Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Mark Leibovich on Glitz and Greed in Washington

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Mark Leibovich on Glitz and Greed in Washington

Click here if you wish to access the source of this 45:00m video and/or transcript of interview from Moyers & Company. Or if you wish to see it on TV this weekend, you can determine the scheduled broadcasts here for your area.

Bill talks with journalist Mark Leibovich about his latest book, This Town, a city where money rules the day and status is determined by who you know and what they can do for you. “If you can sell yourself as someone who knows how Washington works, someone who has these relationships,” Leibovich explains, “that’s a very marketable commodity. If you’re seen as someone who knows how this town works, someone who is a usual suspect in this town, you can dine out for years — that’s why no one leaves.”

Bill Moyers actually uses the forbidden word "revolution" in his introduction to the interview in which the author describes his findings about the extreme and widespread corruption he found in his research on the Washington scene. Leibovich's focus is on the people who are part of the "revolving door" phenomenon, and the corruption of government that results. He recounts incident after incident of government officials/lobbyists who have engaged in corrupt practices that serve corporate/financial interests of the ruling class.