A country controlled by Corporations is a Facist State

[kaiser soze]

How can people defend the bilking of a nation by the hands of Corporations (international nonetheless) who are quickly subverting our Democracy (and to be fair) The State of Our Republic. Once they have complete carte blanche of all oversight and regulations - well, actually it looks like they've almost succeeded; Democracy will be replaced by Facism. Besides this Corporate vampirism, we need to remove the zombies doing their bidding in our government. They are no longer representatives of the People, but rather pawns for the Powerful.

People want small government? So how does replacing our officials with lobbyists make it any better? People think small government = better opportunity for the little guy. Wrong - it will create a vacuum quickly filled by those who have vaults full of the almighty dollar. Anything left that is "Mom and Pops" will become extinct. If you love your nation why allow these Corporations who are jointly run and manipulated by foreign nations the opportunity to influence policy that affects you?

People bitch how poorly our government has been functioning, has anyone even thought that maybe it is because of this Corporate influence? You really think that what these entities provide is cut and dry? I guarantee there is just as much red tape and jargon entangling our representatives.

If you call yourself a Patriot and defend the type of Capitalism defined by our current Corporations please do your research on:

Corporate Welfare
Offshore Tax Havens
Outsourcing
Privatization
Facism

I'm not particularly happy with where our country is - But you must see the big picture, there are elements at work we have very little understanding of and many can't wrap their heads around. Just because the opposition is "running things" - it doesn't mean they are the ones in control.

[D_Raay]

While you're not happy, I'll admit I am furious.

I wake up every morning now and ask myself the same question "How the hell can the American people be so stupid?". I am developing an animosity towards these people I see walking around displaying Sarah Palin bumper stickers or speaking loudly and brazenly about how they want smaller government and "hands off" their money. The fact of the matter is very few of these people pay any income tax at all. I try to be objective, but I'll admit it gets harder every day.

It is astonishing that a populace could be so duped so easily by propaganda and hyperbole. A small amount of quick research by some of these folks could easily make it more clear what they should actually be angry about.

The corporate interests in this country have effectively tilted the board so as the game isn't even remotely fair and we don't have representatives in government anymore, we just have shills who coax us into bending over a little further.

Something needs to be done, and done quickly. The damage of the last 20 years is going to take years to repair and we can't even get started.

[kaiser soze]

But what can be done? America is the beacon of Corporexistence.

America is becoming a second world nation. Our environment is a testament to it - Look at how the Gulf of Mexico Gusher was handled, BP made out like bandits and people bitched and moaned that they were "forced" to pay something for it. But I believe BP were the fallguy - Haliburton was never even mentioned and I wonder why.

Look at the Environment, Look at Health Insurance, Look at Poverty, Look at Corporate News, Look at our Military - there are so many "Look at"s that I fear people just don't want to look at, think about it, or act on it.

I just don't get how some of our representatives can throw out their conscience for money - and somehow swindle the people into thinking they are working for them. And I know that this isn't just one sided.

Eventually our form of government will be whittled away - They may say it's the same, but the rules are changing.

[yeahwho]

Americans spend time focusing on making simple easy to understand people like Sarah Palin their object of hate or love. Even the easiest most engaging economists' do not make it into the vernacular of conversation with most everyone I talk to.

It's true, the economy and the economic policies of the USA are not the highest priorities of the average US citizen. The politicians push one idea with a trickle down theory to them for 3 plus decades and the US citizen buys it. How can anyone say that the debt, unemployment and a dying economy is their highest priority on one hand yet still support major franchises that perpetuate outsourcing, minimum wage and corporate CEO payoffs upwards and over $80 million dollars? WTF? That is a mental issue.

I have no real answers for our current state of affairs other than I think that most people are crazy, not stupid. They blame political ideologies, each other and the government yet I listen to people like this almost daily and they don't even know who Elizabeth Warren or Joesph Stiglitz is.

Yet most all of us have been spoon fed Bristol Palin on Dancing with the Stars. We need a revolution in media, we have very bright mainstream economists talking to us yet we're not listening or having the same access to these people as Sarah Palin.

A guy I work with is really active in the economy, his numbers are correct and his logic is great but when it gets down to actual solutions his blame is clouded by religion. Our economy parallels with biblical teachings and the blame goes to various evils as he see's it within religions that oppose his Christian edict.

His numbers are right, his blame is wildly misdirected. I asked him, why don't you affix the blame for our economy on the SCOTUS? They are the ultimate authority on the laws of our land.

The SCOTUS is inundated with corporate lawyers day in and day out. Why just last week.... (http://www.prwatch.org/node/9588)

[kaiser soze]

Well if it's any consolation - Supposedly Federal Prosecuters are wrangling in some major inside traders. But it's just a drop in a bucket and don't count on any impressionable sentences, more than likely just some $$ and a slap on the wrist will do.

Will THIS do anything for our economy? How come nobody was confronted when speculators sent Oil prices soaring seemingly setting this economic debacle? Everyone in Wallstreet and the Capitol are too close for comfort. It's the powerful's way of the no snitch policy. Accountability is for the weak. Step in Line.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/20/AR2010112003499.html

The investigation, conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and the FBI, has been underway for several years and extends far beyond Wall Street to financial offices across the country, the paper reported. Officials would not discuss specific companies or individuals under scrutiny or provide further details. The Securities and Exchange Commission is conducting a parallel civil probe, officials said.

Too bad for some - it's several years too late.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624831742191288.html?m od=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

The investigations, if they bear fruit, have the potential to expose a culture of pervasive insider trading in U.S. financial markets, including new ways non-public information is passed to traders through experts tied to specific industries or companies, federal authorities say.

WE WANT EVERY FUCKING PENNY BACK FROM THE BAILOUT NOW.