For the most part they are comprised of the majority shareholders who serve on the board of directors of large corporations. The mega-rich can serve as board members on numerous corporate boards simultaneously, thereby creating interlocking relationships and interests among the corporations. This low profile elitist community maintains a highly efficient, interconnected, local and international network of communications and control that, for all intents and purposes, completely avoids public scrutiny. Corporate America meets behind closed doors to cut secret deals and formulate powerful chess-like strategies that affect the daily lives of everyone in society.

Moreover, they have seen to it that a range of special privileges exists, not only for their own benefit, but as a means of winning political support from all those who envy their lop-sided share of the nation's wealth. Such privileges, (memberships in exclusive country clubs, unlimited travel, vehicles, planes, business subsidies and loans, tariff protection, price guarantees, etc. etc.) are all made accessible in addition to tax avoidance methods, and tax shelters, that the bottom 90% don't even make enough money to use.


Neocolonialism

If a country's wealth is divided amongst its citizens along Feudal wealth distribution lines, then that country functions as a Feudal domain, whether or not it attempts to conceal the fact with a democratic veneer, or any other veneer for that matter.

Colonialism is really only Feudalism practiced abroad.

In response to a wave of independence movements which swept the globe in the late 40's, the great colonial powers were forced to withdraw many of their political representatives as well as their military occupation forces. Because this occurred, historians and the media were quick to announce that the colonial era had ended.

However, the more determined colonialists simply installed puppet governments in the 3rd World countries which gladly signed defense treaties which allowed the colonialists to re-install their military occupation forces. Despite the superficial changes, both Feudalism and Colonialism are very much alive and well today.

However, colonial exploitation did, at least for a time, decline. This decline triggered off a decline in the standard of living in the West for a couple of reasons. First of all, as the level of colonial exploitation was reduced globally, the spillover benefits of colonialism were reduced for all Western citizens. Even more importantly, the colonialists (i.e. the Feudalists) increasingly redirected the focus of their exploitation toward their own populations in an effort to make up for lost colonial revenue! Not only is exploitation in the 3rd World now worse than in the 40's, it's worse in the 1st World too!!

Since the 50s, the planet has in effect, been enduring an era of social regression caused by the widespread proliferation of the new and more subtle forms of both Feudalism and Colonialism.

It is also extremely important to keep in mind that the conditions referred to throughout the book pertain not just to America, but to virtually all the capitalist democracies, ...England, Canada, Israel, Scotland, West Germany, South Africa, Ireland, India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, etc., as well as to all the other countries ruled by economically elite minorities. They are all functioning like separate Feudal empires.


A Look At 10 Western Nations

To show how widespread feudal wealth distribution conditions are, we will compare the wealth distribution statistics for ten (10) Western nations. The data was extracted from data submitted to the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth prepared in 1979 for the British Monarchy.{B32}

The distribution patterns of the 60's and 70's have been chosen to provide a valuable yardstick with which to begin an evaluation of our present condition. The statistics will show how things were in the 60's and 70's, and then by knowing what has happened in the last decade, it will be perfectly clear not only where America is headed, but why immediate action is so necessary.

When the comparative study was carried out in 1979, the information gathered was the latest available from each country. The studies have traditionally been carried out infrequently probably to avoid any unnecessary risk of the information becoming part of the public awareness, and hence a topic of popular concern.

During the 60's and 70's, the richest 1% owned an average of 25% of the total national wealth; the richest 5% about 45% of the wealth; and the richest 10% about 60% of the wealth; ...in virtually each of the Western nations.

{B32} Harrison, Alan. The Distribution of Wealth in 10 Countries (London: H.M Stationery Office, 1979)