John Young: Propping up corporatocracy

Thursday, October 09, 2008 No question in the world: A lot of little people would have been hurt had Congress not responded with the mother of all financial bailouts last week. But the little people were not the reason for this move. This was about bailing out bigness. That’s become the American way in an era ruled by free-market fundamentalists. They trumpeted “government is the problem” all the way en route to placing themselves in positions to make it so. Ronald Reagan, in spirit, I’m talking about you. Jack Kemp. You. Phil Gramm and Tom DeLay. Y’all. And, of course, let us not fail to credit the vessel on whose flight deck so many wayward chickens now roost, George W. Bush. Author Naomi Klein was talking about another vaunted figure the other day in Chicago. She summoned the spirit of free-market icon Milton Friedman. And... [read full story]