The highest form of the state: the democratic republic

["Johannes Schneider" <Johannes.Schneider@xxxxxxx>]

Frederick Engels in 1884:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1884/origin-family/ch09.htm
"The highest form of the state, the democratic republic, which in our modern
social conditions becomes more and more an unavoidable necessity and is the
form of state in which alone the last decisive battle between proletariat
and bourgeoisie can be fought out - the democratic republic no longer
officially recognizes differences of property. Wealth here employs its power
indirectly, but all the more surely. It does this in two ways: by plain
corruption of officials, of which America is the classic example, and by an
alliance between the government and the stock exchange"

The Washington Post on June 27, 2002:
full text:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51915-2002Jun26.html
WorldCom Sought Influence Up to Announcement
Access to Politicians in Both Parties, Donations Mean Earnings Scandal May
Have Fallout on Hill
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 27, 2002; Page A13
As recently as one week before it revealed it had lied about its earnings,
WorldCom Inc. was still trying to influence politicians in town.
The company, which is lobbying policymakers for an edge in the lucrative
high-speed Internet market, contributed $100,000 to last week's Republican
fundraising gala featuring President Bush -- enough to be listed on the
program as a vice chairman of the event.
WorldCom, which has also sought tax breaks and other assistance, has been a
top contributor to its hometown congressman, Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr.
(R-Miss.), and once gave $1 million to the University of Mississippi's Trent
Lott Leadership Institute, named in honor of the Senate's top Republican.
In what is becoming an all-too-familiar story line, WorldCom, like so many
other corporations under investigation for duping investors, enjoyed
considerable access to politicians of both parties and gladly spread its
money around to keep the doors of power wide open.
[...]
Since the beginning of 2000, WorldCom has contributed more than $1 million
to candidates, about half to Republicans, half to Democrats. It has paid
much more for a stable of lobbyists who promote the company's views on
Capitol Hill and at the White House -- including its opposition to a bill
that would deregulate the Baby Bells, according to the nonpartisan Center
for Responsive Politics.
The donations could complicate the Justice Department's probe of WorldCom's
misstatement of earnings. Shortly before becoming attorney general, John D.
Ashcroft received $10,000 from the company for his Senate campaign. Ashcroft
recused himself from the Enron investigation because of similar
contributions from the energy giant. The Justice Department said yesterday a
decision had not been made whether Ashcroft would recuse himself in the
WorldCom case.





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