Who Rules America? - Episode 1

Summary

The video script delves into the question of who truly wields power in America, challenging the myth of a purely democratic society. It examines the influence of Wall Street, the media, and the military-industrial complex on politics and policies, suggesting an 'invisible government' of the wealthy and powerful. The script also touches on the Occupy Wall Street movement, highlighting the struggle for grassroots democracy and the desire for a more transparent and accountable distribution of power.

Takeaways

• 🏦 Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange are central to global finance and have significant influence on American politics and policies.
• 👥 The script suggests that unelected financial firms and powerful forces operate behind the scenes, often working to undo regulations imposed by Congress.
• 🗳️ The American public participates in elections every four years, but the script questions whether they truly understand who holds power in America.
• 📺 Media coverage during elections tends to focus on personalities and polls rather than substantive issues or the forces that candidates represent.
• 💰 Campaigns are heavily influenced by billions of dollars in contributions, with advertising and marketing strategies designed to shape public perception.
• 🤝 The concept of a 'power elite' is introduced, referring to an interlocking set of powerful individuals in business, politics, and the military who set the parameters of change.
• 🕊️ The Occupy Wall Street movement is highlighted as a challenge to institutional power, advocating for more transparent and accountable governance.
• 📈 The script points out that the wealthiest Americans often dictate national priorities and policies through their influence on unelected institutions.
• 🛡️ Laws are mentioned as being written by lobbyists to favor certain interests, suggesting that they may not always represent the majority of Americans.
• 📰 Media companies are criticized for pushing narratives that support the interests of powerful groups, such as the oil industry, and for failing to provide balanced coverage.
• 🌐 The script discusses the idea of 'American exceptionalism' and how it can make it difficult for citizens to comprehend the complex realities of power distribution in the country.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the television series 'Who Rules America'?

The series focuses on investigating the powerful, unelected forces that operate behind the scenes in America, including financial firms, media, military, and corporate forces, and their influence on the country's politics and policies.

What is the significance of the New York Stock Exchange in the context of the script?

The New York Stock Exchange is highlighted as the epicenter of financial power in America, where globally oriented financial firms have extraordinary influence on the country's politics and policies.

What is the role of campaign contributions in the American political system as discussed in the script?

Campaign contributions, often amounting to billions of dollars, are used for pervasive advertisements and are seen as a means through which the wealthy and powerful can influence the political process and the outcome of elections.

How does the script describe the impact of political ads on the perception of candidates?

Political ads are described as cynical and slick, with almost every word scripted and slogans market-tested to promote perception and reinforce prejudices, often concealing rather than informing about the candidates' policies.

What does the script suggest about the effectiveness of regulations imposed by Congress on financial firms?

The script suggests that financial firms are trying to undo the regulations and new laws governing them imposed by Congress, indicating a struggle between the elected government and these powerful entities.

What is the 'power elite' as referred to by sociologist C. Wright Mills?

The 'power elite' refers to an interlocking set of connections of people in business, politics, and the military who determine the parameters of possible change in America, operating more like a permanent establishment that constrains the leeway of elected officials.

How does the script characterize the role of the media in shaping public opinion?

The media is portrayed as pushing propaganda, often in league with the interests of the wealthy and powerful, and sometimes failing to provide diverse viewpoints or challenge the narratives presented by these interests.

What is the perspective of the script on the representation of the American people by their government?

The script suggests that many American citizens, particularly those in the working class, feel that their government is not representative or capable of solving the country's problems, and that their power to influence decisions is slipping away.

How does the script relate the Occupy Wall Street movement to the broader discussion of who rules America?

The Occupy Wall Street movement is presented as a challenge to institutional power, aiming to revive grassroots democracy and raise awareness about the concentration of wealth and power among the 1%, thus contributing to the discourse on who effectively rules America.

What does the script imply about the influence of corporate interests on American foreign policy?

The script implies that corporate interests, particularly those of the oil and gas industry, have significant influence on foreign policy decisions, often leading to outcomes such as wars that may not be in the best interest of the majority of Americans.

What is the script's view on the concept of American exceptionalism?

The script suggests that the belief in American exceptionalism, the idea that the United States is inherently superior to other nations, may be a myth that prevents many Americans from comprehending the realities of power distribution and the influence of the 1% on the country's governance.

Outlines

00:00

🏦 Financial Power and Influence on Politics

The script introduces Wall Street as the financial hub of America and the world, emphasizing the significant sway financial firms have on politics and policies. Despite not being elected, these firms attempt to dismantle regulations set by Congress. The series will explore the shadowy powers behind the scenes, including media, military, and corporate forces, questioning who truly governs America. The focus is on the political spectacle of elections, where campaigns are funded by billions and dominated by strategic messaging rather than substantive issues, suggesting a disconnect between the public's perception of democracy and the reality of power dynamics.

05:01

🤝 The Interlocking Power Elite and Public Perception

This paragraph delves into the concept of a power elite, as described by sociologist C. Wright Mills, which includes influential figures in business, politics, and the military. It discusses the idea that these elites set the boundaries of change within society, not through conspiracy but as a result of their interlocking positions of power. The script mentions a forum where progressive intellectuals agree that America falls short of its democratic ideals. It also touches on the public's perception of power, with some individuals feeling that their American dream is slipping away due to the influence of moneyed interests and lobbyists in Washington.

10:01

💰 Wealth, Influence, and the Control of Democracy

The script highlights the role of the wealthiest Americans in shaping the country's agenda through unelected institutions that serve their interests. It suggests that while there may not be a secret cabal controlling the state, the American state is inherently capitalist and closely intertwined with Wall Street and the military-industrial complex. The media's role is also examined, with claims that it often aligns with corporate interests and fails to provide adequate coverage of issues such as the political economy of oil, which is influenced by powerful lobbies.

15:03

📰 Media Manipulation and the Illusion of Democracy

This section critiques the media's role in shaping public opinion, particularly in relation to war propaganda. It discusses how the same media outlets that pushed for the Iraq War continue to promote narratives that may lead to further conflicts, such as the non-existent weapons program in Iran. The script also addresses the idea of 'American exceptionalism,' which can make it difficult for citizens to question the structures of power in their country. It suggests that the Occupy Wall Street movement is an attempt to challenge these power structures and revive grassroots democracy.

20:04

🌐 Class Struggle and the Fight for a People-Ruled America

The final paragraph discusses the class struggle in America, with a focus on the experiences of ordinary citizens who feel powerless and disenfranchised. It touches on the resentment towards working people and public sector employees, suggesting a societal shift away from collective benefits towards individualism. The script also highlights the importance of community and collective action, as exemplified by the Occupy Wall Street movement, in the pursuit of a more equitable and democratic society. It ends with a reflection on the ongoing struggle between the 99% and the 1%, hinting at the historical context that will be explored in the next episode.

Keywords

💡Wall Street

Wall Street is a term that often symbolizes the financial district of New York City and by extension, the financial markets of the United States. It is used in the script to represent the financial firms and their influence on American politics and policies. The video discusses how these firms, based in Wall Street, have an extraordinary influence despite not being elected by the people.

💡Unelected forces

The term 'unelected forces' in the script refers to powerful entities or groups that influence policy and governance without being chosen by the general public through elections. This includes financial firms, media, military, and corporate forces that operate behind the scenes and are suggested to have a significant impact on who truly rules America.

💡Regulations

Regulations are rules or directives made and maintained by an authority. In the context of the video, they refer to the legal frameworks imposed by Congress to govern financial firms. The script mentions that these firms are attempting to undo such regulations, indicating a struggle between the desire for oversight and the push for deregulation.

💡Power elite

The 'power elite' is a term coined by sociologist C. Wright Mills, referring to a small group of people who hold the most effective means of power in a society. In the script, it is used to describe an interlocking set of influential individuals in business, politics, and the military who determine the parameters of possible change in America.

💡Polarized

To be 'polarized' means to be divided into two opposing groups with strong differences in opinion. The script uses this term to describe the current state of American politics, where politicians are trapped in a stalemate, suggesting that this polarization may hinder effective governance and policy-making.

💡Campaign contributions

Campaign contributions refer to the financial support given to political candidates or parties to fund their campaigns. The script mentions these contributions in the context of billions of dollars fueling political advertisements and implying that they may influence the policies and priorities of the elected officials.

💡Media propaganda

Media propaganda is the spreading of information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, to promote a particular political cause or point of view. The script discusses how media companies have been accused of pushing propaganda for wars, shaping public opinion, and potentially manipulating the narrative around international conflicts.

💡Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street was a protest movement against economic inequality and the influence of corporations on democracy. The script refers to this movement as an attempt to challenge institutional power and revive grassroots democracy, highlighting the desire for a more transparent and accountable distribution of power.

💡American exceptionalism

American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is unique and has a special mission to transform the world. The script touches on this concept as a myth that many Americans hold, which may contribute to a sense of superiority and a reluctance to question the existing power structures.

💡Deepwater Horizon disaster

The Deepwater Horizon disaster refers to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by a drilling rig explosion. The script uses this incident as an example of the consequences of lax regulation and oversight in the oil industry, suggesting that corporate interests may override public safety and environmental concerns.

💡Class consciousness

Class consciousness refers to the awareness of one's own class identity and the social and political implications of class differences. The script discusses how the concept of class has been somewhat erased from the vocabulary of the American public, and how this may affect the understanding and discussion of economic inequality and power distribution.

Highlights

Wall Street's financial firms have significant influence on American politics and policies.

These firms are attempting to undo regulations imposed by Congress.

The series investigates the powerful forces operating behind the scenes in America.

The question of 'who rules America' is central to the series.

Eric Foner suggests that the power in America is not held by a single group but by an 'interlocking set of connections'.

The concept of a 'power elite' in America was introduced by sociologist C. Wright Mills.

The Occupy Wall Street movement challenges institutional power to revive grassroots democracy.

Media companies are accused of pushing propaganda for war.

Laws are often written by industry lobbyists, favoring their interests over the public's.

The oil industry has been pushing for drilling with little oversight, leading to disasters like Deepwater Horizon.

The media's role in shaping public perception of power structures is discussed.

The series explores the impact of campaign contributions and lobbying on politics.

American exceptionalism is critiqued as a myth that obscures the reality of power distribution.

The series examines the historical conflict between the 99% and the 1% dating back to the American Revolution.

Inequality in America has reached unprecedented levels with the top 1% controlling a large share of income and wealth.

The series aims to reveal the mechanisms by which the wealthiest Americans exert control.

The public's perception of their own power and influence in America is questioned.

The series suggests that the American dream is slipping away for many citizens.

The role of the working class in shaping America's power structures is discussed.

The series concludes by emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in power distribution.

Transcripts

welcome to Wall Street the epicenter of

financial power in America perhaps the

money capital of the world

the globally oriented financial firms

based here in the New York Stock

Exchange that operates here have

extraordinary influence on the politics

and policies of this country no one has

elected them and in fact these financial

firms are trying to undo the regulations

and new laws governing them imposed by

the Congress the people on Wall Street

are just one of a number of unelected

and very powerful forces that operate in

the shadows behind the scenes there the

media of forces there the military and

industrial forces there are corporate

forces and they're the forces that we'll

be investigating in this television

series which asks a question that most

of our media does not who rules America

every four years Americans go to the

polls to elect a president it's a ritual

that goes back to the founding of the

nation in 1776 every four years politics

and politicians dominate our television

screens dominate our news and dominate

our national discourse

by Ron Paul when I approved this message

independent watchdogs called this

President President Barack Obama is

running for reelection Mitt Romney stood

with Big Oil for their tax breaks

attacking higher mileage standards and

renewables so he is attacking and being

attacked by Republicans he said he would

turn this economy around in three years

or he'd be looking at a one-term

proposition we're here to collect all

right the two parties may be fighting a

political war but pundits label it a

horse race fueled literally by billions

of dollars in campaign contributions

used for pervasive advertisements where

one president's failed policies really

hit home

[Music]

welcome to Obama fill the focus is on

political personalities not the forces

they represent a large industry of

commentators and pollsters are paid to

tell us who's ahead and who's behind the

focus invariably is on the candidates

not the issues but everyone knows the

campaigns are run behind the scenes by

professional strategists media experts

and political advisors remember you're

one from the political ads are cynical

and slick almost every word is scripted

symbols Trump's substance slogans are

market-tested aimed at promoting

perception and reinforcing prejudices

that a relation marketing is an omission

concealing is not telling on one level

this whole spectacle is presented as a

triumph of democracy as if the candidate

who wins will run the country but being

an office doesn't necessarily mean being

in power Americans believe they are

determining their future are they do

most know or are they ever told who

rules America I just think of these

people you can't really see them yeah

that's what I think the people who rule

America people are behind the screen

they argue my screen invisible

to the general public how do you think

people really know what's going on to

some extent yes in to some extent know

to what extent yes the wet extend though

about 50/50

who rules America there's no one right

answer Pulitzer prize-winning American

historian Eric Foner says it's a

question that raises many more questions

about power that works from the shadows

who rules America you know there's no

one single easily defined group who

rules America but I think you know not

just now but I think for a couple of

generations we have had a what what the

sociologists see right mills called in

the 1950s a power elite an interlocking

set of connections of people in business

in politics in the military who pretty

much determined the parameters of

possible change it's not that they rule

America in a conspiratorial way and of

course there are elected officials but

the leeway of those officials is

constrained by what you might call the

permanent government presidents come and

go but there's a kind of permanent

establishment what you know President

Eisenhower called the

military-industrial complex but now it's

more a military financial complex that

really you know determine as I say

determines the limits we're at the left

forum a gathering of progressive

intellectuals and scholars and students

held every year here in New York City

there are 1,400 speakers this year they

don't agree on everything but they do

agree that America is not the democracy

it claims to be they all want to know

who rules America professor Stanley

Aronowitz writes about the research of

this man see right mills who a half

century ago wrote about the existence of

a power elite that activists today refer

to as the 1% the people who run things

his contribution to understanding the

nature of power in America is in the

first place to identify three

institutional orders that really

together formed the power elite and

elite that is generally speaking

unresponsive to the people unresponsive

to Democratic liberties and democratic

procedures and he said that three groups

were the corporate cab

institutions the military and the third

one was the top layer of the political

Directorate he called them and they were

they are the national leaders like the

executive branch of government not even

Congress he said Congress was in the

middle levels of power it doesn't really

share the decision to make war the major

economic policies and so on it

participates at some level but basically

it's out of power and he said that

really has undercut the whole pretense

of progressive and representative

government this may be why in recent

surveys only 7 to 9 percent of the

American people in both parties believe

that the Congress the so-called people's

house of government is representative

and capable of solving the country's

problems if politicians are trapped in a

polarized and highly partisan stalemate

who does exercise the power to decide

what the country's priorities and policy

should be

we asked JK Fowler an editor of the

mantle a political magazine

I think that a lot of the stuff going on

in America right now is being led by

money the moneyed interests in

Washington in particular I don't think

it's they're not hidden away in some

room with these in mind it's it's more

it's more structural they're serving

streets they're interacting we put that

question to Erin Crowell a 30 year old

working-class mother from a small town

in Wisconsin who is working two jobs

while pursuing her education if I was to

ask you like who runs America who rules

America what is your you know what is

your perception of that people that have

the money to do so

no you know people that that that have

the money in the the resources to send a

lobbyist to Washington you know like no

money from my town could afford to send

a lobbyist you know and say hey

harley-davidson is you know threatening

to move their plants to China unless you

know everybody takes pay cuts you know

and could literally shut our town down

you know we can't afford to defend

ourselves do you feel as an American

citizen that you have power you know in

our country do you feel as if you have

the ability to get your dream achieved I

feel like it's slipping away

I don't think I do you know because it

feels like the closer and closer I would

get to that you know like just a dream

for me is to finish college you know and

take care of myself and take care of my

son you know but even that now you know

and and I understand like most a lot of

people in my position aren't even able

to get that far now so if the citizens

who are supposed to be in charge don't

feel they are who does what we found is

that by and large it's the wealthiest

Americans who call the shots through

unelected institutions that drive

agendas in their own interests there may

be a cabal running things but in the end

the state and the system merges argues

Canadian political analyst Leo panitch I

don't think there's an external force

controlling the American State the

American state is capitalist to its core

in the very way it's organized it

doesn't do it because there's too much

influence from Wall Street it does it

because it is structurally embedded with

Wall Street it doesn't do it because

there's too much influence from a

military-industrial complex it doesn't

because the military-industrial complex

is inside the state it was funded by the

state is part of this thing people who

conspire and there's people who act in

secret but capitalism is not a

conspiracy the people who have the

wealth they're not a conspiracy we know

who they are we know how they collect

this money they take it out of our

pocket they put it in theirs and it's

not a big mystery there seems to be

corporate forces in addition to Wall

Street that essentially help guide our

political and economic direction

leading our America's top corporations

political analyst Michael Claire has

studied the political economy of oil for

20 years and says a lack of media

coverage keeps the public in the dark

does the media cover it the media

doesn't cover this for the most part in

fact the media is largely in league

because of the advertising dollars that

the oil and gas Lobby provides they're

very heavily dependent on advertising

revenue so they're very careful in what

they say who are they accountable to are

their laws really controlling and

regulating what they do there are laws

but they have been written largely by

their lobbyists to favor them so in fact

the laws for the most part are in their

favor not in the favor of most Americans

is there an issue where we've seen us

very clearly where the interests of the

oil industry or that or the energy

industry is in conflict that the

interests of Americans well I would give

an example that the oil industry has

been pushing for drilling in the deep

waters of the Gulf of Mexico and off the

coast of Alaska for example and they get

all kinds of tax benefits for that kind

of deepwater drilling and they were able

to do so during the Bush period with

absolutely no oversight whatsoever

hence the Deepwater Horizon disaster

most Americans experience the oil

industry in two places at the gas pump

where prices often rise because of

speculation not just supply and demand

and also through TV advertising that

paints this very profitable business in

the most positive of terms

I'm still here and so is VP we're

committed to the Gaul for everyone who

loves it and everyone who calls it home

that's good for our country's energy

security and our economy which brings us

to another set of corporations the media

companies Jeff Cohen has been in the

media and written books about its impact

in shaping how Americans think about

their country and its system of power

he says media companies push propaganda

for war it's the same exact media

quoting the same exact experts that

pushed our country in the world into a

war with Iraq and we were told by these

media oh we're so sorry we didn't know

you know we made a mistake next time

we'll be more vigilant but here we are

next time ten years later and the same

media are blowing smoke about a weapons

program in Iran that doesn't exist

there was no weapons of mass destruction

in Iraq either and so we're hearing it's

it's like you know when the war drums

are beating and I worked in mainstream

television news in this country during

the run-up to the Iraq war when the war

drums are beating they don't let you put

on endpoint opposing views we tried to

get opposing views to question the

evidence the intelligence that would

justify an attack on Iraq but we were

kicked off the air and now you're

finding it's it's a nightmare it's a

nightmare that's happening again

at the same time you have most people

who work in major me

I of course did as well don't believe

this they don't buy this they feel like

they do have the freedom to cover issues

and that the networks are much more

diverse in their point of view than

Outsiders like you and maybe now me

would say well the way to rebut that

fiction is just to look at what happened

in the wake of the Iraq invasion those

of us who question the evidence that

that they were a weapons of mass

destruction threat we were totally right

and most of us got kicked out of the TV

networks the people who got it wrong

have promoted up so this idea of

diversity and the mainstream media or

good journalism will went out certainly

hasn't been proven in the last 10 years

where the journalists who got it right

had been punished sanctioned or kicked

out of the media and the journalists who

got it wrong most of them have more

power today to blow smoke in Iran than

they had even when they were blowing

smoke at Iraq those people the people

who own institutions are usually very

conscious of their power not just as

individuals but it's part of a dominant

class says independent TV producer Brian

drew Leigh so there's a lot of talk here

about Democrats and Republicans revote

for the Democrats rewrote the

Republicans there's a lot of talk about

you know the rich versus the 99% but

it's it's kind of you know the there's a

certain kind of amnesia about the

structure of our society that at one

point in this country at least had some

currency you know in the 30s and even in

the 60s you could talk about the

working-class nobody talks about the

working-class it's all about there's a

middle class and then there's the 1% as

if there's no pay and I guess then

there's some you know poor blacks and

Latinos or something right and I think

that word has been sanitized and

scrubbed out of

vocabulary of the people of the United

States including out of the vocabulary

of the left now that's not the entire

left but even the people that use the

word class don't seem to have the

ability to to phrase it in a way that

actually means something to people to

talk about classes not to talk about a

conspiracy but a complex system that's

evolved over the years a system that is

stratified and uses campaign

contributions and lobbying to ensure

that the politicians do the bidding of

the companies so these are the building

blocks of the analysis we'll explore in

this series on who rules America

the argument is simple but hard for many

Americans to comprehend because many of

us want to believe the myths we learned

in school that make us feel superior to

other countries and other people's this

has been called American exceptionalism

many in America believe that God created

this country is the greatest country on

earth and that's what makes it so

special

Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz is one leader of

America's indigenous people the first

Americans they were the ones to be

eliminated

and so questions about the custodians of

real power and who rules America lead

back to debates on how to remake power

how to challenge its distribution and

make it more transparent and accountable

these are the issues that the Occupy

Wall Street movement is raising as it

challenges institutional power in an

attempt to revive grassroots democracy

David DeGraw explains occupies origins I

mean it was like such a confluence of

events you know everything was moving in

this direction you know I was I was

looking around the world you know this

is protests happening in Egypt and then

it moves to you know the Arab Spring

Tunisia and all throughout Europe came

back and there was just a matter of time

before hit the United States and really

if you look the the occupations globally

you know that they became like the thing

to do so it's just a natural progression

for it to show up here I feel like it

shows up here because you know even

though kind of wealth is so concentrated

you know the people have a media system

where they're so propagandize

and they feel isolated but now occupy

shows that people are you know not

suffering alone they're coming out and

raising awareness and we changed the

national discourse the movement is up

against powerful forces with large

budgets and the backing of police forces

and the political establishment while

these activists are on the front lines

of the fight for it people ruled America

many of its people share the same hope

you have a sense of class being

important in this country that there

being like an upper class working class

you know I I'm a waitress at a very nice

restaurant and it's very clear to me you

know where we what my role is and who I

am you know and you can tell just just

from the dialog that I have with people

you know recently I had a talk to a

general manager of a fairly large

business in our town and you know when

when I mentioned that I was going to

public school you know I got kind of an

eye-roll inoue

my tax dollars pay for that you know and

it's if you feel like this all this

resentment against working people kind

of feeling like they don't deserve what

they're what little they're getting

absolutely absolutely and especially you

know with with the recent attacks on

public sector employees like on teachers

and you know people are seen you know

they don't deserve those benefits we all

don't get those benefits so so they

don't deserve them either you know we're

like why is it the conversation

maybe we should all work to get those

for everyone instead of taking it away

from the few that do have them you know

when I hear you talking you know I

realized it's a such a bigger picture

here that most people even understand

that we have you know a country where

the dream is slipping away for so many

people and they don't feel particularly

powerful they don't feel like they can

do anything they can achieve anything

they can make a difference right I think

the dream is shifted to

hopefully I wake up tomorrow and I'll be

able to pay my rent and keep a roof over

my head you know or it's just like you

know I'll work on achieving my dream

tomorrow but today you know I have to

have to go to class you know and I have

to you know I have to get my work done I

have to go to work and I have to try to

squeeze a couple hours of sleep in and

then you know and it's

now you're here at this conference all

these brilliant theoreticians and

analysts and professors and experts and

leaders and how do you feel about this

this idea that people have to get

together to make a difference I think

it's wonderful I I feel so blessed to be

able to be here with people like that

because I want to learn you know

somebody and you know had said to me

well why don't you leave where you are

and I don't think that's the answer I

think that it's my job as somebody who

cares about these things to learn from

these people to learn from these

brilliant minds and so I can take this

back to people and and and and show them

and explain to them where we don't have

access to this kind of thing every day

you know and so hopefully try to

enlighten them a little bit Aaron

expresses the hopes of many ordinary

Americans who want to reshape the nature

of power so that the 99% not just the 1%

can rule but as you can see in here it's

not a battle she feels she is winning

perhaps that's why she like many want to

know who rules America

coming up in the next episode of who

rules America how the history of

conflict between the 99% and the 1% goes

back to the American Revolution the

degree of inequality never before has

the very very top the 1% had so much of

the national income and wealth in its

own hands

next time on who rules America

you