EP 523 If There’s a Battle Between Democracy and Autocracy Why Are We Aiding the Enemy?

                  Money talks in Washington DC and China and Russia sure have their attention. not  the voters  

There exists a powerful lever the West can use to weaken authoritarian governments and stop the global backslide of democracy.  Why we choose not to use it speaks powerfully to the forces at play in our own society often blunting social and political reforms in favor of profits.  You see almost every authoritarian regime is a kleptocratic one and they rely on the Western financial system to launder and safeguard their billions.  We can–and must–rein in the white collar professionals, particularly bankers at places like Goldman Sachs, BNP, Deutsche Bank and HSBC, who are selling out democracy to get rich.  And we must address the issue of some Western politicians in league with them.  As Frank Vogl, a leader in global anti-corruption efforts, shows in his book, ‘The Enablers” How the West Supports Kleptocrats and Corruption–Endangering Our Democracy’, oligarchs and authoritarians could not reap the material benefits of plundering their countries without the help of bankers, lawyers, accountants and realtors in places like New York, London and other financial centers.  So if we want to weaken their political and financial power, we must act.  First, the public needs to understand what’s happening here.  This podcast is a start.

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