Citigroup wrote 3 confidential memos
形势进展的机要备忘录 致其最富有的投资者
to their wealthiest investors about how things were going.
他们得出如下结论 美国不再是一个
They reached the conclusion that the United States
真正意义上的民♥主♥国家
was no longer really a democracy,
而是成为一个政♥治♥经济结合体…
but had become a plutonomy–
一个由1%的顶层富人控制
a society controlled exclusively by and for the benefit
并从中牟利的社会
of the top 1% of the population
这些人拥有的财富
who now had more financial wealth
比底层95%的总和还要多
than the bottom 95% combined.
此备忘录津津乐道于日渐加剧的贫富差距
The memo gloated about the growing gap between rich and poor
以及他们怎样成为新的统治阶层
and how they were now the new aristocracy
而他们的良好运势将永无尽头
and that there was no end in sight for the gravy train they were on.
但还有一个问题
There was, though, one problem.
据花旗集团所述
According to Citigroup,
短期内面临的最大威胁
the most potent and short-term threat
便是社会要求实现
would be societies demanding
更为公平的财富共享
a more equitable share of the wealth.
换句话说 农民是会反抗的
In other words, the peasants might revolt.
花旗集团悲叹道 那些并不富裕的人
Citigroup lamented that the non-rich
或许不具备雄厚的经济实力
might not have much economic power,
可他们享有同等的投票权
but they do have equal voting power with the rich.
一人一票
One person, one vote.
这才是最令他们恐惧之处
And that’s what really scares them–
我们仍可以投票
that we can still vote.
实际上 我们持有99%的选票
In fact, we have 99% of the votes
而他们仅仅持有1%
and they only have 1%.
既然如此 持有99%选票的人为什么要容忍♥?
So why do the 99% put up with this?
据花旗集团所述 这是因为大部分选民
According to Citigroup, it’s because the majority of the electorate
坚信只要足够卖♥♥命
believe that someday they will have a chance
终有一日
of becoming well-to-do themselves
他们也可以成为有钱人
if they just keep trying hard enough.
富有阶层欣喜地看到
The wealthy were pleased that so many people
很多人已经认同了这个美国梦
had bought in to the American Dream
然而这些富人
while they, the rich, had no intention
却无意与人分享
of ever sharing it with anyone.
我认为资本主义比民♥主♥更为重要
I think capitalism is a lot more important than democracy.
我不是民♥主♥主义的坚定信徒
I’m not even a big believer in democracy.
我总是说所谓民♥主♥… 就是两只狼和一只羊
I always say that democracy is– can be 2 wolves and a sheep
一起商量晚饭吃什么
deciding on what to have for dinner.
这位是Stephen Moore… 与此无关…
Moore: This is Stephen Moore– no relation–
他是个专栏作家 同时也是
a columnist and an editorial board member
美国企业界每日圣经
of “The Wall Street Journal,”
“华尔街日报”的编委
the daily bible of corporate America.
听着 我是赞成人♥民♥享有投票权
Look, I’m in favor of people having the right to vote
之类的东西 可你也看到世界上
and things like that, but you know there are a lot of countries
有许多这样的国家 现在依旧贫困
that have the right to vote that are still poor.
民♥主♥并不能实现一个好的经济
Democracy doesn’t always lead to a good economy
甚至不能实现一个良好政体
or even a good political system.
有了资本主义 你便可以随心所欲
With capitalism, you are free to do what you want,
创造你想要的一切
to make whatever you want out of yourself.
这并不意味你一定成功
It doesn’t mean you’re gonna succeed.
谨记 美国宪法并不是幸福生活的保证
Remember, the US Constitution does not guarantee happiness.
啊 宪法
Moore: Ah, the Constitution.
终我一生 我只道美国是个资本主义国家
All my life I’ve heard that America is a capitalist country.
因此我特意翻阅宪法原文 查验是否属实
So I went to see the original Constitution and check out if it was true.
我试图查看宪法建立怎样的经济体系
I’m trying to see where it sets up our economic system,
其中是否规定资本经济制度
like where it says we have a capitalist economy.
司法权
Guard: The jurisdiction.
司法权限部分… – 在那里?
Judicial part of the– – Down there?
没有一处提及 自♥由♥市场或者自♥由♥企业制
Moore: There was no mention of free market or free enterprise
抑或资本主义
or capitalism anywhere.
实际上 我只看到”我们人♥民♥”
In fact, all I saw was “We the people,”
关于”一个更完美的合众国”
something about “a more perfect union,”
以及”促进促进大众福利事业”
and “promoting the general welfare.”
福利事业 合众国 我们吗?
Welfare, union, we?
听起来像是另一个主义
That sounded like that other -ism.
但不是 这就是民♥主♥
But no, that’s democracy.
随即我便想 “若是工场变为民♥主♥之地
And I began to wonder, “What would it be like
将会怎样?”
if the workplace was a democracy?”
如何治理国家 怎样治理经济
There’s always been a big separation between how the country is run
这之间总是存在很大分离
and how businesses are supposed to run.
的确如此
Moore: It’s true.
这之中似乎存在极大背离
There seems to be a disconnect
一方面我们声称热爱民♥主♥
between our professed love of democracy
另一方面我们却接纳独♥裁♥
and how we’re so willing to accept a dictatorship
乐于为其奔命
every day we show up to work.
威斯康星州的地峡工程却并非如此
It’s not that way at Isthmus Engineering in Wisconsin.
他们设计并制♥造♥了工业自动化装置
They design and build robotic machines for industry.
此项工程每年耗资一千五百万美元
It’s a $15 million-a-year business.
所有工人
Man: All of the workers
均是此项工程的业主
are the owners of the business.
他并未提及该死的股票期权
Moore: He’s not talking about some bullshit stock option.
他是指他们是真正的”主人”
He means they’re the true owners.
我们采纳民♥主♥化运营管理
Man: And it’s a democratically-run operation where every member
每位成员都有一票选举权与同等发言权
has one vote and an equal say.
都赞成吗? – 都赞成吗?
All in favor? – All in favor?
这样便可以完成均衡分配
Man: It takes the money out of the equation.
通过均衡分配
Moore: By taking the money out of the equation
他们便可以发号♥施令
so that they can call the shots,
最终捞取更多钱财
they end up making more money.
很酷 是吧?
Cool, huh?
他们怀着拳拳爱国之心 欲将此份对于
And how patriotic that they want to extend
美国民♥主♥的赤诚热爱付诸行动
their love of American democracy to their job.
设想一下 如果你工作的地方
Just imagine if the place where you worked
是由你与同事共同运营
was run by you and your fellow workers.
可能你就不会解雇你的同事
You probably wouldn’t lay off your coworkers
来提升你的股票市值了 是吧?
to increase the value of your stock, would you?
也不会给自己加薪
Or give yourself a pay raise
却给你的同事们减薪咯
while making your coworkers take a pay cut.
在这里我们绝对不会这么做
Man: We don’t really do that here.
你真不能这么着 因为其他人都瞅着你呢
You really can’t because everyone else would be looking at you
他们会说”为什么这家伙他♥娘♥的♥那么贪婪?”
saying, “Why is this guy so fricking greedy?”
你也知道 一切都是明摆着的
You know, it would be too obvious.
底线是你得有足够多的人
The bottom line is you’ve got plenty of people
乐于为你卖♥♥命干活
who roll up their sleeves every day and go to work.
如果整个环节中有人
But if there’s someone way up there on the chain
拿了剩余的钱 就不公平了
that collects all the extra money, that’s not fair.
哼 工厂里的公平…
Moore: Huh, fairness in the workplace–
想法够新奇哈
what a novel idea.
现在来到加州 这里有一家面包工厂
Out in California, there’s a bread factory
工人们每日生产数千条面包
where workers make thousands of loaves of bread every day
你为合作社的利益
Man: The more hours you work towards
工作的时间越长
the benefit of the co-op,
等到的分成就越多
the more you share in the profits.
工人们乐于在这儿工作
Man #2: The workers are happy here.
你我不分大小 一视同仁
No big Is, little yous. Everyone’s the same.
作为CEO 我得到的分成
Me as the CEO, I get the same share
和其他所有人一样多
that anybody else does.
这也证实了我们作为工人
And that has proven
还是很有的赚的
to be very lucrative for us as workers.
这里的流水线工人
Moore: Assembly-line workers here earn over $65,000 a year,
一年能挣超过65000美元
more than 3 times the pay
比美鹰航♥空♥公♥司♥飞行员的三倍还多
for a starting pilot at American Eagle.
我只是希望人们关注
Man: I’m just hoping that people take notice
此种类型的机构构成
of this type of organizational activity
开始考虑将其作为一种选择
and start considering it as an alternative.
你为什么想发财?
Why do you want to get rich?
你一生中又能用得着多少辆车呢?
How many cars do you really need in life?
显然 他不是车迷 不过没关系
Moore: Clearly, he’s not a car guy, but that’s okay.
他的面包工厂和其他数百家工人所有企业
His bread factory and hundreds of other worker-owned businesses
证明了人们也并非总为利益所驱使

你的评论可以尖锐,也可以湿疣!