Category: Corruption

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11 Mayors Applauded for Refusing to Do Business With Companies That Don’t Support Net Neutrality

BY JAKE JOHNSON – “Town by town, city by city, local leaders are taking back everyone’s right to connect and communicate.” As advocacy groups and open internet defenders in Congress continue their efforts to repeal the Republican-controlled FCC’s attack on net neutrality, the mayors of 11 cities have signed a new pledge vowing to refuse to … Continue reading 11 Mayors Applauded for Refusing to Do Business With Companies That Don’t Support Net Neutrality

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Lamentations: Disaster-Capitalism, Puerto Rico, and the Art of Patrick McGrath Muñiz

BY CHRISTIAN SARKAR Alba’s Dream (2017) The public has not forgotten Puerto Rico, and neither has Patrick McGrath Muñiz. After experiencing Harvey in Houston, and witnessing Hurricane Maria passing over Puerto Rico and Irma in Florida, where most of his family and friends live, the issue of climate change has become even more personal for the … Continue reading Lamentations: Disaster-Capitalism, Puerto Rico, and the Art of Patrick McGrath Muñiz

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The Closing of the Golden Door: When Fear Became U.S. Immigration Policy

BY PHILIP KOTLER – There is a hidden meaning behind Trump’s slogan to “Make America Great Again.” His slogan is code for “Let’s Make America White again.” Immigration policy is one of the toughest issues facing the U.S. and its core beliefs and values. Both political parties are doing their best to bury or avoid … Continue reading The Closing of the Golden Door: When Fear Became U.S. Immigration Policy

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Consumption, Economic Growth And The Future Of Marketing

BY DIMITAR SABEV – From its very beginning marketing enhanced economic growth by provoking and channelling consumption, and in many cases this has been socially beneficial. There is growing evidence that the social and economic system based on the premise of constant and rapid growth has breached its limits. Consumption has to decouple from economic growth … Continue reading Consumption, Economic Growth And The Future Of Marketing

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Should Government Put a Tax on ‘Sin’ Products and Services?

BY PHILIP KOTLER – Among the millions of products and services produced each year, there is a group loosely called ‘sin’ products. Think of “alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana” as major sin products. Think of “prostitution services” as a ‘sin’ service type. Think of recent efforts to discourage the consumption of soft drinks, candy, and packaged … Continue reading Should Government Put a Tax on ‘Sin’ Products and Services?

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Brand Confusion: What Do Our Political Parties Stand For?

BY PHILIP KOTLER and CHRISTIAN SARKAR – For many years, Americans held a clear idea of the differences between the Republican and Democratic parties. The Republicans were a party on the right, the Democrats a party on the left. But now the distinctions aren’t so clear. What went wrong? Neither party today is answering or … Continue reading Brand Confusion: What Do Our Political Parties Stand For?

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Progressive Taxes: Needed to Offset Income Inequality?

BY MARK BLESSINGTON – True or false: Are America’s wealthy few growing their wealth at the expense of everyone else? The question is not whether the rich are getting richer. The question is whether they are gaining wealth at the expense of everyone else. The Congressional Budget Office provides a comprehensive report on wealth every three … Continue reading Progressive Taxes: Needed to Offset Income Inequality?

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It’s Time For A Single-Payer Healthcare System

By PHILIP KOTLER – We have had “Obamacare” and now the Republicans have fallen short in replacing it with “Ryancare” (a.k.a. “Trumpcare”). Both plans have their unforgiving and deep critics and enemies. I think that it is time to adopt the healthcare system that Canada and most other nations have: a single-payer healthcare system. A single-payer … Continue reading It’s Time For A Single-Payer Healthcare System

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Why We Worship False Idols, Always Have, And Always Will

 [Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Global Imperial Plutocratic/Kleptocratic Brave New Fantasyworld of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump] BY SCOTT DEWEY – As long as humans worship the trappings and display of power and wealth—as with celebrity, political power, military power, economic power—and they obviously do—there can be no democracy; democracy cannot … Continue reading Why We Worship False Idols, Always Have, And Always Will

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The ‘Terrorist’ in the White House

BY PHILIP KOTLER  The US has been downgraded in The Economist’s Democracy Index. It is now in the “flawed democracy” category. Donald Trump got elected as U.S. President on a platform that included a lot of changes that appealed to many people. Trump promised to “Make America Great Again” by bringing back the high paying jobs that had moved overseas … Continue reading The ‘Terrorist’ in the White House

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Lobbying: The Scourge of Good Government

BY PHILP KOTLER Lobbying describes the effort of lobbyists to influence decisions made by government officials such as legislators, regulators or judges.  The term came from the fact that “influence peddlers” would appear in the lobby of legislative buildings to buttonhole legislators and influence their voting on behalf of the legislators’ clients.  Most of the … Continue reading Lobbying: The Scourge of Good Government

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China steps up as US steps back from global leadership

FLYNT L. LEVERETT, Pennsylvania State University and ROBERT SPRINKLE, University of Maryland Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appearance at last week’s World Economic Forum shows global leadership is shifting, not drifting, toward Beijing. The most vigorous defense of globalization and multilateral cooperation was mounted not by an American statesman, but by the president of the People’s … Continue reading China steps up as US steps back from global leadership

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The Real Value of Government Support for the Arts in the U.S.

BY JOANNE BERNSTEIN “May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.” —President John Adams, upon moving into the new White House. All of us who are passionate about the arts are repelled by our new administration’s promise to eliminate the NEA, the NEH, and government funding for PBS.  We know that cutting … Continue reading The Real Value of Government Support for the Arts in the U.S.

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Are We Kissing Democracy Goodbye?

BY PHILIP KOTLER & CHRISTIAN SARKAR – As President-Elect Trump and his “Corporate Cabinet” take over Washington – the American public will witness radical changes taking place in our institutions, policies, and regulations. These changes might undermine America’s position as the world’s leader over the past century. The billionaires and generals who make up Trump’s cabinet bring … Continue reading Are We Kissing Democracy Goodbye?

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What would Make America Great Again? The Battle Between Two Definitions of Greatness

BY PHILIP KOTLER – America’s greatness was recently challenged by Donald Trump who asserted that the U.S. had lost its greatness. His campaign slogan was “Make America Great Again.” He claimed that only he and his party could restore the country’s greatness. This raises the question: How can we define where a country ranks in its “greatness?”  I have long … Continue reading What would Make America Great Again? The Battle Between Two Definitions of Greatness

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What Populism? Trump’s America Is Party Time for the Corporate Elite

By ROBERT WEISSMAN “Trump has converted the GOP into a populist working-class party,” Trump advisor and far-right economist Stephen Moore told Republican members of Congress at a caucus meeting. Well, advisor Moore, meet the Trump transition team. The leader of the would-be populist working-class party has invited rogues’ gallery of insiders—corporate lawyers, investment fund managers, … Continue reading What Populism? Trump’s America Is Party Time for the Corporate Elite

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Democracy in Decline: An Interview with Phil Kotler

Philip Kotler’s upcoming book – Democracy in Decline: Rebuilding its Future describes 14 symptoms of a sick democracy: #1. Voter Literacy & Turnout  #2. Quality of Political Leadership  #3. Exceptionalism  #4. Public Trust  #5. Gridlock  #6. Money in Politics  #7. Gerrymandering  #8. Extremist Primaries  #9. The President vs. Congress  #10. Federal vs. State Governments  #11. Supreme Court vs. … Continue reading Democracy in Decline: An Interview with Phil Kotler

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Third Wave Capitalism – An Interview with John Ehrenreich

Where did the wheels come off our Democracy? by Christian Sarkar John Ehrenreich is an American author, academic, and clinical psychologist who has published books on health policy, US social policy, and US history. He is the author of Third Wave Capitalism: How Money, Power, and the Pursuit of Self-Interest have Imperiled the American Dream … Continue reading Third Wave Capitalism – An Interview with John Ehrenreich

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Why is it so difficult to rein in Wall Street?

BY SUHAIB RIAZ, University of Massachusetts Boston; Sean Buchanan, University of Manitoba, and Trish Ruebottom, Brock University Reforming Wall Street has become a key issue in the ongoing presidential primaries. Bernie Sanders in particular has used his rival’s close ties to the financial industry, including speaking fees and political donations, to suggest Hillary Clinton wouldn’t … Continue reading Why is it so difficult to rein in Wall Street?

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Needed: A New Set of Income Tax Brackets [A Response to the “$250,000 a Year Is Not Middle Class” Op-Ed by Bryce Covert]

by Philip Kotler Hillary Clinton’s stated recently that she will not raise taxes on the middle class. She will raise taxes only on the rich and super rich. But at what income does the middle class end and the rich begin? Hillary defined the rich as starting with incomes over $250,000. Bryce Covert, in an … Continue reading Needed: A New Set of Income Tax Brackets [A Response to the “$250,000 a Year Is Not Middle Class” Op-Ed by Bryce Covert]

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Bernie Sanders: “To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed”

BY BERNIE SANDERS in the New York Times: WALL STREET is still out of control. Seven years ago, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department bailed out the largest financial institutions in this country because they were considered too big to fail. But almost every one is bigger today than it was before the bailout. If any were … Continue reading Bernie Sanders: “To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed”

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FORTUNE: What the Presidential Candidates Are Failing to Address About CEO Pay

Phil Kotler’s latest article in FORTUNE asks us to ask more questions. In the last Republican TV debate, Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief, Gerald Baker, put the following question to presidential candidate Rand Paul: “Income inequality has been rising in the United States. Fifty years ago, for example, the average CEO of a big corporation in this country earned … Continue reading FORTUNE: What the Presidential Candidates Are Failing to Address About CEO Pay

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CALL FOR ENTRIES: Greed! A Video Contest from Econ4

The Econ4 network of teachers, professors, practitioners, students and others are working to shift how economics is understood, taught and practiced. We’re now launching a video contest to crowdsource as many short, 3 minute videos about “Greed” as possible. We will distribute many of these across our network and beyond. The contest is patterned after the … Continue reading CALL FOR ENTRIES: Greed! A Video Contest from Econ4

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VIDEO: Corpocracy – at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art

Corpocracy is the absurd reality of our society in which corporations and their interests are allowed to have dominance over the economic and political systems. Through the subversive imagination, the artist works toward a transformation of social consciousness. WATCH: The show features 13 artists including, Beehive Design Collective, Michael D’Antuono, Ron English, Clark Fox, Kenneth … Continue reading VIDEO: Corpocracy – at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art

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Corporate America’s Plan to ‘Misbehave Without Reproach

by Jon Queally, staff writer – CommonDreams.org An independent investigation by journalists featured in the New York Times on Sunday offers an in-depth look at the way American corporations have used the inclusion of “arbitration clauses” within consumer contracts to strategically circumvent judicial review of their behavior and immunize themselves from class action lawsuits –”realistically the only tool citizens have to fight … Continue reading Corporate America’s Plan to ‘Misbehave Without Reproach

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Art & Response: An Interview with Michael D’Antuono

Considered one of the world’s most controversial artists, Michael D’Antuono is known for making art that challenges people to think more deeply about sociopolitical issues. His collectors range from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Pete Seeger and his work has received high praise from fellow artists Shepard Fairey and Banksy. What made you decide to dive into this sort of … Continue reading Art & Response: An Interview with Michael D’Antuono

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The Real Revolutionary: The Art of Packard Jennings

Packard Jennings is the nicest revolutionary you’ll ever meet. Polite and soft-spoken, he’s as self-effacing as they come.  And yet this is the man who is one of our hyperconsumerculture’s sharpest critics, using “appropriation, humor, and interventionist techniques to explore the dynamics of public spaces, and to address political and corporate transgressions against public interest.” Jennings got … Continue reading The Real Revolutionary: The Art of Packard Jennings

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Questioning Reality: Yoshua Okón’s Videos of Alienation

Yoshua Okón was born in Mexico City in 1970 where he currently lives. His work has been described as “a series of near-sociological experiments executed for the camera, blends staged situations, documentation and improvisation and questions habitual perceptions of reality and truth, selfhood and morality.” Okón challenges the assumptions we make as so many of us live our lives … Continue reading Questioning Reality: Yoshua Okón’s Videos of Alienation

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The Struggle Against Joyless Materialism: The Art of Clark Fox

Clark V. Fox (aka Michael Clark), the “Godfather of modern underground art,” started making art full time in Houston, Texas at age 5 and has never slowed down since. “Art chose me: I’m an American Indian, and Indians make stuff. My father carved. My mother painted. when I was five, I’d go up and down the … Continue reading The Struggle Against Joyless Materialism: The Art of Clark Fox

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Make it Rain (∄MIR): The Social Practice of Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung

Social practice is an art medium that focuses on social engagement, inviting collaboration with individuals, communities, and institutions in the creation of participatory art. For artist Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, social practice meant taking on the very foundation of capitalist society – money. Running out of money?  What’s an artist/entrepreneur to do? Why not make like the Federal … Continue reading Make it Rain (∄MIR): The Social Practice of Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung

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Move to Amend’s Proposed 28th Amendment to the US Constitution

 House Joint Resolution 29 introduced February 14, 2013 Section 1. [Artificial Entities Such as Corporations Do Not Have Constitutional Rights] The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution … Continue reading Move to Amend’s Proposed 28th Amendment to the US Constitution