Military Industrial Congressional Complex
  Flows of money and patronage within a closed-loop,
  stable system independent of outside forces:

  Derived from the work of Chuck Spinney, Chet Richards, Seymour Melman, Ismael Hossein-Zadeh and others.

Self-Licking

Ice Cream Cone

The voting patterns of politicians in Congress may be predicted by a Venn diagram with two circles. The issues where republicans and democrats align against each other are generally lesser issues. On the issue of the global military empire, they always vote together.

For example, since the early 1800s, the US government has cooperated earnestly, 110% with leading bankers and financiers, maintaining by force, a monopoly over issuance of currency, control over the creation and clearing of credit in the banking system.  This of course prevents any economic trade or dealings other than 'lawful dealings', unless people have some absolutely desperate need such as a drug addiction forcing them to use cash.  And cash will be ended, in time. 

Another example where Congress never fails to unite, is maintaining the flow of material resources to the Pentagon.  Military funding has never been defeated, since the imperial impulse became ingrained in US politics in the 1890s.  Imperialism is discredited for a few years after the Philippines, Cuba, WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam but always came back stronger than before!  These were only brief periods where it receded, in order to manage public opinion. 

Like a wild horse being tamed, like a 200 pound marlin, at the end of a 50 pound fishing line...  Time and persistence.  They defeat us.  We are too stupid.

Control over the information commons took hold during the 1930s and never relented.  they took the radio spectrum.  the telephone.  The goal of rent-seekers and power-seekers is influence over what is said over telecommunications networks and mass media.  The obvious goal is the maintenance of state propaganda.  Chomsky has illustrated this, brilliantly in films such as Manufacturing Consent. Listen also to TUCradio.org

So, whenever Congress considers legislation about the banking system, the media, or radio spectrum or media licensing are considered, the debate is in closed session.  It consists of "educating" straying lawmakers into compliance with the empire.  There is never a public question or debate, since the very act of discussing them might result in more people understanding that empire-by-force is not in our best interests.  even by the best of the politicians, the Byrd or the McDermott, can't seem to resist the drug.

The stunning, paralyzing groupthink.

There really are only a few issues that matter: cutting the funding for the pentagon is above all other issues in Congress. And enforcing the laws that *already exist* 

All issues other than the global military empire are by definition, lesser issues, since those who control the empire will of course, exert that power for some things. Which things? Whose things? The things of greater importance to them, which is, adverse to our interests.

A word about class war.  The class of all wealthy is defined as those with annual incomes over $1 million.  The class of "us" is defined as those with annual incomes below average.  The core of "us" is those with incomes below the poverty level.  That would be me.

The apparatus of them, the money power, controls when where and how the military and police systems are used. The apparatus is outside the government and nominally regulated and subordinated to government power. However, it is also true that the "economic system" governs the government, thru the "democratic process". Obviously you have vast corruption and influence over elections thru campaign finance, media, and financial collaborations and patronage. 

Once you've created a military and police state as extensive as the US, you don't have a democratic process for how it is used. And once it destroys all of its rivals and opponents in the world, once you have a global monopoly on power, there are no limits on its behavior at all. . So, this beast keeps the people happy, puts sports arenas, megachurches and NASCAR tracks in every town, and a chicken in every pot-- so easily -- with our own labor -- and keeps the excess for itself. 

Todd