality. generally, every job you have ever had was created by a corporation, and every job you will ever have into the future will be created by a corporation. the terms and benefits of that job will simply be dictated by the corporation. the corporation will continue to exert its outsized control over your, our government.

therefore, clearly, unmistakably, inarguably, maybe somewhat surprisingly but irrefutably, the corporation has Godlike powers in our current reality.

the public still does not clearly perceive this Godlike power, it does not perceive the tyranny enclosing them. why? because they are the fish in the water, and they are born, live and die entirely in the water. they have not had a 3d experience in their 2d reality/existence.

but the cognitive dissonance is mounting, and the public is dimly perceiving something wrong with its reality. the main slicing/shearing impetus here is the vice-like crunch [or again a "death grip"]
on the middle class and widespread, prolonged, stinging unemployment. of course it would be great if the public had perceived the threat before the brutal hammer fell, but human consciousness is at times a sticky and sluggish thing.

some of the general outlines of this fundamental quandary of modern existence [essentially post Industrial Revolution] was glimpsed by Marx over a century ago with his own prescient vision. but he was mainly only able to perceive the dichotomy/tension between Capitalists and Labor. Corporations are a weird hybrid mix of the two, a 3rd entity that has significantly altered the balance of power. it seems that the Capitalists have won the long marxian [class] war against labor with the invention of the ultimate tool/hammer, the Corporation in its modern form.

but what is the reason for their power? why is it unchallenged, unperceived? there must be some deep psychological reason/principle at stake here.

the Corporation seems to be the modern equivalent of those childs games where the child moves the robotic arm to pick up a toy. the child perceives a chance of obtaining a toy, the child does not know the value of money or the meaning of gambling. its just a simple game with bright toys in a plastic box and a robotic arm. they can visualize that arm picking up the toy and delivering it to them. they want to play the game. they live in the present, not in the world of future consequences.

my regretful conclusion is that Corporations are the way they are because Humans are the way they are.

here are some quotes from the 2-millenium old mystic Lao Tzu, who like marx seemed to perceive to the heart of government and economics before they were even much understood to exist:

Weapons, however beautiful, are instruments of ill omen, hateful to all creatures.
Therefore he who has Tao will have nothing to do with them.

There is no greater illusion than fear,
no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself,
no greater misfortune than having an enemy.

When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads are stockpiled outside the cities.

Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn't try to force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon oneself.

When rich speculators prosper
While farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn-
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.

As it acts in the world, the Tao
is like the bending of a bow.
The top is bent downward;
the bottom is bent up.
It adjusts excess and deficiency
so that there is perfect balance.
It takes from what is too much
and give to what isn't enough.

Those who try to control,
who use force to protect their power,
go against the direction of the Tao.
They take from those who don't have enough
and give to those who have far too much.

Id say these are the words of an old legendary mystic/master who observed mass/widespread inequality and the dynamics of governments that were bent on weapons-building and "pre-emptive" warfare, tied up with a false or illusory enemy cutout. sound familiar? the more things change, the more they stay the same. alas, Virginia, its an old story, as old as civilization. two millenia later we are still struggling with the basic questions. we dont have markedly superior answers on these fundamental issues of human existence. in fact it would seem like we're going in circles. oh well, humans are well-versed in that.

we do have good example of civilizations that went "off the rails" over these issues. Rome is a great warning to all cvilized people. they virtually invented civilization but also all the abuses that go along with it. massive wealth inequality, Empire building/Imperialism, widespread slavery. state-authorized, state-sponsored oppression.

there is massive wealth inequality in our country, largely facilitated and perpetuated by corporations, unfortunately because people want it that way, they prefer it that way. marx was an idealist, he didnt confront fully the intrinsic dark side of human nature.

exploitation of one class by another is apparently not an inherent abomination that all civilized people abhor. if it were, it would have vanished a long time ago. it seems to be a deeply rooted desire in the human psyche that transcends the ages, just morphing into new socially acceptable forms. its a reality, even in our supposedly highly civilized era. its reached the level of being less overt, more covert, having a greater abstraction.

so, what is the answer to our new Age of Corporatocracy? I dont have much of an answer, except that somehow we have to increase our awareness and consciousness to first perceive clearly the problem. lets remember einsteins dictum, "a problem cannot be solved on the same level of consciousness that created it." the first priority is to raise consciousness-- somehow.

I do think part of the answer is a return to the concept and understanding of the Commons. a civilization requires an effective but not overbearing government. striking that balance is very difficult, its a problem for the ages. I think we have to invent new forms of collective decision-making, organization, and government that work well in our fast-paced 21st century age. I dont know exactly what that might look like, but [you might laugh here] some social networking technology seems to be going in that direction.

I believe the answer to our problems lies in misty, indistinct form in front of us. to quote cyberspace author william gibson, "the future is already here, its just not evenly distributed."

and then there is that dark-yet-liberating quote [in the sense of "the truth will set you free"] by goethe I leave you with. "there are none more enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland

Paradigm shift
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_shift

Conventional wisdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_wisdom

shock doctrine by naomi klein
http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_an_Economic_Hit_Man

When Corporations Rule the World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Corporations_Rule_the_World

roll over, karl marx by bob burnett
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-burnett/roll-over-karl-marx_b_874817.html

10 Steps to Defeat the Corporatocracy | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/151018/10_steps_to_defeat_the_corporatocracy/

The Great Corporate Tax Swindle: Our Major Companies Are Blackmailing Us, and We Have to Stop Them | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/150905/the_great_corporate_tax_swindle%3A_our_major_companies_are_blackmailing_us%2C_and_we_have_to_stop_them/

Vision: As the American Capitalist Economy Craters, Promising Alternatives Emerge | Vision | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/vision/151107/vision%3A_as_the_american_capitalist_economy_craters%2C_promising_alternatives_emerge/

Has America Become a Corporate Police State? | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/151186/has_america_become_a_corporate_police_state/

When Washington Took On Wall Street | Business | Vanity Fair
http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/06/pecora-201006

The Decline of the "Two Breadwinner" Family: How Long-Term Unemployment Threatens to Demolish the Middle Class | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/150871/the_decline_of_the_%22two_breadwinner%22_family%3A_how_long-term_unemployment_threatens_to_demolish_the_middle_class/

Jobs returning — but good ones not so much
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110309/ts_yblog_thelookout/jobs-returning-but-good-ones-not-so-much

Robert Reich: The Truth About the American Economy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-truth-about-the-ameri_b_869033.html

Why the Democratic Party Has Abandoned the Middle Class in Favor of the Rich | Civil Liberties | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/rights/151108/why_the_democratic_party_has_abandoned_the_middle_class_in_favor_of_the_rich/

Siding With the Billionaires: How the Right Is Waging a Class War Against All But the Wealthiest Americans | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/151138/siding_with_the_billionaires%3A_how_the_right_is_waging_a_class_war_against_all_but_the_wealthiest_americans/

Appalling Greed: Richest 400 Average $270.5 Million Incomes, Pay Almost Nothing in Taxes | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/150956/appalling_greed%3A_richest_400_average_%24270.5_million_incomes%2C_pay_almost_nothing_in_taxes/

The Great Switch by the Super Rich: How Wealthy Americans Started Paying So Little in Taxes | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/150995/the_great_switch_by_the_super_rich%3A_how_wealthy_americans_started_paying_so_little_in_taxes/

Are Well-Off Progressives Standing in the Way of a Real Movement for Economic Justice? | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/151040/are_well-off_progressives_standing_in_the_way_of_a_real_movement_for_economic_justice/?page=1

100% Scared: How the National Security Complex Grows on Terrorism Fears | Food | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/food/151255/100_scared%3A_how_the_national_security_complex_grows_on_terrorism_fears_/

Five Eye-Opening Facts About Our Bloated Post-9/11 'Defense' Spending | World | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/world/151119/five_eye-opening_facts_about_our_bloated_post-9_11_%27defense%27_spending/

Vision: How to Make Media Reflect the Popular Views of Americans, Not Those of Elites | Economy | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/151062/vision%3A_how_to_make_media_reflect_the_popular_views_of_americans%2C_not_those_of_elites/

Top Secret America
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

Why corporations are psychotic
These "people" are not healthy
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201103/why-corporations-are-psychotic

class warfare-- is it really such a bad thing? [vzn]
http://open.salon.com/blog/vzn/2010/11/07/class_warfare--_is_it_really_such_a_bad_thing