U.S. is best democracy money can buy

LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
edited November 2006 in A Moving Train
Since I'm feeling all political today.. here's more of the sad truth..

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/Dobbs.Nov1/index.html

NEW YORK (CNN) -- We're now less than a week away from our midterm elections, and Republicans and Democrats are down to their final tens of millions of dollars in media buys, their hyperbolic rhetoric all but expended and their candidates all but exhausted.

It's amazing what a mere $2.6 billion can buy in a democracy. That's what the two parties will have spent in their campaigns leading up to these midterm elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And most of that money for Democrats and Republicans alike comes from corporate America. So what will be the outcome of this election? The only certainty is that corporate America will get what it's paid for, and that's more of the same.

Whether the Democrats or Republicans take control of the House and Senate, corporate America has just bought a license to outsource more middle-class jobs to cheap foreign labor markets, to continue unabated so-called free trade and the destruction of more manufacturing jobs, and most likely to promote amnesty for the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens living in this country.

So, no, I'm not real excited about what some see as a potentially tectonic shift in political power in the House of Representatives or U.S. Senate.

While the name of the party in charge may change from Republican to Democrat, it's really only a branding issue. And just as my friend James Mtume says, it's still the same bird, just a different wing. And believe me, middle-class America will still be getting the bird.

Neither party at the national or local level is talking about what to do about the education crisis in our public schools. Both parties seem to think a 10-year plan to measure the decline of our schools through the No Child Left Behind law is an adequate response to what is an outright emergency.

Both parties seem happily content to give their multinational corporate masters exactly what they want in the form of so-called free trade, which has cost millions of middle-class Americans their jobs to outsourcing and off-shoring of manufacturing production to cheap overseas labor markets.

And God forbid we should disturb the orthodoxies of both parties that insist that we not secure our borders and ports, despite radical Islamist terrorist threats, the multibillion-dollar illegal drug trade and what is nothing less than an invasion of illegal aliens into this country.

Yes, I said "country." America really is a nation, but you couldn't convince those who lead the Democratic and Republican Parties of that. Both parties now see America as nothing more than an economy, a marketplace, and not a sovereign nation. They don't see you and me as citizens of this great nation; they see us as units of labor, consumers and taxpayers.

Corporate America long ago quit talking about corporate citizenship and corporate responsibility, and with both the Democratic and Republican Parties as its tools, corporate America wants you and me to forget that we are first citizens, and that America is first a nation.

Only 15 percent of eligible voters turned out to cast a ballot in this year's primary elections, according to an American University study. Never before have so few of us bothered to vote in primary elections. And it's no wonder. Our middle class is beginning to get the joke.

Most Americans understand that all the major decisions have already been made. It is now clear to all but those who will not see that both political parties and their corporate masters have placed our middle class in direct competition with the world's cheapest labor, leaving it only a tenuous and failing grip on the American Dream.

Until all of us who care about this great nation and the world's greatest democracy find the energy and commitment to insist on political choice and true representation in Washington, then the very idea of America will remain in peril.

Unfortunately, the choices we'll be permitted to make on November 7 will do little to mitigate that peril.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    Very sad......
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    PJPOWER wrote:
    Very sad......


    not really
  • JeanwahJeanwah Posts: 6,363
    We, the People, are nothing more than chopped liver to politicians now.
    Pathetic.

    We need to figure out a way We, the People, can overthrow our gov't and start anew w/ nothing but the the Bill of Rights to work with.
  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    jlew24asu wrote:
    not really
    It is to me..........
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    jlew24asu wrote:
    not really
    How is it not sad that our elected government doesn't properly represent the people it governs??? To me thats fucked up. Thats not the free great America I was taught about in school.
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    Jeanwah wrote:
    We, the People, are nothing more than chopped liver to politicians now.
    Pathetic.

    We need to figure out a way We, the People, can overthrow our gov't and start anew w/ nothing but the the Bill of Rights to work with.

    Can we implement a christian theocracy?
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • MilestoneMilestone Posts: 1,140
    How is it not sad that our elected government doesn't properly represent the people it governs??? To me thats fucked up. Thats not the free great America I was taught about in school.



    Don't bother. jlew24asu is baiting you. He's going to jam his ultraconservative republican beliefs right up your ass.

    Good luck.
    11-2-2000 Portland. 12-8-2002 Seattle. 4-18-2003 Nashville. 5-30-2003 Vancouver. 10-25-2003 Bridge School. 9-2-2005 Vancouver.
    7-6-2006 Las Vegas. 7-20-2006 Portland. 7-22-2006 Gorge. 9-21-2009 Seattle. 9-22-2009 Seattle. 9-26-2009 Ridgefield. 9-25-2011 Vancouver.
    11-29-2013 Portland. 10-16-2014 Detroit. 8-8-2018 Seattle. 8-10-2018 Seattle. 8-13-2018 Missoula.  5-10-2024 Portland.  5-30-2024 Seattle.
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    Milestone wrote:
    Don't bother. jlew24asu is baiting you. He's going to jam his ultraconservative republican beliefs right up your ass.

    Good luck.
    Yeah. I don't get it. I thought us Sox fans had common sense. I guess if being ruled by something that doesn't represent the ideals of the people being ruled over is your thing.. See that's not what I want America to be, and it has become.. and it makes me wonder now if it was ever really any different. :(
  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    Yeah. I don't get it. I thought us Sox fans had common sense. I guess if being ruled by something that doesn't represent the ideals of the people being ruled over is your thing.. See that's not what I want America to be, and it has become.. and it makes me wonder now if it was ever really any different.
    I don't think it's even possible for this form of government to represent the people it governs. Our population has become way to large and diverse for a government with 2 major political parties and 1 president to truly represent the mass. I guess partial representation of a majority is better even though the minority still populates more than the total populations of many countries? And no change will happen as long as the people fear their RULERS.
  • JeanwahJeanwah Posts: 6,363
    miller8966 wrote:
    Can we implement a christian theocracy?

    Keep dreaming.
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    PJPOWER wrote:
    And no change will happen as long as the people fear their RULERS.
    Well, I'll continue to voice my opinion and vote for the best thats given to me on the platter, but if they were to say, bring back the draft and draft my baby sister. (They keep trying to recruit her, fuckers) I'm going to unleash hell.
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    Jeanwah wrote:
    Keep dreaming.

    But if thats what we want...shouldnt we be able too?
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • floyd1975floyd1975 Posts: 1,350
    Well, I'll continue to voice my opinion and vote for the best thats given to me on the platter, but if they were to say, bring back the draft and draft my baby sister. (They keep trying to recruit her, fuckers) I'm going to unleash hell.

    I was recruited heavily coming out of high school too. I wasn't interested and said no.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Milestone wrote:
    Don't bother. jlew24asu is baiting you. He's going to jam his ultraconservative republican beliefs right up your ass.

    Good luck.

    unltraconservative republican beliefs?? im sure those republicans really hate that I think Iraq is one big fuck up. hilarious. obviously you dont read my posts. I wont hold it against you. besides this thread has nothing to do with republican or democrat.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Yeah. I don't get it. I thought us Sox fans had common sense. I guess if being ruled by something that doesn't represent the ideals of the people being ruled over is your thing.. See that's not what I want America to be, and it has become.. and it makes me wonder now if it was ever really any different. :(


    We Sox fans are very smart people, I just dont think its as extreme as " we are being ruled by people who dont represent our ideals". politics has always been a dirty game or money and power.
  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    Well, I'll continue to voice my opinion and vote for the best thats given to me on the platter, but if they were to say, bring back the draft and draft my baby sister. (They keep trying to recruit her, fuckers) I'm going to unleash hell.

    Agreed...............although sometimes I have a hard time voting or supporting any candidates. Maybe I'm just not trusting enough, lol. I find myself thinking......hmmmm, should I vote for a liar......or......a liar or a 3rd party who may or may not be a liar, but is just going to help one of the liars get into office????? Tough decision.
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    jlew24asu wrote:
    We Sox fans are very smart people, I just dont think its as extreme as " we are being ruled by people who dont represent our ideals". politics has always been a dirty game or money and power.
    Yeah, well, as long as I'm in the middle class, I'm going to fight for my ideals. Thats the America I believe in, wether it exists or not.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Yeah, well, as long as I'm in the middle class, I'm going to fight for my ideals. Thats the America I believe in, wether it exists or not.


    I got your back
  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    jlew24asu wrote:
    We Sox fans are very smart people, I just dont think its as extreme as " we are being ruled by people who dont represent our ideals". politics has always been a dirty game or money and power.
    I'll agree that we are ruled by people playing dirty games of money and power.............that seems to completely represent our ideals, lol
  • MilestoneMilestone Posts: 1,140
    jlew24asu wrote:
    unltraconservative republican beliefs?? im sure those republicans really hate that I think Iraq is one big fuck up. hilarious. obviously you dont read my posts. I wont hold it against you. besides this thread has nothing to do with republican or democrat.



    Lots of ultraconservative republicans thin Iraq is one big fuckup now.

    Yes, I read your posts and for the most part, they make me want to puke.
    11-2-2000 Portland. 12-8-2002 Seattle. 4-18-2003 Nashville. 5-30-2003 Vancouver. 10-25-2003 Bridge School. 9-2-2005 Vancouver.
    7-6-2006 Las Vegas. 7-20-2006 Portland. 7-22-2006 Gorge. 9-21-2009 Seattle. 9-22-2009 Seattle. 9-26-2009 Ridgefield. 9-25-2011 Vancouver.
    11-29-2013 Portland. 10-16-2014 Detroit. 8-8-2018 Seattle. 8-10-2018 Seattle. 8-13-2018 Missoula.  5-10-2024 Portland.  5-30-2024 Seattle.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Milestone wrote:
    Lots of ultraconservative republicans thin Iraq is one big fuckup now.

    Yes, I read your posts and for the most part, they make me want to puke.


    another satisfied customer! thank you for making my day. LMFAO
  • JeanwahJeanwah Posts: 6,363
    miller8966 wrote:
    But if thats what we want...shouldnt we be able too?

    What you want vs. what We All Want are two very different things. Take a poll of how many people want to be run by a Christian theocracy and see how many people want it. Good luck.
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