The United States of America is Being Extracted

I was actually going to post something along these lines this weekend but didn't get around to it.

I was thinking about what realistic outcomes could be for the OWS protests. Let's face it, they aren't going to get a massive redistribution of wealth. They aren't going to get anything more than a bone thrown to them in increased taxes on the 'rich' or corporations and, with a trillion dollar yearly deficit, that bone will never make it to anyone who needs it anyway. The bailouts are in the past and can't be undone. The economy is probably never going to ever be what it once was so any jobs bills/stimuli are going to be only kicking the can down the road with no real solution.

So what could the protestors really push for that would be a meaningful change? I could come up with 2 things and both would almost certainly get broad support of a true 99% of the people...

1. Go to publicly financed elections for Congress and the President.

2. Term limits for Congress to bring them in line with the Presidency.

Political resistance would be huge but it could be 2 topics that would unite the movement with many other people who would not even give it the time of day otherwise. And that could make it un-ignorable to the politicians. If they really want a change, this is probably the only real hope.

 

I think those two ideas are feasible and have some additional thoughts:

Almost everyone could agree that lobbyists (or at the very least, the "other-side's" lobbyists) have too much influence in politics. The money they pour into the politician's hands corrupts the very core of our government, and I think most people understand that. I'd like to see that corruption removed entirely, no more lobbying. The very idea of influencing our politians with money is repugnant to me, and that's essentially what lobbying is about.

I'd still have an issue with how Congress self-governs itself. IMO, rules that affect how Congress conducts itself should be voted on by the people. This wouldn't affect their law-making powers, only the way they conduct themselves. Let the people decide what percentage of votes are enough to make laws, let the people decide when Congress can have a raise, let the people decide if procedures that bog-down the process are worthy of keeping, or should be scrapped.

 

Who he is is less important to me than what his message was, and how he said it. I see his rage, and the frustration exhibited by more and more people, as a sign that true change may now be possible. What the outcome of that change ultimately becomes is less clear, but it's becoming more difficult to deny that a significant change must happen.

 

Money is the problem. Everyone knows it. It's the worst kept secret in this country. It is killing us like it killed Greece only we are a much larger plum and Greece was just a trial run. Money has corrupted the entire political system to the point where 94% of legislation is exactly what those paying for it want it to be. It is a system of legalized bribery plain and simple. If we don't get publicly financed elections, we can kiss this country good bye sooner rather than later. Ratigan is simply saying it openly and loudly and OccupyWallStreet may be the only chance we have to actually affect change because it is the only collective voice we have. I think this situation is going to be a lot like a train coming at you. You can either climb onboard, get out of the way, or get run over by it but you are not going to stop it.

 

You're making me sick at my stomach. Do any words ever part your lips that aren't leftist, pie-in-the-sky dogma? If you think the Flea Party is a collective voice, you haven't been listening to the disjointed nonsense they're spewing. But, good luck with that whole "affecting change" thing... you're going to need it.

 

You are being too kind to him!

 

Like I said, you were never onboard in the first place but I did notice that you bought right into the Fox News terminology almost as quickly as David did. Look at the percentages of New Yorkers, people in national polls, and people around the world that agree with them. YOU seem to be the one out of step here. So what else is new eh? I'm sure that I don't really make you sick to your stomach but I can always hope.

 

What they really need to push for is complete election reform.
1. Eliminate all outside funding of elections and nominations.
2. Create a nationwide funding fund for those seeking election and give everyone the same amount from the fund.
3. Provide everyone access to the public airwaves to promote their election while making sure that everyone gets the same access.
4. Any legislator, or staff member, who gets caught accepting outside money gets immediately removed until a trial can occur. Any person who is on trial gets access to a public defender paid by the government.

 

Obama is a very very bad man. Many good people foolishly voted for him for they thought he was different. He would bring change. But he came in dirty from Chicago and is owned by a few including the middle east that own large stock percentages of shares in american banks. Democrats were being bought and owned by the arabs since the nineteen seventies. ABSCAM was suppose to expose it and with media attention stop it. Arabs did not like the coverage so they now own large stock shares in World Media Outlets. Republicans were honest with Regan but who came after him, Bush and then another Bush. The Bush family is owned by the Arab Gulf nations. The Republicans are now no better then the democrats are. Anybody who is established is owned. Palin was a new outsider. The press killed her. Why, because she was not owned and was an unknown factor they did not want to deal with. The press is owned by stock shares by the arabs. This was reported by 60 minutes years and years ago. With the report on how Iraq owned large segments of the French Media and Lybia was entrenched in Iatly. The saudis are entrenched as well here and in England with the kuwaits. in media and the banks. they are taking us over/

 

This week, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud of Saudi Arabia — the largest shareholder of News Corp outside the Murdoch family — endorsed Rupert Murdoch’s son James to succeed the elder Murdoch when he retires. Alwaleed, King Abdullah’s nephew, is Saudi Arabia’s richest person and the world’s 22nd wealthiest (Murdoch is number 132). He holds large stakes in many American companies, including Citi. The prince met with Murdoch last week to discuss a “future potential alliance with News Corp,”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/01/22/78672/saudi-murdoch/

I am not ranting. I am just tired and people close their eyes to the facts that the arabs own our banks and media with direct share ownership and with indirect ownership through other investment groups. What do you think they have been doing with their trillions of dollars over the years.

 

The problem with the OWS is that it is the functional equivalent of an inkblot test. By claiming they represent the 99% and are against corporations, and not doing anything else, it is easy for others to "fill in the blanks" in a way that makes OWS look better to you. Until they come out for what they believe in, and state definitively "this is how we are going to accomplish our goals," I personally cannot take them seriously as a movement.

As for elections, who qualifies as "running?" My problem with government oversight over election dollars is that it gives the parties currently in power every resource and impetus to set up the system so they stay in power and preclude everyone else.