Bankrolling The Bush/Clinton Dynasties

How Opaqueness Buys Democracy
Updated: Wednesday, October 21st, 2015

           Thomas Jefferson in 1816 correctly predicted the end of the Democracy and the Revolution that Founding Fathers like him forged. To their everlasting credit, the revolutionary U. S. democracy lasted for over two centuries as the greatest form of government ever devised. Two post-World War Two generations of Americans -- beset by cowardice, criminality and a lack of patriotism -- have squandered what was bequeathed to them, for the reasons presciently envisioned by Mr. Jefferson.

     This, unfortunately, is now the essence of the U. S. democracy, one already bought-and-paid-for by a handful of billionaires and one that has produced the moneyed dynasties of the Bush and Clinton political machines. Thus it is not surprising that in a stupefyingly flawed two-party system the two prime candidates in the ongoing {and seemingly endless} presidential campaign are the latest iterations of those two dynasties -- Jeb Bush the Republican and Hillary Clinton the Democrat. The above very pertinent image is courtesy of Vocatio/The Daily Beast. They teamed for an investigative report that revealed that the two bitter rivals -- Bush and Clinton -- are both being showered by bushels of money from the very same billionaires. That's because the unraveling of the U. S. democracy began when a few greedy and rich usurpers realized they had to purchase both parties if they were to be dictators of the entire U. S. government. Therefore, more than a year before voters go to the polls, the election has already been purchased by a handful of thuggishly rich billionaire individuals and corporations, who don't just buy up one party but both parties. Aided and abetted by an incompetent and greedy media that benefits from the incessantly long political campaigns and the tsunami of political ads, and by a Supreme Court ruling that legalized unlimited political donations, a few billionaires dictate a U. S. democracy that no longer embraces the vision and wisdom of the Founding Fathers.

       The montage depicted above was not supposed to happen to the American democracy, the greatest form of government ever devised. But, despite all the parameters set forth by the Founding Fathers, the Bush political dynasty did evolve, starting with Prescott Bush in the 1930s. The dynastic successions of George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Jeb Bush sparked what could be the usurpation and destruction of democracy as envisioned by the epic Americans who created it. The opaqueness of that unfortunate evolution is not supposed to be discussed in polite, money-crazed, capitalistic society. But let's discuss it anyway. While democracy in the United States is not totally extinct, it is an endangered species.

       Starting with Prescott Bush's controversial financial and political ties, which Americans are verboten to Google, the Bush political dynasty overwhelmed the U. S. democracy. The necessary ingredient, on the heels of Prescott Bush's political and economic chicanery, has been the untold millions of dollars, much of it unsavory and foreign, that has fueled in one family a one-term presidency, a two-term vice-presidency, a bloody one-year CIA directorship, a two-term governorship of Texas, a two-term presidency, a two-term governorship of Florida, and a leading candidate to be the next President of the United States in 2017.  

        Americans know, or at least should know, the biographies of the Bush family. But they do not know, nor are they supposed to know, the origin and the continuation of the vast sums of money that have enabled the Bush dynasty to exist generation after generation after generation with more generations yet to come.

           Craig Unger in the book "House of Bush/House of Saud" documented the synergy between the Bush dynasty and the oil wealth of Saudi Arabia and even Iran. Some of his documentations are chilling.

Is that why the Bush dynasty kisses up to the Saudis?

Should American voters care?

       This Eric Draper/Getty Images photo shows Saudi prince Bandar bin Sultan at President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in 2002. It appears President Bush is explaining something to the prince. Should American voters be privy to such clandestine encounters? With a Bush in the White House, it was well known that Prince Bandar was a frequent overnight guest. Should Americans have cared then...or now? 

        The 2016 election that will determine the 2017 U. S. President features yet another Bush, this time Jeb, as a prime Republican contender in a two-party political system in which most prospective voters understand is a bought-and-paid-for process. The money, much of it foreign-tinged, that put George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush in the White House is now trying to put Jeb Bush in the White House. On October 17th USA Today, America's largest newspaper, reported that 64 of the top donors to Jeb Bush's campaign also donated to his father's and his brother's campaigns. Should American voters care? Britain's top newspaper, The Guardian, had a major article this month expressing concern that by far the two biggest donors to Jeb Bush's current presidential campaign are {#1} a Cuban-American multi-billionaire and {#2} a Iranian-American multi-billionaire. If The Guardian in London is concerned about that, should Americans in America also be concerned? Since 2010 when the U. S. Supreme Court approved unlimited political donations from individual and corporate billionaires, the U. S. democracy has had a "For Sale" sign openly attached to it. Saudi money, Cuban money, Iranian money, Israeli money, American money...whatever! Even if the opaqueness of the American political system was imbued with transparency about where all there money is coming from, would this generation of Americans give a damn? Probably not.

       The above photo is courtesy of Joe Burbank/Zuma. A quick Google check will reveal a plethora of updated and unbiased accounts of Jeb Bush's campaign financing, revealing the grip corporate and individual billionaires have on the Bush dynasty. An informative article in The Guardian, for example, is entitled "Jeb Bush Grabs Cash From Iran and Cuba Emigres While Opposing Obama Policy (On Iran and Cuba)." Miguel Hernandez, a Cuban-born billionaire in Miami/Coral Gables, and Hushong Ansary, an Iranian-born billionaire in Houston, Texas -- between them -- quickly donated $5 million to kick-start Jeb's current presidential bid ($3 million from Hernandez and $2 million from Ansary)...and perhaps to continue influencing or dictating Jeb's policies regarding Cuba and Iran. Mother Jones.com has a well-researched article you can Google that is entitled "Meet The Megadonors Bankrolling Jeb Bush's Campaign." U. S. voters should Google the names and bios of the mega-donors behind all the major presidential candidates because there is a good chance that, by the time voters go to the polls over a year from now, a handful of billionaires will already have purchased the election, especially if the two dynastic contenders -- Bush and Clinton -- are the two finalists in the only nation that permits interminable billion-dollar campaigns.  

        As noted, the Bush political dynasty started with the highly controversial political and economic affairs of Prescott Bush back in the 1930s and 1940s. The Bush dynasty not only plans for Jeb Bush to be President starting in 2017 but it already contemplates George P. Bush being President, perhaps starting in 2025. Uh, yes...George P. Bush is Jeb's son. And...uh, yes...the P. stands for Prescott. As indicated above, the Bush machine has already easily made George P. Bush the powerful Land Commissioner in the powerful state of Texas where an array of well-known billionaires support the Bush political machine.

        Money tied to overthrown U.S.-backed dictatorships have, many believe, greatly influenced major decisions by the Bush political dynasty. The photo above shows President George H. W. Bush signing crucial legislation designed to appease the most radical anti-Castro Cuban-exiles from Miami. Should Americans care about the Bush dynasty's longstanding and harsh antipathy towards Cuba? For example, in this year of 2015, who is by far the biggest contributor to Jeb Bush's presidential campaign? Answer: A Cuban-American billionaire from Miami/Coral Gables, Florida. And, who is by far the second biggest contributor to Jeb Bush's presidential campaign in 2015? Answer: An Iranian-American billionaire from Texas who was a top official in the U.S.-backed/installed Shaw Pahlavi dictatorship that was overthrown by U.S.-unfriendly Islamic extremists in 1979. Should Americans care about that and its aftermath in Iran or about the overthrown U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship in Cuba and its aftermath since 1959? Now this is not to suggest that the Bush dynasty can be influenced by Cuban money in its positions on Cuba or by Iranian money in its decisions regarding Iran or by Saudi money in its decisions regarding Saudi Arabia or by Israeli money in its decisions regarding Israel or by American money in its decisions regarding America, but...at least I believe American voters owe it to their democracy to consider such possibilities. For heaven's sake, and America's sake, at least care enough about your democracy to Google these names and events.

        This Brian Snyder/Reuters photo shows Republican presidential contender Donald Trump making a point to rival contender Jeb Bush. They exchanged vitriol all weekend, especially on the Sunday talk shows. Bush fired off an expensive anti-Trump commercial. Amazingly, for the past four months of this endless, billion-dollar campaign, the non-politician Trump has strongly led all the polls. This at least reveals that Americans are fed up with bought-and-paid-for dynasties. But is Donald Trump qualified to be President of the United States, Commander-in-Chief, and leader of the Free World? Absolutely not! Is he more qualified than all the bought-and-paid-for contenders? Absolutely yes! The U. S. has a two-party commercialized political system and both parties -- Republican and Democrat -- are bought-and-paid-for.

         This photo is courtesy of Alex Wong/Getty Images. It shows leading Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton with Saudi Arabia's King Salman. The photo was used to highlight an article on October 16th by the highly respected journalist Michael Isikoff, the top Investigative Correspondent for Yahoo News. The article is entitled "Hillary Moneyman Highlights New Saudi Connection." If you do not go Online to read it, I assume you don't care very much about the U. S. democracy and about who can buy it or who sells it. Isikoff writes: "The Saudi government has just hired a powerhouse Washington lobbying firm headed by a top Hillary Clinton fundraiser. The Saudi contract with the Podesta Group, owned by veteran Washington lobbyist and Clinton campaign bundler Tony Podesta, calls for the firm to provide public relations and other services on behalf of the royal court of King Salman. Newly filed documents show that the Saudis paid a 'project fee' of $200,000 last month." That apparently is the ongoing monthly stipend. Isikoff added: "The retention comes at a time when the Saudis are being condemned by United Nations officials over reports that their bombings of Houthi strongholds in Yemen's civil war have resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children. The Podesta Group is now on a roster of a half-dozen D. C. lobbying firms representing the Saudis. Tony Podesta is the brother and former business partner of Clinton campaign manager John Podesta." The Michael Isikoff article goes on to name former U. S. members of Congress that are typically doing the same lobbying as the Podesta Group.

President Bill Clinton and Tony Podesta.

Hillary Clinton and John Podesta.

       The point of this essay is to point out that the U. S. has a two-party political system that worked beautifully for about 230 years, till both parties began to be bought and paid for by greedy Americans AND greedy foreigners, often the remnants of old U.S.-backed dictators still aligned with old U. S. politicians. That fact, I believe, accounts for the Republican Bush dynasty and the Democratic Clinton dynasty. If you disagree with that hypothesis, I suggest you at least Google any or all of the foregoing information and then point out where or if you think I am mistaken or biased. For the record, my passion is the U. S. democracy that we inherited from the Founding Fathers. I believe it is our fault as citizens that we have allowed their hallowed two-party political system to be bought-and-paid for, often with questionable foreign money. 

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