It's day 111 of the life during the coronavirus pandemic in the United States where people keep losing their jobs, their homes, and livelihoods, but corporations and the super-rich are living their best lives, making a killing out of the catastrophe -- some under the lead of ALEC.
[And for those of you that might not know who or what is ALEC -- ALEC, or the American Legislative Exchange Council, is a corporate pay-to-play operation where legislators and corporate lobbyists vote behind closed doors to adopt model legislation on a broad range of public policy issues.]
This giant lobby front group is playing a leading role in the “Save Our Country Coalition” - the Right-Wing movement to push for early reopening of the economy amidst the pandemic that has cost the United States over 100,000 lives to date.
Disaster Capitalism is not a tradition exclusive to the USA -- Countries from all around the globe could soon face a ‘wave’ of multi-million dollar lawsuits from multinational corporations claiming compensation for measures introduced to protect people from COVID-19 and its economic fallout.
Yes-- according to a research, more than twenty of the world’s top law firms are preparing to ‘cash in’ on the pandemic by helping corporations sue states and countries for health and economic relief measures that have impaired profits.
Corporations are lawyering up to sue governments for doing their job and protecting people during this pandemic -- this is just WOW!
This is a crystal-clear example of the ‘parallel justice system for the rich’ that exists everywhere.
And back at home -- the White House is aiming to tighten access for federal food benefits and has appealed a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily enabled hundreds of thousands of people to maintain food stamp benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.
And while The Trump Administration tries to starve a huge chunk of the nation while silver spoon feeding the Billionaire class by quietly allocating $135 billion — yes, that’s “billion” with a “b” — for the likes of wealthy real estate developers [including his family] in the economic rescue package.
How is this possible, you may ask? Well, here's how:
- The $135 billion Billionaires Giveaway lets rich business owners with other big sources of income dodge their taxes. Wealthy owners can use losses from their businesses to cancel out other non-business income—whether a sky-high salary or hefty investment gain from stocks—and thereby lower their taxes. Often these business losses exist only on paper.
- Only couples with $500,000 of non-business income (individuals with $250,000) benefit from the Billionaires Giveaway. Average business owners with more modest income from other sources could already use business losses to reduce their taxes.
- The Billionaires Giveaway lets rich business owners exploit losses unrelated to the pandemic. Business losses racked up in 2018 and 2019, when the economy was booming, can be used to wipe out old tax liabilities and generate big refunds.
- The Billionaires Giveaway comes with no strings attached. Business owners don’t have to promise to keep on workers or pay the money back like airlines and other corporations getting bailouts, or small businesses getting “Paycheck Protection” payments.
About 82 percent of the Billionaire Giveaway goes to those earning more than $1 million a year, according to Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation. Of those beneficiaries earning more than $1 million annually, the average benefit is $1.6 million.
In other words, a single mom juggling two jobs gets one, maybe two $1,200 stimulus checks (I still haven’t received mine...) — and then pays taxes so that a real estate mogul can receive $1.6 million. This is dog-eat-dog capitalism for struggling workers, and socialism for the rich.
This is sickening. This monstrosity needs to be repealed!
And the Democrats are indeed seeking to repeal the Millionaires’ Giveaway, but a leading Republican ferociously keeps defending it. The tax break was inserted in the CARES Act by Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate tax-writing committee. In a Fox News op-ed he accused those who oppose it of engaging in “class warfare.” Of course, it is Grassley who declared war on working families by lavishing tax giveaways to the rich in the midst of a national emergency.
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) are leading the fight to repeal this offensive tax break. As of May 7, their bills are supported by 24 senators (S. 3640) (including six who ran for president this cycle) and 52 members of the House (H.R. 6579). Their effort has been endorsed by 194 organizations and is growing.
This is yet another thing we should be calling our representative and Senators about EVERY SINGLE DAY (besides HJR-48 *wink-wink*)
This money, intended to rescue small businesses, is going not to those with the greatest need but rather to those with the most shameless lawyers!
It’s time we say NO to the tightening of the rules for federal food benefits and other safety nets, and say NO to widening the Corporate and Billionaire's welfare program!
Remember, these are the same companies poisoning and destroying our world, and putting profits over their employees' wellbeing --
Like, Dow admitting the floodwaters in Midland, Michigan is 'commingling' with toxic chemical storage ponds which will make a flood have the potential to be a major environmental disaster, and Kroger who will Eliminate their ‘Hero Pay’ Bonus for Employees Working During Pandemic -- kicking their ‘Heroes’ out to the curve...
Or like Amazon, who shamelessly aired an identical propaganda segment in at least 11 local TV stations.
The segment -- which was written and produced by Amazon’s PR team and recited verbatim by news anchors -- presents a fawning picture of Amazon, which has struggled to deliver essential items during the pandemic, support the sellers that rely on its platform, and provide its workers with the necessary protective equipment.
Pfff… LIES!
Good try, Jeff Bezos, but we all know you don’t care about your employees and if you don’t believe me, ask some of the employees from his delivery center in Queens, NY who shut down the warehouse after one employee tested positive with COVID 19.
For all we know, you are getting free COVID 19 with each order you place with your Amazon Premium Account.
And we know what you all might be thinking after hearing all those horrible news:
We’re all screwed and that there is no way we can get out of this mess...
But at MTA, we like to think this might actually be an opportunity to get rid of the old and start fresh.
Think about it: at least now more people are aware of how rotten and corrupt the system really is, and some might be seeking ways they can help -- which is why it’s crucial YOU help us reach more folks!
And although, is true that the revolution will not be televised, we could very well use this space to plan out the new normal --
Because, honestly, I know I can’t be the only one that kinda hated the old ‘Normal’...
Normal never was.
Our pre-Corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequality, exhaustion, depletion, extraction...
We should not long to return, my friends.
We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of Humanity and Nature.
With most people now working from home -- now is the perfect time to call your Representative and Senators OVER and over again, until they listen! NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED HJR-48!
