A Masterclass in Corporate Bull-Sh…
If there’s one thing Americans have been expertly trained to do, it’s to blame the government for every single problem—even when it’s corporations pulling the strings. Prices skyrocket? Must be those pesky regulations. Jobs shipped overseas? Clearly the government’s fault for not making America “competitive” enough. Wages stagnant for decades? Well, that’s just the free market at work—nothing to see here.
As economist Richard Wolff has repeatedly pointed out, this knee-jerk reaction is no accident. Corporations and their well-funded think tanks have spent decades perfecting the art of scapegoating. The message is simple: If you’re struggling, don’t look up at the CEOs raking in record profits—look sideways at your neighbors or, better yet, blame Washington. It’s a brilliant strategy because it keeps the real culprits safely out of the spotlight while the public rages at bureaucrats instead of billionaires.
Jon Stewart has called this out time and again, mocking the way politicians (funded by the very corporations causing the problems) go on TV to act outraged about the economic mess their donors created. Bill Burr, in his signature no-nonsense style, has ripped into this corporate con, pointing out how people will rage against “big government” while handing their entire lives over to mega-corporations that squeeze every last dollar out of them. You hate the DMV, but you’ll spend hours on hold with your insurance company without demanding we dismantle private healthcare. Make it make sense.
This carefully crafted blame game has allowed corporations to run wild—gutting wages, busting unions, and jacking up prices—while the average American is too busy cursing “government overreach” to notice they’re being fleeced by their employer, their bank, and their internet provider all at the same time.
At the end of the day, the real genius of corporate America isn’t just making obscene profits—it’s making sure you blame someone else when they do.
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