Finally the question comes: "What are we going to do about this lack of democracy?"

We have to know the issues -- and every day here we learn together from

the articles and the contributions of opinions of other members about the

issues -- the in's and out's of them -

but while we continue to learn, we know from the highest perspectives what

the whole of this picture is --

The people want taxes on the rich -- an end to wars -- cutting of military --

health care for all Americans -- Social Security and Medicare safety nets to

be preserved and not cut.

And government is doing the opposite --

We have to begin to devote time, as well, to the final question --

"What are we going to do about this lack of democracy?

About this betrayal of the people by our government?"

Every day we should be discussing possible ways of responding to this corruption of

government.

We can have revolution without violence.

We need a Plan B and we need to keep redefining it as we go along.


One of the main questions right now, imo, is how corrupted is our government and can

anything be saved -- and what of the two political parties?

Are we going to be content to hear that liberals -- the backbone of the nation --

have nowhere to go?

We'd also be doing the world a favor, if Americans began to act.

How much more murderous wars/warmongering and mayhem do we want to see flowing from

our government to the rest of the world?

Including the lastest in Wall Street's financial scams still destablizing the world --

and all Americans?


All I'm asking folks is that as we learn, that we also discuss the way OUT --

because unless we want to fall into total fascism there has to be a way out.




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http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/377


According to the latest poll conducted by CBS "60 Minutes" and the magazine Vanity Fair, 61 percent of Americans want to raise taxes on the wealthy as the primary way to cut the budget. The same poll finds that the second most popular first choice for cutting the nation's budget deficit, at 20 percent, is cutting the military budget. That is, 81 percent of us--four out of five--would cut the deficit by taxing the rich and/or slashing military spending.

Only four percent of those polled favored cutting Medicare, the government-run program that provides health care for the elderly and disabled, and only three percent favored cutting Social Security.

A second poll, this time by CNN, reports that 63 percent of Americans oppose the US War in Afghanistan and want it ended. Only 35 percent say they support the war (now in its ninth year)

Even on the matter of cutting military spending, and with the US currently at war, a Financial Times/Harris poll found in November of last year that a third of Americans thought cutting the Pentagon budget was a good idea, and another third said it would not be a bad thing, with only just over a third saying it was a bad idea. Only 30 percent said that they were concerned that cutting military spending might pose a security risk.

----------------

KEEP IN MIND ALSO THAT WE CAN SAVE AN IMMEDIATE 28% OF OUR MILITARY BUDGET BY MERGING

THE SERVICES - - SOMETHING THAT EVERY OTHER NATION HAS DONE!!

***************************************************************

And yet, we know they are going to do it. When that high a % of the people want something, there should not even need to be any debate about it in a democracy. And when a government ignores such a huge majority of the people, it is NOT a democracy.

So, what do we do now? It is a good question and one that needs a lot of thought.

One thing I know, the presidential election is no where near as important as the Congressional races.

Last time all the focus was on the presidential race, but the president we are told, 'has no power', he is 'not a dictator' so we are told when we suggest he could twist some arms in Congress etc.

SO, being that he has no power according to his most loyal supporters, I think we should not waste time on the presidential race and focus immense energy and whatever resources we have on removing rightwingers from both parties from Congress and replacing them with real progressives, like Alan Grayson.

The party, we now know, will not back progressive candidates, so it's up to us.

The president cannot pass bad legislation if we have a Congress that truly represents the people.

So, imho, if we had a strong, progressive Congress, it wouldn't matter what the President wanted, Congress represents US, and if it is working for us, the president can make all the deals he wants behind closed doors with Big Business, but none of it will get past a strong Congress that represents the people.

power they are supposed to be checks and balance between the branches of government. the prior administration over reached and should have been slapped down but we had Rs running the congress too plus all kinds deregulation etc. Bush, Cheney and all their pals should be awaiting trial for treason, at the very least.
Unitary presidency? what bullshit.

The government has been twisted and used for corporate gain the campaign bribe system foisted on us by corpses to destroyed democracy.
WE are going to have to FIGHT, screw this peaceful shit.
We are going to have to get out in the streets and peacefully or violently strike and bring the country to a standstill, but too many who have pisspoor job prospects are so job scared they won't and we will be a knock off picture of pre ww2 Germany and some religious assholes will manage to take over the government and the pogroms will be general population elimination starting with 'useless' eaters as the rich call us,startin with the ill, the gay, the 'other'. Then we will be a theocracy and or facsist dictatorship and the entire world will have to bomb the former US out of existence in order to save the world from it.

Limited power to all branches of the government. But, airc, when Democrats had control of Congress and the WH, we were constantly told that the president had no power and that is why we couldn't even get fight for the Public Option. Frankly I never believed that, but that IS what we were told.

Bush otoh, we are told, was a bully who was able to get Congress to do what he wanted even when his party was in the minority.

Imo, from the pov of the people, it is best to build up a Congress that truly represents the people so that no matter which version of how powerful the presidency is or is not, the people have control over the agenda. If the people had that control, there would be a PO, there would be no tax cuts for the rich eg, considering the huge numbers of people who supported those issues. DADT would have passed long ago and there would have been no bailout of the banks.

But, neither the executive or legislative branches cared much about what the people wanted. If even one of them did, there would at least have been a fight.

Now they are going to cut SS benefits and again, there will be no fight on behalf of the people. Deals will be made and we will be told 'that was the best we could do, wait until Dems have a majority and we'll 'fix it'.

Well, their best isn't good enough, not even close.

I also think, thinks Corps have infiltrated the Dem Party, we should be infiltrating the Republican party.

And I suggested a while ago that maybe the American people ought to incorporate, hire lobbyists and maybe then, as Corp 'too big to fail', we might get someone to listen to us.

nt

"Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the other fellow behind the tree."

while elites and corrupt elected officials have allowed it to deteriorate.

Who were they protecting -- the rich or the poor?

Restore tax rates on corporations to Ike years -- !!

and certainly corporations should be being taxed much more heavily now

to pay for the unemployment benefits. Why should the public pay?

This economic crime wave was put in play by corporations -- let them pay!

and staying involved locally.

In probably a lack of interest and information.

we have pre-owned and pre-bribed elected officials --

and that has been true for decades --

Are you really suggesting that the millionaires and multi-millionaires in

our Congress are ready to act for your welfare?

That our corporate legislators have your concerns and needs in mind?



:eyes:

The words my mind finds are reclamation and reconstruction.

I've not read the Nader piece, see that title everywhere about the left having nowhere to go. The one time I vocalized an opinion was to utter a hostile "Fine, then, we'll fight from where we stand". The details on how to launch such battles might be better had in quiet corners, but suffice it to say I suspect this monolithic and complacent machine isn't as invulnerable as it believes or would have us know. Its primary objective is also its biggest weakness, the flow of money so the beast can't feed and it is bound to falter.

Last March, I posted William Black's top 10 list on how to crack down on corporate financial crime. Didn't know how to link then, but I sure do now!
<http://neweconomicperspectives.blogspot.com/2010/03/bill-blacks-top-ten-ways-to-crack-down.html>

I have also gratuitously cut and pasted my own comment which followed:
I consider the matter of a more equal sense of justice a lot lately, these steps might have made a difference earlier, and might going forward, but at the moment, corporations own the very perception of what's legal and remedying that will require something infinitely more drastic. I'm talking mayhem in Manhattan on Monday, 1,000 arrests by noon, charges of racketeering, embezzlement, and fraud. While their still numb come morning, arrest another five hundred, follow that halfsies pattern the rest of the week. Start the following week the same way in D.C.; send a big ass unit to collect those murdering drunken warlord bozos at Blackwater and I'll call that a good start.

###

I could go on, but I have taken enough time and space here, happy to continue at length, MANY ideas on how to facilitate the return of the nation's reigns to the people, so pm if you're of a mind to.

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good stuff, man!