βFascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.β β Not BenitoΒ Mussolini, but still true.
Corporations have been controlling governments across the west to varying degrees since there were governments to control. Today this happens with back room deal making, revolving doors of executives shuffling between board rooms and government agencies charged with that industryβs oversight and then back to the board room. It happens through funding research with corporate grants and state subsidies in what is now called βregulatory captureβ.
We do not call βregulatory captureβ bribery or corruption. We do not even call bribery or massive corruption in government by its real name, we call it βlobbyingβ. We do not call the lateral move from corporation to government agencies on behalf of that corporationβs industry corruption, we call it βpublic serviceβ. No matter how large the speaking fees or how many millions in stock options await the public servant they are apparently still serving the public and not the corporation.
When politicians take millions in contributions from corporations we do not call that corruption either, or bribery, we call it βcampaign financingβ through βpolitical action committeesβ. No matter how many millions the politician raises through these legal mechanisms we are still supposed to believe they will serve the voters and not their financial contributors.
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