Corporate control of Americans has become a creeping epidemic in California and across the United States. Middle class and blue collar families have been hit the hardest. Corporate America and special interest lobbying groups have absolutely devastated the rights of millions of Californians in our very own courts. The old adage about the golden rule rings eerily true for many families in California and across the U.S., whoever has the gold, makes the rules.
Inequality and the One Percent
Deregulation and an extreme laissez-faire economic system have led to widespread inequality. The one percent would have you believe that anything short of rapid and widespread deregulation is akin to communism, socialism or any other ‘ism’-buzz word that doesn’t really have anything to do with the topic at hand. Consumers and citizens should note that historically speaking, regulations help to keep the environment clean, children out of factories, consumers and workers safe, and have helped to limit the power of big businesses whose only interests lie in shareholder profits and quarterly earnings.
Big Business Limiting the Rights of Everyday Americans
Corporations, big insurance, the pharmaceutical industry and Wall Street are constantly trying to take away or limit the rights of everyday Americans. The San Francisco Gate recently reported on what’s being called a “Shameful Effort to Limit Class Actions.” A bill being sponsored by a lobbying group known ironically as the Civil Justice Association of America, whose big backer is the insurance giant AIG, well known for taking billions of dollars in tax-payer funded bailouts, only to payout big-money bonuses to executives. This bill could sharply limit the rights of consumers to join together and file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the public.
Holding Corporations Accountable
For the Americans who are just trying to get by in a biased and unfair system, their last resort is often through the civil justice system. Whether you’ve been ripped off by the big banksters, denied your rightful claim by big insurance or injured by a dangerous drug pushed by the pharmaceutical industry, you still have a shot at justice in the civil court system. Although, the outlook seems bleak with corporate control at an all time high, for the rest of us, the 99 percent, we have to keep fighting the good fight.
