Socialism for the Rich, Capitalism for the Rest

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It has become quite evident that multi-national corporations and TBTF banks have turned the tables on the working men and women of this world. With little fanfare, they have created a welfare state for themselves, off the backs of the people. It may have always been this way, but in the technology age, it has become easier to spot, if you are in fact looking.

The propaganda that U.S. throws at it's people, and the world, is that "The American Dream" is still a reality, that this is the land of opportunity, democracy and freedom, is only a thin veneer over a reality that doesn't match these phrases.

In the U.K., the government has slowly but surely, privatized entire industry, for the betterment of the corporations, with the contracts, at the expense of the people. Fewer trains with increased fares, security services that are understaffed or entirely fraudulent, healthcare services that are impossible to attain...

TBTF Banks

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The biggest banks may be the clearest illustration of socialism for the elites. In 2008-2009, the collapse of the biggest banks should've occurred. In a capitalist society, they would have. Banks that allowed themselves to take on too much risk were exposed during the turn down of the sub-prime real estate market. These institutions were, in turn, given Trillions of dollars and pounds to stay afloat, with zero interest.

If they had been able to continue to make enormous profits from the derivatives and CDO's, that had filled the market, guess what, the banks would not have shared those profits with government. They would've paid out bonuses to their employees and done stock buy-backs for their investors. This is not a two-way street.

Profit = Capitalism = Bonuses ------ Losses = Socialism = Bailout = Bonuses

The bailouts of the banks, pushed more public money into these institutions and gave these banks greater authority than before the collapse. The economy was further financialized. Reinforcing the notion that these systemically important banks can never fail, therefore, they can continue to pile on risk in their portfolio's, without concern for any repercussions. The rugged individual capitalist has their back, we the people.

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TBTF Insurance

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In the U.S., we are the only Western, developed nation that doesn't offer universal healthcare to the entire population. There are socialized parts of this medical insurance complex. Medicare and medicaid are both facets of socialized medicine for the poor and seniors. Obamacare for the rest of the people, with the poor again being subsidized.

The middle swath of the population is getting killed by runaway premiums for health insurance, on average, having gone up 100%+ for middle of the road earners, over the past four years.

That can easily happen when the market is rigged to favor the insurance companies over the people. Big Insurance works without competition at this stage in the game, and if they feel their profits are lower than anticipated, they petition the government to allow them to set the price that they like. This is where pseudo-competition with a dash of government oversight and a public that remains relatively quiet, leads the people down a road to insolvency, while the firms make healthy profits.

During 2008-2009, AIG should have gone under along with the banks. They had gotten far too involved in the derivatives market and were ready to fail. They were also given a bail-out to steady the ship and we the people were forced to pay for it. Not that firms like AIG are going to turn around and split their profits with the people any time soon.

Derivatives and FDIC

One of the unique changes to the U.S. banking system when the Bail-in concept was formulated, was that derivative exposure of the big banks, was now covered under federal deposit insurance and the first in line to collect in the event of a failure. With Trillions of dollars of derivative exposure, the big banks would drain the accounts of the FDIC long before any depositor saw dollar one, due to a failure.

Bail-ins are a theoretical solution for a failing bank. That the depositors, bond and stock holders would be the losers in such an event, not the taxpayers. Bail-in is such a pacifying term for the public, I'll wait till I see it in practice before I believe that the policy will ever be enforced.

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Conclusion

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The banks, corporations and governments have never been closer to each other. Making sweetheart deals with each other. Financing each other on the cheap. Having fall back plans to support each other if the need arises. Banks and corporations are able to select their politicians by dominating the world of campaign finance and then turning right around and handing their politicians, legislation that will further their capitalist desires.

This works, all well and good, during times of prosperity. Risk can be leveraged to multiples the laymen would never understand, to maximize profit. Fear not tho, even if the market turns on their over-leveraged investments, it doesn't matter, they will be declared systemically important and once again bailed out by the people. Perverted socialism at it's finest.

With all of this corruption at the highest levels of business and government, it leaves we the people as the only one's to shoulder the pain of true capitalism. If my investment goes bust, guess what, I get nothing. I lose my job and then my house, nothing. The small fry is the rugged individualist who needs to work hard to get ahead, pull up those boot straps young man, this is capitalism. There is no free lunch for the middle earning person. That's reserved for big business.

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Image source: 1, 2, 3

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/38682-socialism-for-the-rich-capitalism-for-the-poor-an-interview-with-noam-chomsky

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/29/socialism-for-the-rich