AARP - How it was co-opted - A tale that needs told

[howaboutme]

The AARP was once the most powerful lobby in the USA. It represented people not countries or corporations. It's mission was 100% to represent and to lobby for those American voters over 50 years old. The oligarchs, corporations and country lobbies might have thought that such power in the hands of a lobby was anti-American.

There was no ambiguity in the AARP role (but that soon changed from senior power to corporate power). Seniors vote religiously and if a lobby controlled the senior vote it was very powerful, and the AARP was very powerful. Perhaps there were other lobbies whose toes were stepped on. Up until then the entire mission of the AARP was to represent American retired seniors. Nothing else and it was totally respected by its members. That changed about 2003. Or could it be that at some point after 2000 the organization discovered that votes really didn't count much in America because the voting machines were corrupted?

But something oddly and irrationally happened about year 2000 which resulted in the AARP voluntarily giving up its respect and power. It did that because it reorganized and centralized the power in a new CEO Bill Novelli and an appointed board of directors (instead of elected by members). Up until about year 2000 the AARP was member controlled and the power was driven through elected representatives from each state. The CEO was elected by state representatives.

A new CEO took office and somehow finaggled a re-write of the bylaws, and supported the Bush Medicare Part D for drug manufacturers and that was the end of the advocacy power of the American Association of Retired Persons. Thousands of Americans left the organization because it became an advocate for corporate power instead of senior power.

There needs to be an in-depth investigation and expose of exactly how the AARP was co-opted and who was behind it....because the ultimate beneficiaries were other lobbies, corporate lobbies, the AARP CEO, and the losers were the seniors and advocacy group that they supposedly represented.

[davidinalameda]

1. conservatives don't like the AARP either

guess they must be doing something right to piss everyone off

[howaboutme]

5. AARP represents how America was co-opted.

The transition of the AARP from a powerful advocacy group for ONLY senior Americans, to an advocate for corporationists represents exactly what is wrong with America, and the fallacy believed by many Americans on the right and left that the fight is between conservatives and liberals.

The fight is between average Americans that consistently have been screwed over, and the oligarchs, the over-class, the ultra rich and the corporatists that totally control our government for their own benefit.

Forget the liberal and conservative mantra, the real mission is about more for the rich and less for you. The left / right fog is about keeping Americans far removed from reality of just how bad they are being hosed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q He said it best!

[northoftheborder]

21. A very good history of AARP.

As soon as they became a health insurance industry, all their credibility with me was gone. Sure, they endorsed the "insurance reform" bill passed this year, but you can bet they were in there fighting with all the other insurance co.'s against anything like "public option", or "control of costs". We'll see, if new CEO changes the goals of the company - I highly doubt it. Their initial sell to advocating for the elderly was just a cover for what their goal turned out to be. Absolutely shameful. I saw my own Mother buy into their insurance plan as the "best", simply because she was familiar with it.

[SharonAnn]

2. I think it was actually started because of seniors' need for insurance.

And the insurance companies promoted it.

[glinda]

22. That is all they do is sell insurance. They used to stand up for seniors.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. From what I recall, your recounting is about right.

I remember when the sellout happened. You're right--someone ought to look into what happened. There have to be a lot of people around who know. Like the old Board of Directors, for instance.

[howaboutme]

8. AARP went from advocate to corporate hack

and that was far more harmful to all Americans at large than might first appear on the surface.

I wish I had the ability to investigate this because there is something here to uncover. The AARP by-laws were oddly changed and that totally changed the complexion of the organization itself from advocate to corporate, and the change took the heat off of Congress and corporations and other lobbies. AARP neutered itself. Why? Subsequently they bought into Bush, and then into Obama.

In the 1990s there was no more powerful lobby than the AARP. Congress buckled to them even more so than they buckle to all other lobbies.

Today there really are no Americans that are served by powerful lobby advocates. Unions are relatively weak. We the people are on our own. The lobbies serve Wall Street, other countries, and corporations. Average Americans are quickly becoming serfs.

[howaboutme]

12. My suspicions are it has to do with Social Security

AARP would have represented an insurmountable opposition to the planned raping of Social Security by Congress. Today the AARP represents a teddy bear of convenience not opposition. That neutering happened by intent and planning of the oligarchs that run the USA.

Both Parties have used the alleged Social Security trust fund surplus as their private slush fund to wage war, fund tax cuts, fund defense, fund everything that a general fund is supposed to do.

The oligarchs have benefited enormously from the Social Security fund surpluses through the tax cuts and corporate welfare, while they only paid peanuts into Social Security. Their earnings are investment related not earned income subject to this earnings tax.

[lob1]

4. I remember, during the Bush years, the administration

didn't want any group to be able to negotiate for cheaper drugs, and the AARP publicly backed Bush. At that time, the AARP was bugging me to join. Their decision to back Bush on keeping drugs expensive kept me from joining. I still haven't.

[madmax]

6. Same here

Just received another solicitation from them yesterday. Circular filed it.

[Alameda]

10. I dropped my membership around that time.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. You can drop them. They NEVER drop you.

I joined arond '98, then stopped paying for membership around 2002 when I realized they were corporate vampires.
Have never since sent a membership fee, even sent 2 "stop bugging me" letters.

Without fail, I get mail from them and all their insurance sponsors 3-4 times a month, even now. I get the monthly magazine, with the 100 inserts that fall to the floor.
They are worse than the persistent State Farm letters we get.

[blondeatlast]

7. Damn shame what happened to AARP. k/r for later reading. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Yes. AARP has totally betrayed its original mandate and those it was supposed ot be supporting

protecting and representing.

This is a much better choice...

http://www.retiredamericans.org/

[blondeatlast]

11. Thanks; I was hoping there was an alternative. nt

[many a good man]

14. BIG swing to the left under new CEO Barry Rand

Rand is re-committing AARP to it's traditional emphasis on social impact and winning back everyone who was chased away by the too long tenure of Bill Novelli.

Novelli tripled AARP revenues but lost its soul by ripping up its grass roots advocacy model and centralizing it around "beltway insiders." Desperate for a "win" to show that AARP still carried clout after years of Republican-controlled Congresses and then White House, he whored himself out to Newt Gingrich and GOP in a pathetic attempt to record one in the win column by squeezing out a highly-flawed new entitlement program from the conservative majority.

The country turned its back on Bush and AARP turned its back on Novelli. Barry Rand, AARP's first African American CEO, is a child of the civil rights movement and has always been a champion for social change. He's been in office just over a year, and from what I hear, he's starting to shake things up. I, for one, am looking forward to see what changes he has in store.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. That is great news indeed. You have given me a reason to join, and

I will do so forthwith.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Believe it when I see it

AARP was always about insurance plans and other products looking for senior money. The early years had a facade of member representation, but it was only skin deep. The Noveli period was at least honest about it. Rand has yet to prove his intentions are anything more than a new coat of paint.

[KakistocracyHater]

17. So we now have a blueprint of how to rid US of CEO vampires

"Up until about year 2000 the AARP was member controlled and the power was driven through elected representatives from each state. The CEO was elected by state representatives."

Just do it in reverse, or "restore" mode.

[bvar22]

18. Isn't AARP now just a front for...

the largest For Profit Health Insurance Corporation in the USA?
United Health...isn't that AARP?

I remember when AARP endorsed the Health Insurance Reform.
DU went NUTS with Victory celebrations.
Nobody wanted to hear,
"Hey , wait a minute.
AARP makes $BILLIONS from For Profit Health Insurance.
Maybe this endorsement is not a good thing."


Like the "New" Democratic Party, AARP is benefiting from old and undeserved Brand Loyalties.


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone


On Edit:

"Last time I checked my bankroll,
It was gettin' thin
Sometimes it seems like the bottom
Is the only place I've been
I Chased a rainbow down a one-way street... dead end
And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen"
--From John Prine, Illegal Smile

This sums up how I feel about the "New" Democratic Party and the "Hope & Change" administration.
Chased a Rainbow in 2008,
but they turned out to be Insurance Salesmen.

[newtothegame]

19. Didn't we just frame the AARP's support of Healthcare Reform as an asset a few months ago?

Now we're saying they were co-opted years ago? WTF? :shrug:

[conscious evolution]

20. Infiltrate and coopt

Thats what the PTB do to institutions.
They have done it to goverment,education,media and churches for as long as such institutions have existed.

[howaboutme]

23. PTB = Powers That Be?

I didn't know what you meant by PTB (searched it on internet) in your post but if that is what you meant, I completely agree with it.

The PTB will take any public institution that serves to help broader humanity and massage and twist it until it serves only a relatively few elitists. Yes they did it to the AARP, and I submit America has been hurt far more by it than many of us may yet believe. The AARP supported Obama's health care, but does that help the PTB or their constituency? Bottom line the redefined AARP means that average Americans have only token amount of lobby power that serves the broader interests, unlike the PTB with unlimited power.

The power of the old AARP meant that Congress needed to act in the people's interest, not the commercial and Wall St. interests that now controls it.

We still have little special interest lobbies that twist and tweet legislation for the serfs on occasion but there are no lobbies that actually serve the broader view of holding our legislators accountable to improve the prosperity for the many.

The AARP really needs to be exposed for the change in mandate that they connived and executed, that screwed millions of Americans, members and helped the PTB.

[conscious evolution]

24. Meant TPTB

The Powers That Be

AARP is just the latest in a long line of groups whose ideals have been subverted by them.

Whats sad is once assimilated there is no going back,it seems.Better to start with a whole new organization.Unfortunately,those that try usually feel the full wieght of the oppressors.