International Observation｜The American “power code” behind the “revolving door”

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 4th: Pompeo, who was named \”the worst secretary of state in history\” by the US media, has a new destination after leaving office – joining the conservative think tank Hudson Institute in Washington. Similar to him, many senior Trump administration officials who stepped down quickly completed re-employment in various private sectors. This \”revolving door\” phenomenon between government agencies and the private sector has evolved into a common political ecology in the American power network, reflecting the increasingly close connection between money and power.

This is a file photo of then-US Secretary of State Pompeo taken in Washington, the United States, on March 15, 2019. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie)

Power Elite

After leaving their jobs, senior U.S. government officials often use the relationships they built at work to establish relationships with companies and lawyers. Find lucrative or influential positions in research institutes, think tanks, and other institutions, or set up your own consulting firm. At the same time, business giants and interest groups often send senior officials to the US government, thereby influencing the formulation and implementation of policies.

This \”revolving door\” phenomenon has intensified in recent years: During former President Trump\’s term, the first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson \”rotated\” directly from the executive position of Exxon Mobil; Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is from the Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs Group; Defense Secretary Esper was once a senior executive of the military-industrial company Raytheon…

It is also easier for senior officials to find a \”quality home\” after leaving their jobs. Some American media revealed that Esper may join the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation or return to Raytheon. James Clapper, who once held a senior position in the U.S. government intelligence community, worked as an executive at a national security consulting firm after leaving in 2006, and also served on the boards of several companies, including several related to his previous government agencies. There is a contractual relationship. Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration, worked for a well-known law firm in the past, and after leaving the government, he became a board member of the US military giant Lockheed Martin. Hagel, the Obama administration\’s defense secretary, also served on the boards of several companies, including Citroën, before becoming defense secretary.

In his book \”The Power Elite\”, American sociologist Charles Wright Mills calls these people who enter and exit the \”revolving door\” the \”power elite\” of the United States. He pointed out that these people control the state machinery andThey possess various privileges, occupy key positions in the social structure, are closely connected with each other in the economic, political, military and other fields, and hold the power of decision-making.

This is the Capitol Building taken in Washington, the capital of the United States, on January 25. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie)

Power and money trading

In the United States, the operation of the political system is inseparable from money. There is only a \”revolving door\” between the federal government and interest groups for power and money. This has become the norm in current American politics. It has also attracted more donors and plutocrats to actively use this mechanism to influence government decisions and influence government decisions. Generated huge political lobbying power. According to statistics from the US media, about half of the outgoing members of Congress found positions on K Street, a famous gathering place for lobbying companies in Washington.

\”The congressmen in Washington all work for Wall Street. Their campaign funds come from Wall Street. They obey the orders of lobbyists on Wall Street and K Street.\” Michael Moore, a well-known American director, said .

In 2009, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development issued a report stating that the \”revolving door\” phenomenon was very obvious in the U.S. financial sector, which led to loose regulation and became the main reason for the financial crisis in 2008.

Not only Wall Street, but also various interest groups in the United States are doing their best to find and install spokespersons in the government. According to Reuters, technology giants such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon all intend to place their own people in \”key positions\” in the U.S. government. According to the Washington Post, seven top technology companies, including the three companies mentioned above, spent a total of more than $65 million lobbying the U.S. government in 2020 to respond to antitrust review and regulation.

This is 2020The Wall Street sign next to the New York Stock Exchange in the United States was taken on October 30, 2019. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Ying)

Columbia University professor Steve Cole wrote in the book \”Private Empire: Exxon Mobil and American Power\” that Exxon Mobil\’s lobbying activities Among the largest in Washington, it has contracts with about 20 former senators, representatives and parliamentary aides. \”This company is so large and influential that it actually has its own foreign policy.\”

The \”revolving door\” has gradually turned the American political arena into a corrupt soil, which is also reflected in the presidential pardon power. of abuse. Trump issued a series of controversial pardons and commutations on his final day in office. The Wall Street Journal said that of the list of more than 100 people, only 18 have been recognized by the Department of Justice. The list is full of political allies, family close friends and fundraisers, as well as some lobbyists.

\”USA Today\” pointed out that the presidential pardon power should serve the public interest, but in fact it is increasingly used in exchange for political benefits, which is \”just another avenue for corruption.\”

Source: Xinhua News Agency