INVERTED TOTALTARIANISM

The corporatist situation we currently find ourselves in has been labeled "inverted totalitarianism" (by Sheldon Wolin), which represents the political coming of age of corporate power and the concomitant political demobilization of the citizenry. It is largely, but certainly not entirely, a political diversion to complain only about "big government." With 308,574,200 people in the U.S. (as of today, 1/18/2010), significant government presence at all levels is a fact of our lifeworld today. From the library down my street to the street itself to the public school in which I teach to the federal park at the other end of town; from the local fire department to FEMA, from the FDA to the EPA, all performing roles of public protection--which of these entities, and many others, does logic dictate their dissolution?

Yet, big business is all but in total control of government, at least at the federal level. The recent Supreme Court decision awarding greater influence to corporate monetary power into funding elections will make the inverted totalitarian of our lifeworld all the easier.