kungfuzu
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 13:33:53 GMT -8
Here are the ten largest insurance companies in the USA by market cap. We start with the largest at the top of the list and move down. Please understand, like my investigations into the media, defense and energy sectors, I don't yet know who owns what. I am just going on a working hypothesis that we will encounter the usual suspects in our investigations. Marsh McLennan BlackRock, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price and State Street are 1,2,3 and 4. Progressive Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,2 & 4. Met Life BlackRock, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price and State Street are 1,3,5 & 6. Travelers Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,2 & 3. Allstate Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,2 & 3. Aflac Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1,3 & 4. Prudential Financial BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street are 1,2 & 3. Gallagher Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,2 & 3. The HartfordVanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1,2 & 3. Principle Financial Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,2 & 5. Are you surprised yet? My working hypothesis is proving to be correct again. Below link is just fyi. List of largest insurance companies |
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Post by artraveler on Sept 12, 2021 13:34:45 GMT -8
The scope of interlocking directorates is the most important to understand how and why these companies and their political hangers on have so much power. The original movie Rollerball disclosed this in the 70s but people thought it was science fiction. Of course the smart phone was science fiction also.
Good work!
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 14:19:07 GMT -8
Let's have a look at the largest banks in the USA. Again, we move from top -largest, to bottom-smallest. J.P. Morgan Chase Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1,2 & 3. Also note Bank of America and Northern Trust. Bank of America Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 2,3 & 4. Also note J.P. Morgan Chase and Northern Trust. Wells Fargo Vanguard, BlackRock, FMR (Fidelity) and State Street 1,2,3 & 4. Also note J.P. Morgan. Citigroup Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1,2 & 3. Also note Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon and J.P. Morgan. U.S. Bancorp Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 2,3 & 4. Also note J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo. Truist Bank Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street 1,2 & 3. Note also, J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. PNC Financial Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1,2 & 3. Note also J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. TD Group US Holdings This is the US arm of a Canadian bank. Its largest shareholders are Canadian. Vanguard is the 3rd largest holder of the company's stock. Bank of New York Mellon Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 2, 4 & 5 respectively. Capital One BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street are 1,3 & 6. Note also J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. State Street Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street Holdings are 1,2 & 4. Note also J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. I found State Street Corp. an interesting case as the bank is only the 11th largest in the USA with a bit over US$300 billion in total assets. Yet the bank manages between US$3 and 4 trillion and has almost another US$40 trillion under "custody and administration." This gives it enormous power. Look up details on Wikipedia if you want a little more information about this. In addition to Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street, readers will note a few other companies constantly show up in corporate ownership. FMR (Fidelity) T. Rowe Price, Berkshire Hathaway and Susquehanna are just a few of them. I repeat, a very few companies are controlling this country. I believe readers should now have an idea as to how intertwined the whole financial system is. It is a house of cards, except the people who run this system know that the government would never let them fail, both for reasons of greed and fear. Too many people are beholden to these companies and even more have no idea how the system works, thus are fearful of making any changes. A good first step would be forbidding banks to own stock in other banks. Largest Banks |
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 15:17:23 GMT -8
This is something far too many conservatives have difficulty understanding. Particularly those libertarian types who think the sun shines out of the asses of Von Hayek and Von Mises. These people have basically accepted the Marxian precept that "Man is an economic animal." They see everything from the materialistic "What's in it for them?" lens. I understand the thinking of Von Hayek and Von Mises was a bit more sophisticated, but that of many of today's libertarians isn't.
Just this morning when I was discussing some of the points I have been making about how a small number of companies are behind what's going on, particularly the phony "climate change" meme, my friend asked, "Why, what's in it for them if they crash the economy?" I simply said, "they don't give a damn about crashing the economy. It is a religion to them." Christ Almighty, would a good Christian sacrifice material gain to do the work of God? Remember, I said good Christian.
I find most "conservatives" I have encountered are too literal and have little ability to imagine things in a way which might be different from how they grew up thinking. They cannot put themselves in the shoes of those with other ideas or experiences. It is a great weakness and we had better get in some real mental exercise to strengthen ourselves.
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 16:27:45 GMT -8
Here are five major tech companies and their largest shareholders. Amazon I believe Jeff Bezos is still the largest single shareholder in Amazon, but after him come, Vanguard, BlackRock, Susquehanna, T. Rowe Price, State Street and FMR (Fidelity). Apple Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1,3 & 4. Alphabet Inc. (Google) Page and Brin are still major shareholders and control most of the voting shares. In C shares come Vanguard, BlackRock, FMR (Fidelity), State Street and T. Rowe Price in that order. Twitter Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 2,3 & 4. Microsoft Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street 1, 2 & 3. When studying the investments these financial investment companies have, does anyone doubt that they will do whatever they can to make sure that serious competitors are not allowed to arise? |
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 16:37:22 GMT -8
Three automotive companies.
General Motors BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street are 1, 2 & 6. Ford Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 1, 2 & 3. Tesla Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are 2, 4 & 7. |
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 12, 2021 16:52:29 GMT -8
When does Reviews&Things get big enough and influential enough to make that list?
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 17:17:38 GMT -8
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Brad Nelson
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 12, 2021 20:15:39 GMT -8
Those photos remind me of the urine-opening pill that is in heavy rotation in advertisements. We need to open the fire hose of information to the public.
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Post by artraveler on Sept 12, 2021 20:23:01 GMT -8
I understand the thinking of Von Hayek and Von Mises was a bit more sophisticated, but that of many of today's libertarians isn't. True enough, many Libertarians error on the side of economic freedom being all there is to achieve. What they fail to understand is that Mises and Hayek are economic philosophers first and they believe all freedom comes from economic freedom. They always fail because they do not take into consideration the relationship between authority and responsibility. In order for Hayek to be right it is necessary that authority and responsibility be as equal as possible. In today's culture it is so out of balance that any libertarian solution is bound to fail massively. Many Libertarians reject this idea as they really only want free stuff without the responsibility of producing it, or the capital to purchase it. I have met Antifa people who claim to be libertarian, in actuality they are just minor, sometimes major, criminals looking for a philosophy to excuse their thuggery and theft. |
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Post by artraveler on Sept 12, 2021 20:25:23 GMT -8
Maybe we could get Joe Namath or Jimmy Walker away from the free stuff medicare web site. I have come to really hate those ads.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 12, 2021 20:32:29 GMT -8
No kidding. I mean, every time I see one of those I think, "Hey, Joe, didn't you make enough money in the NFL, Monday Night Football, and the panty hose commercials? What they heck are you doing hawking this junk? It seems beneath you...therefore I'm guessing it pays well."
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Post by artraveler on Sept 12, 2021 20:51:12 GMT -8
Maybe we could get Kung to do an analysis of the company. I have heard that if you buy into the scam the insurance has a very high deductible and is incredibly slow to pay claims. So yep you may get the 144 per month medicare part B withholds from your check but you get the privilege of dying sooner because you can't find a DR who accepts payment from those crooks.
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 21:33:30 GMT -8
I have almost completely stopped watching broadcast TV so while I recall the Namath adverts for some Medicare company, I can't recall anything else about them. I stopped cable around 2013. I can't say as I miss either much. To be honest, I do watch one TV program every day or every other day with my son. We started with the Rockford Files and are going through Midsommer Murders. We even get in a movie now and then. Last week we watched "Wyatt Earp" with Kevin Costner. I had forgotten it was over three hours.
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 12, 2021 21:37:20 GMT -8
I am a bit sensitive about stars selling products. I think it is dishonest to hawk some product which you have not regularly used and find worthwhile. I know some athletes and stars have tried to adhere to such a policy, but the numbers must be very small.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 13, 2021 7:07:30 GMT -8
I watched the pilot (which starts with a different dad) and then the next episode of The Rockford Files. I may pick that up again. I’ve seen a few Midsommer Murders. They have a lot of seasons of that to watch in various places including Britbox. Medicare on TV: What is Joe Namath Talking About?Another link says: Then you have the Tom Selleck reverse mortgage ads. Let me tell you something. This isn’t my first rodeo. I wonder how many children have been “reverse mortgaged” out of an expectation to inherit some property. Oh well. I guess a reverse mortgage makes sense for many. But I wouldn’t be here at Reviews&Things if I thought it was just some plan to take your money…or worse, to dispense right wing propaganda.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 13, 2021 7:56:07 GMT -8
Reverse Mortgages and Why is Tom Selleck Being so Defensive?
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 13, 2021 7:59:20 GMT -8
It is my understanding that there are only a limited number of Medicare Supplement policies available and they are the same for every insurance company across the country. (I read the documents I receive from the government.) Like the poster mentioned, the main question for all policies, including Medicare, is finding doctors and clinics who will accept payment through Medicate.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Sept 13, 2021 8:35:28 GMT -8
You talk like a man for whom it is not your first rodeo.
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Post by kungfuzu on Sept 13, 2021 8:40:03 GMT -8
I sometimes wonder how most people comprehend the stuff the government sends out. It is not written for clarity.
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