Who Rules America? - Episode 1
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🏦 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.
🤝 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.
💰 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.
📰 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.
🌐 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Wall Street
💡Unelected forces
💡Regulations
💡Power elite
💡Polarized
💡Campaign contributions
💡Media propaganda
💡Occupy Wall Street
💡American exceptionalism
💡Deepwater Horizon disaster
💡Class consciousness
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
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