The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: The Truth About Corporate Cons, Globalization and High-Finance Fraudsters

383 Pages·2003·6.65 MB·English

by  Greg Palast

THE BEST
DEMOCRACY
MONEY CAN BUY
$ $ $ $ $ $
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A I R E
N NVESTIGATIVE EPORTER XPOSES THE
T G , C
RUTH ABOUT LOBALIZATION ORPORATE
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ONS AND IGH INANCE RAUDSTERS
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GREG PALAST
A PLUME BOOK
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are
used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is
entirely coincidental.
The Best Democracy Money can Buy
A Plume Book / published by arrangement with the author
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2003 by Greg Palast.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by
mimeograph or any other means, without permission.
Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes
copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to
criminal and civil liability.
For information address:
The Jove Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is
http://www.penguinputnam.com
ISBN: 0-7865-1818-9
A PLUME BOOK®
PLUME Books first published by Penguin Publishing Group,
a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
PLUME and the "P" design are trademarks belonging to
Penguin Putnam Inc.
Electronic edition: September 2003
For
LINDA LEVY,
whose work is here plagiarized without mercy

We cannot trust some people who are nonconformists.
—Ray Kroc, Chairman,
McDonald’s Corp., deceased
The thing about the Golden Straitjacket is, the tighter you
wear it, the more gold it produces.
—Thomas Friedman on globalization
I don’t have to be nice to the spirit of the Anti-Christ.
—Dr. (“Reverend”) Pat Robertson

Contents
Who Gives a Shit? An Introduction to the New
American Edition 1
CHAPTER 1. JIM CROW IN CYBERSPACE: The Unreported
Story of How They Fixed the Vote in Florida 11
In the days following the presidential election, there were so many
stories of African Americans erased from voter rolls you might
think they were targeted by some kind of racial computer program.
They were.
CHAPTER 2. THE BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY: The
Bushes and the Billionaires Who Love Them 83
Who owns America? How much did it cost? Was the transaction
cash, check or credit card?
CHAPTER 3.CALIFORNIA REAMIN’: Deregulation and the
Power Pirates 117
Jake Horton borrowed the company plane to confront his
company’s board of directors over accounting games and illegal
political payments. Minutes after takeoff, the plane exploded.
x Contents
CHAPTER 4.SELL THE LEXUS, BURN THE OLIVE TREE:
Globalization and Its Discontents 143
A cache of secret documents from inside the IMF, World Bank and
World Trade Organization explains the inner workings of the iron
triangle of globalization.
CHAPTER 5. INSIDE CORPORATE AMERICA 207
Fifteen thousand stockholders believe they hear Sam Walton speak
months after he died—and other strange tales from Planet Dollar.
CHAPTER 6. PAT ROBERTSON, GENERAL PINOCHET,
PEPSI-COLA AND THE ANTI-CHRIST: Special
Investigative Reports 237
Award-winning investigative reports.
CHAPTER 7. SMALL TOWNS, SMALL MINDS 297
I live in one of those lovely little rural villages in America that still
preserve good old American small-town virtues. So why has our
local newspaper written two editorials requesting I get the hell out?
CHAPTER 8. KISSING THE WHIP: Reflections of an American
in Exile 311
When the TV infotainment hypnosis wears off, when “Have a nice
day” is an insufficient answer to getting screwed by the powers that
be, Americans can surprise themselves, rise up, and say, “No,
thanks, we won’t kiss the whip that beats us.” Thoughts in exile.
APPENDIX: Your Turn—Resources for Action 343
Acknowledgments 349
Index 353
About the Author 369
THE BEST
DEMOCRACY
MONEY CAN BUY