You and I know this, that if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country. The more ownership there is in America, the more vitality there is in America, and the more people have a vital stake in the future of this country. – George W. Bush (6/17/04)
I got on stocks and bonds kid just because I want ‘em
And billion dollar businesses with Darkman written on ‘em
Not a front but an economical stunt
I want it all, I hope I didn’t put that too blunt – La the Darkman “I Want It All” (1996)
“The Ownership Society” is a phrase that has been repeated since the early days of the Bush administration. Like all of their other buzz words, it sounds nice – who wouldn’t want to be a part of “The Ownership Society” or support “spreading freedom and democracy?” – but neat turns of phrase don’t solve problems; More often than not, they are designed to obscure or even compound them. In just the last year, we have seen campaigns pushing Social Security privatization and Health Savings Accounts, two ideas at the core of Bush’s version of ownership. While sold as solutions to citizen insecurities, for the average American these programs not only fail to address their concerns, but exacerbate the situation by exposing them to market forces they are ill-prepared to handle. That most Americans couldn’t distinguish earnings per share from accelerated depreciation any sooner than they could differentiate non-pressure hydrocephalous from early onset Alzheimer’s disease isn’t a flaw in the “ownership society,” it’s a feature, and the goal isn’t to help people own things, it’s to help people who already own things. Flooding the equity and debt markets with the retirement savings of working Americans favors the interests of large corporations, large shareholders, and large investment houses. Replacing the system of pooled risk and encouraging consumers to negotiate health care costs benefits health care providers and insurance underwriters who enjoy an information advantage that would naturally maximize their profits. If the President truly believes that the more people own things, the better, why is he pushing a system that further concentrates the ownership of the narrow class of people who already own?
Like Social Security and health care, immigration reform is an important issue that demands a serious solution. But true to form, the President has skipped over more pressing concerns to address a lesser issue with a proposal that won’t improve the situation for the vast majority of Americans. Again, he is setting up another giveaway to the few at the expense of the many, and in doing so, inadvertently exposes “The Ownership Society” for the fraud that it is. In trying to thread the needle between paying off his big campaign funders without alienating the xenophobic racists in Congress, the President has put forth his version of immigration reform which, though it pays lip service to border security, is nothing more than slavery-lite. Workers would most likely be tied to one employer, their status in the hands of employers who are already exploiting them:
This…form of guest worker program was yesterday declared by the Israeli Supreme Court to be a a human rights violation and a “modern version of slavery” that ” compromises the basic rights of migrant workers. It hampers the inherent right for liberty, freedom of action and threatens the autonomy of the free will.” Such a limit on an ability to leave an employers puts the guest worker at the mercy of abusive supervisors and deprivation of any real labor rights.
Of course this is Bush’s aim. A steady stream of workers in thrall to businesses paying them minimal wages for dirty jobs, unable to unionize or put down roots, holding no leverage due to the fact that quitting means immediately being forced to leave the country. No matter how long they hold guest worker status, these people would be no closer to citizenship or even a green card. The highest form of ownership in a society is citizenship. Bush’s guest worker program – or god forbid the House version – cuts workers off from citizenship, and hands ownership of them to their employers, again accreting more profits and power to the already rich and powerful. The President’s push for ownership domestically mirrors his push for freedom and democracy abroad: they are both constructed of smoke, mirrors and empty promises. Only a few will see positive results, while the rest are stuck looking around for their piece of the dream.
It’s time for new thinking on the issues that face Americans. The status quo will “solve” every problem with the wishes of those who paid for the President’s election and reelection. Judging from where this has taken us, we can’t afford any more ownership.
