Cor-por-a-tol-i-gar-chy. 

All together now, say it with me.  You can do it because I broke out all seven syllables just for you.  Do you need me to put it to music, too?

Wikipedia offers the definition of Corporatocracy as a form of government where a corporation, a group of corporations, or government entities with private components, controls the direction and governance of a country. It further states that “corporations give to competing political parties and major political party candidates. This is seen as a corporation hedging their bets on the outcome of an election, and trying to get on the good side of whichever candidate is elected into office. Some say this is one of the hallmarks of a corporatocracy. 

Oligarchy is defined in Wikipedia as a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royal, wealth, intellectual, family, military, or religious hegemony. 

Since I coined a new word, it is incumbent upon me to provide a proper definition.  So here goes:

Corporatoligarchy – a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small group of very large and wealthy corporations who are legally permitted to provide financial support (called campaign contributions with a heavy wink, but actually raw bribes) to hand-picked candidates for political office.  These candidates are carefully researched and determined to be safely counted upon not to work for any issues or outcomes that may be contrary to the short and long term interests of the sponsoring corporation.  Corporations are also free to draft and submit legislation through an extra layer of shadow governance known as a professional lobby group generally staffed by attorneys who approach the elected legislators whom they own with said legislation, for the purpose of submitting it as a legitimate bill for consideration as law.

How did I do?  Is it clear enough?  Is there anything you would add to make it more accurate?  Feel free to help out, because you and I are both part of this process and we might as well attempt to understand it as best we can.

How did this happen?  Does it matter to you?  Is it changing the flavor of your bacon and eggs for your breakfast?  Will you have to change the route you drive to work because of it?  Do you have any idea who the elected officials you voted for in the last election are beholden to?  (You did vote, right?) 

Here’s a clue to give you a head start: It isn’t you!  You aren’t on their mind when they vote how they are told on an important bill, unless it is close to the next election date and their vote might cause you to support their opponent.  Why should you be of concern to them, anyway?  If you contributed to their campaign (and you probably didn’t) it was an amount too insignificant to attract their loyalty.

What puzzles me is why anyone should be surprised when a political candidate gets the overwhelming majority of their campaign funding from the corporatocracy and large special interest lobbying organizations, that they would do anything other than honor those sources on important social issues.  Isn’t that what you and I would do if we were them?  If we work for a company that makes or sells products that we use in our everyday lives, do we choose to spend all our paychecks at their competitor’s businesses?

But I find the politics of our governing system to be far more insidious than these perceptions reveal.  If indeed there is such a vast amount of power operating out of public view and without concern for critical observation and regulation, what are they able to accomplish in the dark without the American voter’s awareness.  Are the candidates that survive the early vetting process actually the best choices for their constituency, or are they the ones who have already won the favor of the corporatocracy?  In other words, are we casting our precious votes for who we think we are?

When we hear it stated “the America political system is broken”, do you think this is what that means?  Can it be fixed?  What do you think?