Juan Cole: Romney Lies "Show Contempt for Democracy, Display Some Features of Capitalist Dictators"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.juancole.com/2012/10/top-five-signs-of-capitalist-dictatorship-in-the-romney-campaign.html

Top Five Signs of Capitalist Dictatorship in the Romney Campaign

Posted on 10/31/2012 by Juan

The mainstream media and even Democrats have been slow to call Mitt Romney’s deliberate falsehoods “lies.” But after just calling them what they are, it is also important to analyze their meaning. Lies on Romney’s scale do not simply show contempt for the intelligence of American voters. They show contempt for democracy, and display some of the features of capitalist dictatorship of a sort that was common in the late twentieth century. Mohammad Reza Pahlevi in Iran, Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay, Park Hung Chee in South Korea and P.W. Boetha in South Africa are examples of this form of government. Capitalist dictatorship has declined around the world in favor of capitalist parliamentarism, in part because of the rising power of middle and working classes in the global South.

- snip -

One big difference between capitalist democracy (as in contemporary Germany and France) and capitalist dictatorship is the willingness of the business classes to play by the rules of democratic elections, to allow a free, fair and transparent contest, to acknowledge the rights of unions, and to respect the universal franchise. Businessmen in such a society share a civic ethic that sees these goods as necessary for a well ordered society, and therefore as ultimately good for business. They may also be afraid of the social disruptions (as in France) that would attend any attempt to whittle away workers’ rights. Attempts to limit the franchise, to ban unions, and to manipulate the electorate with bald-faced lies are all signs of a barracuda business class that secretly seeks its class interests above all others in society, and which is not afraid of workers and middle classes because the latter are apolitical, apathetic and disorganized.

Sound familiar?

1. Romney’s contempt for the democratic process is demonstrated in his preference for the Big Lie. In order to scare workers in Toledo, Ohio, into voting for him, he alleged that President Obama was arranging for Chrysler’s Jeep production to be shifted to China. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne sent an email to all employees refuting Romney: “I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China…” He pointed out that Jeep production in the US has tripled since 2009. Romney’s political ad containing this sheer falsehood, is blanketing Ohio.

- snip -

5. The Romney campaign’s remarks about “Anglo-Saxons” better understanding allies like Britain, and its support for the racist Arizona immigration and profiling law show a preference for racial hierarchy, with “Anglo-Saxons” at the top. Again, many capitalist dictatorships privilege a dominant ethnicity, as with Apartheid South Africa or discrimination against native Chileans by the Pinochet regime in Chile. Fostering racism is a way of dividing and ruling the middle and working classes, of binding a segment of them to the dominant business classes.

Obviously, the Romney version is capitalist dictatorship lite. But...

MORE AT LINK[p]

[Cha]

1. Thanks for the link, Hissyspit.. glad mittLies are being analysed. I

don't imagine Juan Cole's will be the last!

[condoleeza]

2. Would be lovely if the people who don't question had read this

before they voted and realistically they just don't question what they first hear.

[BainsBane]

3. He refuses to answer questions now

which means he will be completely unaccountable as President. The more Romney displays his true colors, the more difficult it is for me to understand how anyone could vote for him.

[secondwind]

4. he will be incoherent before long... he is so entangled in his lies.

[malaise]

5. WilLIARd Rmoney is a seriously flawed human being

No one should want power so badly

[pampango]

6. One big difference between capitalist democracy (as in contemporary Germany and France) and ..."

capitalist dictatorship is the willingness of the business classes to play by the rules of democratic elections, to allow a free, fair and transparent contest, to acknowledge the rights of unions, and to respect the universal franchise. Businessmen in such a society share a civic ethic that sees these goods as necessary for a well ordered society, and therefore as ultimately good for business. They may also be afraid of the social disruptions (as in France) that would attend any attempt to whittle away workers’ rights. Attempts to limit the franchise, to ban unions, and to manipulate the electorate with bald-faced lies are all signs of a barracuda business class that secretly seeks its class interests above all others in society, and which is not afraid of workers and middle classes because the latter are apolitical, apathetic and disorganized.

Obviously, the Romney version is capitalist dictatorship lite. But its strong resemblance to the full form of that sort of polity is highly disturbing. While these tendencies have existed on the Republican Right for some time, the sheer level of contempt for democracy as demonstrated in the Big Lies, the exaltation of war, the racial profiling, and the new extent of attempts at voter suppression and union-busting all indicate a sharp veering toward authoritarianism.

How true. I enjoy Cole's observations on US politics as much as his analysis of events in the Middle East.

[reformist2]

7. I think serious people - "the powers that be", if such a thing exists - have soured on Romney.

Ideology aside, I think they were shocked by Romney's performance in the foreign policy debate. He proved without a doubt that he has no core convictions, that he's willing to say what it takes to win. This doesn't even touch on his possibly bizarre secret beliefs that could tinge his views on other nations and races. And this guy wants to be the leader of the free world? The CFR types are thinking, no way.

[Hissyspit]

8. kick nt