Follow The Money and Sound the Alarm
Let's give this man a hand! Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is out there again sounding the alarm - this time calling for an investigation into the IMF's recent bailout of Brazil. Is there any better Exemplar of Corporate Welfare than this latest bit of IMF/World Bank shenanigans? Good for Bernie! In his press release appearing over at Common Dreams, he nails it right about here...

"At a time when we have a $6 trillion national debt, a growing federal deficit, and an increasing number of unmet social needs for our veterans, seniors, and children, it is unacceptable that billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being sent to the IMF to bailout Brazil. This money is not going to significantly help the poor people of that country. The real winners in this situation are the large, profitable U.S. banks such as Citigroup that have made billions of dollars in risky investments in Brazil and now want to make sure their investments are repaid. This bailout represents an egregious form of corporate welfare that must be put to an end. Interestingly enough, these banks have made substantial campaign contributions to both political parties."

Bailing out their bad investments in Brazil is but of course, a job for SuperAmerican Taxpayer. The little guy is always expected to fix the addiction of "biznerment"...that insatiable co-dependency that exists between big business and government. But let's not forget...they did this to themselves through ill-advised investment strategy. And, is it not the most outrageous example of fat cat hubris that we are expected to somehow fix their bad bets but for those millions of working and middle class Americans whose investments crashed and burned thanks to American Corporate Lies, Malfeasance and Restatements...well, they're just supposed to simply bite the bullet? I say...let the IMF bite the bullet! It's through their inhumane, ultra-capitalistic practices that they find their clientele economies collapsing. It's a stunning reality that counted among those nearing default were some of the most robust economies on the planet. The IMF/World Bank/US policies of privatization and deregulation have been a cancer upon the globe.

It is due time the public debate turned to the issue of building a national and global economic democracy. It is due time that the inhumane practice of structural adjustment be examined and exposed for what it is. It is high time that we called a spade a spade and identified the enemy...and the enemy is not some "towel-headed" Iraqi...the enemy is among us and is represented in the top 5% of affluence in this country, the most inequitable on the face of the planet. It's sure not the poor who are stiffing the world.

We need only do as they say in the movies...we need only "follow the money." Check out this Sanders press release and then head on over to Tim Dunlop's Surfdom for further discussion on Brazil, the IMF and WB conundrum and of course, World Bank nemesis, Joseph Stiglitz.