Occupy Nancy Pelosi: The Real ‘One Percent’ Is America’s Political Class
by Lee StranahanThere is a real class war going on in this country, and the Occupy Movement doesn’t seem to realize that they are on the wrong side of it. No, it’s not the wealth-hating, broad brush 99% vs. 1% class war that the Occupiers chant about. That so-called “war” is a merely a distraction from the real class split in America. Nope, the real deal pits American citizens on one side and on the other, safely ensconced inside the Beltway, are the Political Class.
The Political Class live in a world of wealth and power, and they don’t play by the same rules that you and I do. The Political Class operates above the law – literally, above it and lording over it. Since they make the laws, they can rewrite them to suit themselves. They pull the strings on the mainstream press establishment by playing games with information and power. As a result, the Political Class has been able to line its own pockets while much of the economy has gone to shambles.
If this all sounds a bit dramatic and dystopian, you haven’t read Throw Them All Out by Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer or seen the recent 60 Minutes segment that was based on the book’s research but independently verified and reported by CBS and Steve Kroft.
The book and TV segment ripped the mask off of Washington D.C. and showed how politicians use their resources — power and access to information — to make money. The books methodically lays out how politicians have been able to enrich themselves and keep this political brand of insider trading legal. On 60 Minutes, they went into detail about how Republicans like Spencer Bachus and Democrats like leader Nancy Pelosi have been able to rake in hundreds of thousands or even (in Pelosi’s case) millions by having access to information that citizens do not.
This looked bad; Pelosi needed some media help right away, and the institutional left was more than happy to oblige her. First came Media Matters for America before the story even came out, calling the 60 Minutes piece a smear by a discredited Breitbart blogger.
Here’s a drinking game you can play at home; wait for the next time someone associated with Andrew Breitbart breaks a major news story. Then in a few hours when the Media Matters response appears, drink a shot every time the words “smear” or “discredited” are used. Don’t drive afterwards.
After the 60 Minutes piece aired, there was an official response from Pelosi’s camp, who shockingly called it… a smear by a discredited conservative writer. They didn’t even try to get creative; they just presented a warmed-over version of the Media Matters propaganda.
You’d think the Occupy movement and those who claim to support it on the left would be up in arms. After all, this is exactly the sort of toxic political and financial mix that they seem to have been willing to make a stand for.
Instead, the Occupy protesters are mute on the subject of the political insider revelations. Part of that might be timing, as officials in cities all across the country have starting shutting down Occupy camps from New York to Oakland. But beyond just being busy with evictions, the Occupy movement has already cast itself in the role of pawn in the Political Class’s game.
If the Occupiers took notice, they’d see a very interesting trend in the media’s reporting; in order to protect their Political Class keepers, sites like Politico and The Huffington Post have circled the wagons and are boosting the Pelosi/Media Matters “discredited smear” line. Despite HuffPo cheerleading the Occupy movement daily for nearly two straight years, at the end of the day their loyalty is with the political status quo.
The people making a stand at Occupy are being exploited by the likes of Nancy Pelosi, despite their best efforts. It isn’t that the protesters of Occupy much care for Pelosi, Obama or any mainstream candidate or policy position; they don’t, but that doesn’t matter.
When Nancy Pelosi comes out and gushes about how she supports the Occupy movement, as she did a few weeks ago, her audience isn’t the Occupiers. Nope, Pelosi is pandering to the balcony. She’s playing to status quo establishment Democratic voter base who romanticizes radicals from Che to the Black Panthers, new and old.
The purpose Occupy serves for mainstream Democrats is symbolic and old pro politicos like Pelosi are keenly aware of that, To the NPR soothed, green tea sipping liberal living a comfortable existence, the Occupy movement conjures up everything from the ghost of Tom Joad to an off-Broadway production of Hair. That collection of misfits, criminals and victims in Zuccotti Park is actually made up of the struggling masses. They are the little guy fighting the system.
These are the heartstrings that Pelosi and sites like HuffPost need to keep pulling in order to trigger the donation response for the 2012 campaign cycle.
At the end of the day, the people who have put their lives at risk have done so for the likes of Nancy Pelosi. It’s one thing to be a useful idiot and canon fodder for an ideology; it’s another thing entirely to play the pawn of some wealthy, connected political insider like Pelosi can pocket millions in ill gotten gains with impunity.
Sent from my iPad
There is a real class war going on in this country and the Occupy Movement doesn’t seem to realize that they are on the wrong side of it. No, it’s not the wealth hating, broad brush 99% vs. 1% class war that the Occupiers chant about. That so-called ‘war’ is a merely a distraction from the real class split in America. Nope, the real deal pits American citizens on one side and on the other, safely ensconced inside the Beltway, are the Political Class.
The Political Class live in a world of wealth and power and they don’t play by the same rules that you and I do. The Political Class operates above the law – literally, above it and lording over it. Since they make the laws, they can rewrite them to suit themselves. They pull the strings on the mainstream press establishment by playing games with information and power. As a result, the Political Class has been able to line it’s own pockets while much of the economy has gone to shambles.
If this all sounds a bit dramatic and dystopian, you haven’t read Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer or seen the recent 60 Minutes segment that was based on the book’s research but independently verified and reported by CBS and Steve Kroft.
The book and TV segment ripped the mask off of Washington D.C. and showed how politicians use their resources — power and access to information — to make money. The books methodically lays out how politicians have been able to enrich themselves and kept this political brand of insider trading legal. On 60 Minutes, they went into detail about how Republicans like Spencer Baucus and Democrats like leader Nancy Pelosi have been able to rake in hundreds of thousands or even (in Pelosi’s case) millions by having access to information that citizens do not.
This looks bad, Pelosi needed some media help right away and the institutional left was more than happy to oblige Pelosi. First came Media Matters for America before the story even came out, calling the 60 Minutes piece a smear by a discredited Breitbart blogger.
(Here’s a drinking game you can play at home — wait for the next time someone associated with Andrew Breitbart breaks a major news story. Then in a few hours when the Media Matters response appears, drink a shot every time the words ’smear’ or ‘discredited’ are used. Don’t drive afterwards.)
After the 60 Minutes piece aired, there was an official response from Pelosi’s camp, who shockingly called it a smear by a discredited conservative writer. They didn’t even try to get creative; just a warmed over version of the Mardia Matters propaganda was fine.
You’d think the Occupy movement and those who claim to support it on the left would be up in arms. After all, this is exactly the sort of toxic political and financial mix that they seem to have been willing to make a stand for.
Instead, the Occupy protesters are mute on the subject of the political insider revelations. Part of that might be timing, as officials in cities all across the country have starting shutting down Occupy caamps from New York to Oakland. But beyond just being busy with evictions the Occupy movement has already cast itself in the role of pawn in the Political Class’s game.
If the Occupiers took notice, they’d see a very interesting trend in the media’s reporting — in order to protect their Political Class keepers, sites like Politico and The Huffington Post have circled the wagons and are boosting the Pelosi / Media Matters “discredited smear’ line. Despite HuffPo cheerleading the Occupy movement daily for nearly two straight years, at the end of the day their loyalty is with the political status quo.
The people making a stand at Occupy are being exploited by the likes of Nancy Pelosi despite their best efforts. It isn’t that the protesters of Occupy much care for Pelosi, Obama or any mainstream candidate or policy position; they don’t but that doesn’t matter.
When Nancy Pelosi comes out and gushes about how she supports the Occupy movement, as she did a few weeks ago, her audience isn’t the Occupiers. Nope, Pelosi is pandering to the balcony. She’s playing to status quo establishment Democratic voter base who romanticizes radicals from Che to the Black Panthers, new and old.
The purpose Occupy serves for mainstream Democrats is symbolic and old pro politicos like Pelosi are keenly aware of that, To the NPR soothed, green tea sipping liberal living a comfortable existence, the Occupy movement conjures up everything from the ghost of Tom Joad to an off Broadway production of Hair. That collection of misfits, criminals and victims in Zuccotti Park are actually the struggling masses. They are the little guy fighting the system.
These are the heartstrings that Pelosi and sites like HuffPost need to keep pulling in order to trigger the donation response for the 2012 campaign cycle.
At the end of the day, the people who have put their lives at risk have done so for the likes of Nancy Pelosi. It’s one thing to be an useful idiot and canon fodder for an ideology – it’s entirely another to play the role some wealthy, connected political insider like Pelosi can pocket millions in ill gotten gains with impunity.
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105 Comments
It is shocking to me how a dim wit like her became Speaker.
Crony Capitalism
STARTS
in Washington D.C.
and NOW we have PROOF !
Rules for thee not for me. We are becoming more corrupted than many third world countries. Look how Solyndra is unfolding. This is just the tip of the Iceberg. Sad to see a great country become so corrupted by a Politburo.
"Occupy Nancy Pelosi" ??
Lee, that's just gross.
The real 99% know exactly who the 1% are: America's Political Class.
"Occupy Nancy Pelosi…"
Oh, no, the imagery is just too much …
Still, she needs to go to jail.
Far too many in DC on both ends of the political divide have made themselves quite wealthy since their ascension to power. If the Occutards had the sense God gave a goose they would have been camped out in front of the Capitol Building and WH for the last several months. But of course, being good little useful idiots, they buy the leftist lie that it's the "evil rich" that are the root of the problems they and the rest of the country face. Pelosi is simply a symptom of a parasitic plague that infects our national politics.
The very sight of that woman make me want to vomit. She personifies the arrogant and clueless.
Yeah. What is anyone going to do about it?
Looking forward to Peter's documentary. Of course, like "Waiting For Superman", the net results may be too little too late.
And we still have no candidate for POTUS 45. At least I don't.
And Congress is so corrupt they won't stop any of it. Need more tea Party Candidates!
She got elected in California………..'Nuf said!!!
"You’d think the Occupy movement and those who claim to support it on the left would be up in arms."
To assume that, you'd have to believe that any of the Occupiers possess a level of awareness FAR above their capacity. The fact is, if you went through any Occupy encampment and asked them who nancy pelosi is, "99%" of them wouldn't even have a clue, let alone be aware of her dirty investment dealings.
Election update: GOP Candidates in Four-Way Dead Heat By John McCormick – Nov 14, 2011
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-15/romney-t...
Economic issues such as jobs, taxes and government spending are driving voter sentiment, rather than such social issues as abortion and gay marriage, the poll finds.
"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves."
George Washington
And that's a fact, John!!!
yeah they didn't pass that info out on the little piece of paper that had the "suggested" sign slogans on it
I don't know how the libs had the balzz to mock Sarah Palin, at the same time having this idiot running Congress.
By the way, did anyone catch the cheap shot ABC took at the Tea Party and Sarah Palin at the end of the Gabby Giffords interview last night?
"Occupy" movement = Suckers, Slackers and Sexual Predators
A little off topic but, this is an excellent piece on Newt, American Spectator (via Weasel Zippers) http://spectator.org/archives/2011/11/15/is-newt-...
I highly recommend all who care, read it.
How it ties in to the topic at hand is simply that Newt is not caught up in this scam.
I've said it before but, Newt was not my first choice for all the reasons everyone knows, however, I've had bosses I detest personally. That didn't stop them from being good for the company.
Just sayin'.
Look at all socialist/communist/fascist countries, the political class and the mafia has all the power. Big labor is the version of the mafia. As government grows the middle class shrinks and it has nothing to do with corporate greed.
Maybe Chelsea Clinton can get to the bottom of this scandal?
The longer the average American forfeits and abdicates his responsibility to vote, stay informed and active in the politics of his country, the less he should complain. We got what we payed for folks. It's that simple.
I know you don't want to hear it. But scum like Pelosi exist because we don't want to play the game.
BUT… thankfully, citizen media is slowly turning the great wheel and exposing the swamp.
The supposed 99% are badly in need of education. Since the schools and the msm won't do it, we have to be vigilant through social media. Post these kind of articles on your facebook pages, etc., and get the word out about the corruption in congress.
And as far as Nancy's charge that she is the victim of a right wing smear – I really, really hope so.
The political class gets a pass as does the higher education elite. The MSM performs a valuable service for us all. Just see who they protect and then we know who our real enemies are. Of course, I've almost given up on Americans doing anything about it. No one wants to inconvienience themselves long enough to take our country back from those who are looting us into the third world.
The occupiers are too clueless to find a toilet, never mind knowing what piglosi and her swamp creatures are all about.
The occupiers are just useful tools of the ruling class.
Now send in the clowns.
This my friends is the traitor-in-chief talking at a podium without a teleprompter. AND if he does have one then he's brain damaged. Take a few seconds to listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBGRiB4PEjk&t=...
All Congresses and Parliaments have a kindly feeling for idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of personal experience and heredity.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography; also in Mark Twain in Eruption
I have referred to them for at least a year as the Elite Ruling Criminal Class. This term hits it right on the head and nails it so to speak.
The law needs to be changed so that the Congress and White House are subject to the same laws they pass on the body politic, period.
If the public raises its voice long enough and loud enough, and removes from office those who oppose, perhaps then the Congress could be persuaded to legislate that they too must abide by the same laws they write for everyone else.
If a private citizen like Martha Stewart can go to jail for insider trading then lawmakers should too if they're caught and convicted.
I saw that article this morning. It really is a good read.
More than that, I am getting to the point that I'm 98% sure I will be supporting Newt. I'm a pretty harsh skeptic when it comes to ANYONE in politics, so I've run him through the wringer in every way I could. And what I've come up to is that none of his negatives match his positives. I think he IS the right leader at the right time.
"…..I am the Zombie Queen…..OBEY my commands……."
And she will continue to. We do not have democracy in California.
We have Democrat rule, that's all. The California Republican party is a total joke.
Jolly Good! It's about time we started putting a face to the 1%. Scary as it is…lol
If she were in the private sector, Mrs. Pelosi would be standing before the SEC explaining her insider trading and her obvious and apparent conflicts of interest. She promised us a clean Congress when she became speaker and that she would do away with the "culture of corruption". One could only hope that she would foolishly lie to investigators, like Martha Stewart did, and cop herself a nice prison sentence. But that is not to be, nor can we expect her to do the right thing and resign her seat in disgrace.
What she has accomplished is to prove yet again just how corrupting absolute power is.
This article couldn't be more accurate, but the system will never allow for the common man to pick up on this unless they actively seek out the truth.
Look at the message received by our common citizens:
Education – state run, focus on PC topics rather than actual academics. Preach the state agenda. Brain washing 101
Media – We all know this one
Academia (higher ed) – Marxist indoctrination centers
"Science" – Climate "science" not using the scientific method, pushing an agenda, altering, fabricating and cherry picking data
ALL of those are driven by the political class. Most citizens are too busy watching American Idol, or Facebooking to see the clearly apparent enemy of this country – the political class.
Q. Do you know the difference between a channel cat and a politician?
A. One is a scum sucking bottom dweller and one is a fish.
"Congressmen and diapers should be changed frequently, and for the same reason." –Mark Twain
It's not just the political class, it's the army of bureaucrats as well. One need look no farther than the local housing market to see the evidence of that. While home prices in the rest of the nation are down an average of 30 percent – and down far more than that in the worst markets like Nevada and south Florida – they're going UP 1 percent every two months in greater DC. The recession hasn't affected them in the slightest, and so they have absolutely no idea what's coming their way if they keep pushing like this. Here's a hint: It's not going to be the dirty stinking mob currently residing in Uuhhhbamavilles across this formerly great land. Nope, it's going to be ordinary, heretofore law-abiding Americans who figure they no longer have anything to lose…
I sometimes wonder if she uses those bug eyes to hypnotize the people of San Francisco.
As a side note, it's fitting that Mrs. Pelosi is wearing a red coat — just like the oppressive British from whom we fought to gain our independence.
Big Labor is a "version" of the mafia, Joe?
Coulda' fooled me!
Lee, your headline nailed it!
I think you may be right, John.
What Winston didn't have was the whole of the LSM against him and when England was done with him (a sad story in itself) it started the slide into irrelevance (assuming it had some before WW2).
I can only hope that the saying, "history repeats itself" doesn't always hold true!!
I'm wondering where all our normal Hack Lib posters are on this.
They SURE seemed to have disappeared from ALL these stories (except the one about the Republican doing it).
Notice that??? Well, you libs? Just like Bush/BoBo – it's "bad" when Bush did it, but when BoBo does it x10 – well, not a BLEEPing peep, huh??
You got that right!
Newton – the latest recipient of the Anybody But Romney crowd, now that Herman is no longer the flavor of the day. Just a game of musical chairs.
Newt attacks the moderator's questions – and the media in general – at every debate. This endears him to the Tea Party since they believe the media is totally in the bag for the liberals.
Newt was and is a creature of Washington, a pseudo-conservative intellectual with something a bit more than just a checkered past. Remember that his main qualification for the presidency is his time as House Speaker, a position that he had to RESIGN FROM due to ethical wrongdoing and incompetence. This particular gig is just one long book tour.
It's gonna be Willard.
Broadcast this we much.
I like to contemplate Pelosi and Frank in the same jail cell–but don't imagine it! There's nothing about these two I want to imagine! Just dump these criminals into the cell and go away like dumping tea into the harbor! And then we emancipate our country!
I've said from the start they are aiming wrong, but when their goals seem to circle around entitlement, what does one expect? I've tried talking with a few and wanted to make my town's occupy event (but was unable to make it) but the sheer number of people coming out demanding what they are is disheartening. That so many people really think the problem lies with business in general. It's the government and its entanglements in business where all the problems lie…
U mean, Pelosi Galore?
All over the world there are just two systems. One is trickle down wealth and the other, used by the mob AND communist governments, is YOU PAY UP.
Every once in a while i encounter a "clever" socialist or communist who smiles and says,"you see? There's a third alternative! And THAT's what we're trying to create! It'll be more fair!"
But nope. That is what communists and socialist's will all say to get people to accept YOU PAY UP. because it's just YOU PAY UP they offer! Nothing else.
Instead of cleaver, they're dupes. Trickle down works. You Pay Up creates a third world economy and keeps it there. Our middle class , upper class AND struggling class better get smart–fast!Or it's going to be ruling class in wealth and everybody struggling– to pay up. Or suffer for failing to pay the mobster in the street or that government man with all the watches in the leather coat.
THE MSM are a very reliable reverse compass needle for us! Who the MSM attacks is a friend of freedom and more freedom in the future!
Those the MSM defends are critical enemies of freedom and our future!
It sure saves a lot of guess work!
So right!
The French Revolution Games are about to begin.
Get your guillotine plans today!
This is hardly news. How does anyone think a poor man can get elected to congress, serve muli-terms, and retire a millionaire?
Look at that picture. Nancy in the headlights.
Half true. The Political Class isn't the 1%, but they are in bed with each other. Congress makes the laws the corporations write for them. The point being to make laws that protect their wealth and power and freedom to cheat the system. The political class gets their campaign money, and whatever other benefits come from being in bed with the 1%, the corporations get to write 300 page bills full of loopholes they can use to show higher profits.
This is what OWS stands against. I think this is what the Tea Parties also stand against. (but its not clear regarding TP because they only criticize government and seem to actually support corporations' ability to control and corrupt the system)
The rest of the article is partisan garbage.
Another Republican debate?
I'm teasing. But you are wrong about what OWS stands for.
Sure saves a lot of unnecessary thinking too!
What else is free market capitalism if NOT "you pay up"? A business sells a good or service, a consumer pays for it, the money goes to the business and pays for jobs and expansion and salaries. It all starts with customers.
No business hires a person just because they have extra money. Jobs come from demand, a need to increase supply to meet demand.
You should try it and see how many occupiers have a clue. You'd be surprised.
OWS doesn't favor Pelosi. She's from California, what do you expect? But see, as bad as Pelosi is, a tea party conservative is almost always worse.
No, America's Political Class is the 1%'s lover. They both need to be taken over our 99% knees and receive a good whoopin.
She does have some big juggs.
One would think so. But this is America.
a) its the House, being dumb is a qualification
b) its the House, being partisan is a qualification
c) being dumb for a long time makes you a leader
Except, the Politburo is the one BEING corrupted. Who has the money? Follow the money.
I'm a "Tea Party Conservative." Would you like to explain how I AM "worse?" I await your sage wisdom, so that I can consume it.
Tread lightly.
Occupy Nancy? I think I just threw up in my mouth …
SPEW !!!!!! LOL! LOL! LOL!
Dang, I just opened that beer!
Another leach on the system
Frankly I feel regulations on lawmakers/related who be more strict that public –
They went into politics to serve the people – not get rich at the expense of those people
You get payed in Trickle Down.
In You Pay Up someone takes your pay for nothing–other than to leave you and your family alone. "Let" you work or move threw the street without troubles.In the You Pay Up system your savings account is reserved to pay all the bribes it takes to get by!
Close friends of mine escaped from You Pay Up societies.
Trickle Down works for the honest. You Pay Up Marxist style or mob style works for the mobsters and Government.
The loopholes in the bills are the law maker's special ticket to retire from politics some day, and get hired to be consultants later (show them where the loopholes are.) The corporations don't write the loopholes. They just pay to find out where the politicians hid them when the laws were written by the law makers.
And Americans vote for the politicians that do this.
Then these politicians tax us all promising entitlements to get elected or re-elected in a repeat of a cycle.
We're Taxed Enough Already is simple. The whole country knows where we stand.And we don't leave a filthy mess!
The Visa IPO isn't the only deal Pelosi tried to manipulate to her financial advantage! When crying for an increase in the minimum wage, Nancy wanted American Samoa exempted from the increase. Starkist Tuna has a majority of it's workforce there and Paul Pelosi owned 17 million in Starkist stock. Gee coincidence? I don't think so!
When you have a LOON constituency like QUEEN nancy does from the LAND OF FRUITS AND NUTS, you can see how a DISHONEST DELLUSIONAL DECEITFUL witch like nancy can keep getting elected! Sad, TRULY sad!
I bet David Vitter won't like that
This is what I really love. Make excuses for one side and defame the other. All without a shred of evidence or any form of a logical argument. You obviously do not have a clue as to how our republic is supposed to work, does work or economics.
What do they stand for them?
It is time all these frauds are exposed. I don't care what party they are. It does seem to me however they are always libs. Heard the report on Hasskert today. It is time WE THE PEOPLE take OUR COUNTRY BACK. It will start with 2012 and cleaning house. bho and moochele MUST BE where it all starts. Start reporting on all the corruption in this administration. Bring it all out in the open notjust in conservative publications.
A movement needs voters. The TP is worse because its voters, while more united in purpose than the OWS voters, are also duped daily into believing that their pig sponsors should decide who gets first run of the slop. Sorry, that their fat cat sponsors should decide who guards the fish tank. Sorry, that their corporate dog sponsors should decide how low to hang the ham hocks.
The most unifying purposes for OWS's various faces and factions is to oppose corporate collusion in government and end the extension of political power to corporate, unelected entities.
What about any official who willing accepted what the Corporation were putting in front of them?
Would it to limit corporation influence in our political system by decentralizing the political power?
Again, the problem with an actual grassroots movement is unity of stated purpose, at least to start with. I don't even march. Do you want my opinion?
Sure
Corporate interests have no right to interfere in our politics, but they do because, apparently, it's worth it. So we need to make it no longer worth it.
Senators, representatives, and presidents would ALL have 2-term maximums for starters. Next, POTUS, SCOTUS justices, and all of congress would earn 25% over the national median salary (right now that's around $60,000/year). They would not be allowed to take money from corporate donors while campaigning, while in office, or after leaving office. Free, public websites would monitor and record their every communication, including activity on their bank accounts, from the time they run and for the rest of their lives (if they get elected). That way you avoid delayed-pay bribery.
hold on…more to come…
Anyone on either side (offering or taking) of a corporate-political bribe gets 15 years in desolate, hard-labor, federal prison, mandatory minimum sentence. (Aawww, you have a company to run? Too fv<king bad.) Also, you can never run for office again, can never vote again, and can never personally donate to any political candidate again. If you are caught even attempting to do any of those things, it's 5 years mandatory minimum *per attempt* for originator and any intermediaries contributing.
The vote is all that we the people have. It deserves better than to be traded away by the people we elect. That's my opinion.
Good ideas, but these ideas bring the following questions to mind.
"Free, public websites would monitor and record their every communication, including activity on their bank accounts, from the time they run and for the rest of their lives (if they get elected). That way you avoid delayed-pay bribery. "
1. The people running the website and following communication of the elected officials will be funded how?
2. What about the 1st Amendment Rights of the elected officials?
"Next, POTUS, SCOTUS justices, and all of congress would earn 25% over the national median salary (right now that's around $60,000/year). "
I can agree with this.
"Senators, representatives, and presidents would ALL have 2-term maximums for starters. "
1. I personally do not think term limits is going to affect what is happening in Congress. I personally believe that we need to find people of principles and value to elect to Congress that are willing to stand up for what is right for the country.
2. The president is all ready term limited to 2 terms with the exception in the event a vice president has to serve the last 2 years of a sitting president term, then the vice president can still run for office twice.
What do you think would happen to corporate lobbying if the govt power was decentralized to the states?
I have said before that the only people who should be able to donate to a political campaign are the voters, no other entities such business, corporations, unions, non profits, etc….
I knew the POTUS was already under term limits – guess I missed that in my revision. People of principle and value are exactly what we need; the reason we have so few of those in Congress now is because there is too much to be gained by staying in longer and amassing more wealth & power. That gives you people who are concerned with their own wealth & power, not people who are concerned with the best interests of the people.
Corporate lobbying will not go away as long as it is allowed. Decentralizing power to the states means we are effectively no longer one country. We had a war over that once.
We as nation cannot just elect people of value and principles, we have to have those values and principles ourselves. We the people are the pool that our elected officials are selected from so they are in reality a direct reflection of us. At this time there seems to few values and principles in our elected politicians and in our citizens, do not get me wrong there are people out there elected and citizens that have value and principles it is just that we are being shouted down by those who do not have them. The people in our country have the mind set of me first and the he** with everyone else which leads to the very type of politicians we have today.
“Corporate lobbying will not go away as long as it is allowed. Decentralizing power to the states means we are effectively no longer one country. We had a war over that once.”
I was unclear by what I meant in decentralizing the power, I meant returning to the Federal Government to it proper role according the US Constitution. With political power at the State Level a corporation lobbing effort would have to be expanded to most of the State government which also would lead to additional cost of lobbying.
I assume you are referring to the Civil War? I ask this question then, if 10 people enter willingly into an agreement but after a few years two of the people do not like what is happening can those two people freely leave the agreement?
Happy to. Keep in mind, I'm ascribing your beliefs with those of Tea Party Conservative politicians.
TPC is worse because you fight to preserve tax cuts for millionaires and tax loopholes for corporations, while supporting raising the burden on the elderly and poor, in the effort to shrink the deficit.
You do the bidding of corporations by pushing for less regulation with broad strokes, independent of whether a given regulation is actually good or bad. All regulations are bad, right?
You say you want to shrink the government, but you're no less favorable to pork projects in your district and you make no effort to stop the corruption of our government at the hands of corporations and their lobbyists. The only place you find ways to cut government is to cut the areas that actually help people economically at the bottom of our society.
You do all these things with a zeal of fundamentailsm that renders your views infallible in your own mind and completely static.
Your America is: Of the Corporation, By the Corporation, For the Corporation.
Possibly worst of all, is the stink that inherently sticks to you because you're indiscernable from social conservatives.
Okay, I vomited in my mouth at the prospect of potentially defending Pelosi.
You must really love it, you engage in it yourself.
But you're wrong too. I didn't make excuses, I recommended gaining first-hand experience. Nor did I make much of an argument, I merely stated tea party conservatives are worse than Pelosi. That is my opinion. You can see an explanation directly above if you're interested.
You could ask a question or say something of meaning yourself to start a conversation, if you're interested.
Bottom line: tell me you're a conservative, its my first clue you have no clue about how our republic is supposed to work. Really, not supposed to negotiate and compromise in government? Really, you want to shrink the government except where the gov controls human behavior?
Tell me you're a tea partier, its my first clue you have no clue about how economics work. Really, making rich people richer is the way to make everyone richer? Really, gov should not enforce laws that protect its people from harm enacted by industry?
See Classical Liberalism if you want to know the meaning of real conservatism. What it is today is barely a shred of its respectable beginnings.
"I'm ascribing your beliefs with those of Tea Party Conservative politicians."
OK, let's see if you are.
"TPC is worse because you fight to preserve tax cuts for millionaires and tax loopholes for corporations, while supporting raising the burden on the elderly and poor, in the effort to shrink the deficit."
This is nonsense. The 'elderly" and "poor," as you put it, are taken care of to a higher standard in this country, because of "Tea Party principles," than any other country, political philosophy, or economic system that has EVER existed. That is simply the truth. What are those principles? Simply put, individual responsibility, both for ourselves to the best of our abilities, as well as to take care of those who are less fortunate. THAT is a Tea Party principle.
"You do the bidding of corporations by pushing for less regulation with broad strokes, independent of whether a given regulation is actually good or bad. All regulations are bad, right?"
"All regulations are bad?" NO. That's not the point. The Tea Party point is that "regulations" should be according to the will of the People, represented by their elected officials, NOT by unelected, bureaucratic organizations that usurp the authority of our self government.
"You say you want to shrink the government, but you're no less favorable to pork projects in your district and you make no effort to stop the corruption of our government at the hands of corporations and their lobbyists."
You don't understand the real Tea Party movement. You can't. Or you'd know that we believe our local, "projects in our districts" should be sponsored, and controlled, by those IN OUR DISTRICT. THAT is our philosophy.
"Your America is: Of the Corporation, By the Corporation, For the Corporation."
And of course, this is the highest absurdity. Our America philosophy is the only "Of the People, By the People, and For the People" philosophy that exists in the world today. Where we may understand that many "People" derive their livelihood from working within corporations, you believe that from corporations there is no benefit to any real People. That is just crazy. You should know that the Tea Party philosophy is that individual rights trump "corporate" rights, or "collective" rights ( no difference).
If you don't know all of this, you really shouldn't comment on what the "Tea Party philosophy" is.
You make the statement that the Tea Party is worse than Pelosi. OK, why do you think that? Because they are for limited government, limited taxes? They are for the government living within its means. While I am NOT a Tea Party member, I am conservative (I try to live within my means which gets harder all of the time as the government wants more and more of my income), I do know in my area a good number of members of the TEA party. Interestingly enough these are the same people I see serving on the boards and volunteering their time with local charities. They are actually giving back to the community, and not necessarily in ways that they can write off in their taxes. I hear them make logical arguments to support their positions, something I do not hear from Pelosi or the OWS crowd.
What I hear from the latter groups is that the people who pay taxes need to pay more and support those who do not pay taxes. They claim to represent 99% of Americans. OK, show me how they represent the 99%. It is an absurd statement. They number in the thousands. You have a few hundred here and a few hundred there. They claim to represent the multitude, but they do not.
I never stated that there should be no compromise in government, that is your statement. And I do know how a Republic is supposed to work. A Republic is a system of government where the rule of law prevails and is supposed to be followed by ALL citizens, not just the conservative citizens. It is a system where by bills are supposed to be passed into law via the legislature, not by executive decree. It is a system where the basis for all laws is supposed to follow the tenants of the Constitution and the Bill of rights. Show me how the modern Liberal/Progressive movement fits within these tenants. There is no where in the founding papers any statement concerning that you, me or anyone else is entitled to anything other than Liberty, Life and the opportunity to PURSUE happiness. These three piece of our Declaration of Independence are the framework of what is referred to as Classical Liberalism. The Progressive movement has bastardized these concepts to actually take them away from you, and in a means that you apparently support.
I want to shrink the government as it pertains to their encroachment on all freedoms. Particularly on personal freedoms. Let us not forget that it is business that creates the opportunities that allows us to afford our personal freedoms. It is government that regulates and taxes those businesses which stifles their abilities to create the opportunities. The TEA Party is not against the individual, or for the rich, it is for personal liberty as set down by the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is not for making the rich, richer. It is for allowing the individual the opportunity to succeed on their own, not to have the government decide who wins and who losses.
Your statement, "Really, gov should not enforce laws that protect its people from harm enacted by industry?" shows me that you really do not see what has been going on. Let me ask you, how has industry "hurt" you? By giving you a job so that you can feed your family? No one in the TEA Party has said that we should not protect the environment, what they have said is that the government should not be seizing property from businesses without proof. That they should not be regulating the amount of dust that a farmer creates by plowing a field. That they should not be telling banks that they need to lend money to people whom the bank know can never pay back the loan. (See the Community Reinvestment Act) That they should not be enacting legislation that taxes based on the concept of a carbon footprint. Each time the government enacts one of these laws or regulations it reduces the potential of business in this country and drives jobs out of our country. Conservatives are not against clean water, clean air, etc. We just happen to know the results of legislating a solution.
Going back to your statement that conservatives refuse to compromise. The fact is, if you look at the past 50 years of our government it has always been the conservatives that have compromised, and very rarely has it been the progressive movement. It is time for our country to move back to what is referred to Classic Liberalism and its primary tenant of personal liberty through small government.
Your earlier question on how to pay for my monitoring proposal – legalize and tax naturally occuring, unprocessed psychoactives – cannabis, salvia, mushrooms. Also reintegrate the hemp industry. I suspect the revenue to be collected there could pay for it, plus the junk food industry would prosper beyond its wildest dreams.
I don't believe our population is devoid of honest, hardworking people who care about the country. I just don't think that our current system allows those people much chance to get elected, and that there are too many potential rewards for the weasels.
I understood what you meant by decentralizing power. I am against it. I doubt it would do much to corporate lobbying other than redistribution. There would just as many or more lobbyists wreaking their same havoc, just in different places. In addition, if we became a confederation instead of a union, the challenges of the resulting necessary reorganization of the states would be prohibitive. And if you think the last Civil War was bad, imagine how bad one would be now. We ought not to fight each other; rather we should marginalize those who would have us do it for their benefit.
If I am understanding you correctly one size fits all legislation for the Federal Government is the only way to go? If so do we then scrap the US Constitution? If the Constitution is scrapped we do we replace it with?
I think most of the problems we are facing today are a direct relation how the Federal Government has unbound itself from the Constitution. The Constitution has enumerated powers listed as to what the Federal Government is supposed to be responsible for with the understanding that all else is left up to the people and the states to deal with.
Wow is this ever mutated now. First, what the heck is "one-size-fits-all" legislation? Second, when the heck did I say I favored scrapping the Constitution? I happen to think that our elected officials have a very serious responsibility to serve the entire country, and most of them only see this extending to themselves and their richest constituents. I happen to think that my suggestion is one route to achieving that end, I never said it was the only one. I happen to believe that confederation is a huge mistake, as it would result in serious violence, separate us culturally even more than we already are, and basically annihilate our national security.
What lead me to think that you were favor of scrapping the Constitution is that you seem to be against returning the power to the states that they should have in the first place according to the Constitution. The Federal Government has slowly eroded the power of the states through out the years.
Prime example of one size fits all legislation is the Health Care bill.
Thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding.
"It is time for our country to move back to what is referred to Classic Liberalism and its primary tenant of personal liberty through small government. "
Well said! That is something we can agree on 100%.
Ah, but how we get there and what it really means, is where friction occurs.
For one, conservatives talk that rhetoric, but I have yet to see examples in action. Social conservatives are constantly pushing to codify controls over our personal behavior and conservatives in power have done virtually nothing to shrink the government. Do you remember the Bush Administration? It ended 3 years ago, have you forgotten already?
I like the TP, I'm glad it exists, I want to join the movement, but I won't as long as its co-opted by conservatives, tainted by social conservatives, and very extreme in its expression and ideology. I support limited government and limited taxes. We already have limited taxes, the real challenge is to reign in the government, and do it without destroying our economy at a time it is fragile.
It is a conservative "principle" these days to not compromise. How many stinking times do negotiations in Congress have to fail because Republicans won't budge on anything, before you realize this? The Super Committee is just the latest example. Reagan isn't even a conservative by today's standards, he raised taxes multiple times.
The Tea Party has objected to any and every form of regulation that exists. Whether it comes from beuracracies in the gov or from Congress. They want to dismantle the EPA. As such, and assuming you're correct the TP wants to protect the environment, how do they propose to do that if not by the government? If you like clean air and water, etc. how is it to be protected if not by the government?
No industry gives me a job so I can feed my family. It hires me to perform work it needs done to make a profit and make the business succeed. A couple personal examples of how industry harms me, Pharma rapes me and my insurance company on a monthly basis for drugs I take for a chronic disease. My insurance in turn rapes me with double digit premium increases for multiple years so its executives can maintain their million dollar salaries and still show investors they're a profitable company.
"(I try to live within my means which gets harder all of the time as the government wants more and more of my income), "
Your federal income taxes today are lower than they have been in 40 years.
And really, if the TP doesn't just support corporations and rich, why does the Republican economic plan recently voted on in the Senate include a reduction in top corporate and individual tax rates from 35% to 25%? Its bad enough to stall everything because they oppose raising the top tax rate by 3%, but to come back and try to lower it by 10%, causing a significant increase in our budget deficit?
BTW, I can't stand Pelosi and she needs to be voted out. And you suck for trying to put me in a position to defend her. And still, she is better than conservatives because she won't flush the weak down the drain to provide more benefits to the strong in hopes they will help the weak (by giving them a minimum wage job?). Disgusting. If you can't do good, at least don't do bad.
Ok, first do you realize that the main reason that corporations move jobs off shore is due to the fact that by doing so, they can reduce their tax burden. We have the first of second highest taxes in the world. Yet, even so our government can not live within its means. Your argument makes me believe that you feel that business should be a philanthropic endeavor that puts social justice before profit. While it is a nice dream, the reality is that without profit, business does not exist. Would you start a business in which you would have to invest a million dollars where the best possible outcome was that you would get your money back? No, of course not. These greedy corporations that you speak of. What do they actually do with the money? Well they build new factories and buy equipment so that they can employ more people so that they can make more money. So what is evil about that? There is one essential fact that anyone who has ever owned or operated a business learns very quickly. There are only two things a business can do. One is grow, the other is shrink. If you shrink enough you go out of business.
So what are the effects of taxes on business? It robs them of the ability to utilize that money to grow. Period. I am not advocating a zero tax on business, however, if you look at the small or medium sized business it is either privately owned an S corporation, a partnership, or an LLC. In any of these cases, under our tax laws, 35% of every dollar of profit is taken by the government. If there is any money left, the business owner gets to pay themselves and they are taxed on that as individual income. The fact is, under the current system the government usually makes more money off of the small business than the business owner usually does.
The TP does not support corporations and the rich. Most of them ore at best middle class themselves. What they support is getting government out of the way so that they have the opportunity to succeed.
I remember the Bush administration and GW Bush is not and never was a fiscal conservative. He was nominated because the media sold the American people on the idea that he was electable, not because he was a conservative, but because he was not.
As for Ronald Reagan, while he raised taxes several times during his tenure, the net result was the tax rate was significantly lower during and at the end of his administration that it was when he took office.
You use the super committee as an example of the conservatives not willing to budge or negotiate. Well, the democrats also refused to budge or negotiate. Why if I might ask is it the conservatives responsibility to blink first?
You state that I put you in a position to defend Pelosi, I did no such thing. You were the one who stated that you thought that the TEA party is worse than Pelosi, not me. You demonize the TEA party yet your understanding of them seems to be a regurgitation of what you saw on MSNBC, and not based on anything I have heard from any member of that party.
As to the increase in our budget deficit, it is time to reign in spending and live within the means of the citizens of our country, not by the whims of politicians, and not by raising taxes which will only lead to higher unemployment. It is time for this country to live within its means.
I know the Tea Party philosophy. I share it, I support it! i'm saying the philosophy does not match the reality of the actions of TP representatives in government. And a problem with the movement, is the recommended solutions are far too extreme, such that the philosophy pales in the background and is hardly applicable. These are the very reasons I don't join the TP movement.
"Simply put, individual responsibility, both for ourselves to the best of our abilities, as well as to take care of those who are less fortunate."
That is a fantastic principle. It also has no practical impact on actually helping those that are less fortunate. Social Security and Medicare, those programs are actually helping people in reality. It is a fact that TP Republicans are trying to gut SS and Medicare, and trying to actually cut the top tax rate for corporations and people by 10% (amendment to HR 674).
The fact a homeless person in America is better off than a poor person in another part of the world does not refute the reality of the actions TP politicians are trying to take. Nor does a principle to take care of the less fortunate equate to much if its not exercised. In addition to, what I think is reality, is the capacity of private help is nowhere near enough to satisfy the need. Unfortunately, the government is the only entity with the resources to make an aggregate impact.
"The Tea Party point is that "regulations" should be according to the will of the People, represented by their elected officials, NOT by unelected, bureaucratic organizations that usurp the authority of our self government."
This is an interesting concept. I'm inclined to embrace it, but the more I think about it I'm not so sure. It will fuel contemplation going forward.
So far, I agree I want Congress writing the regulations, not the beauracracy. But Congress is completely dysfunctional, the will of the people is usurped by corporate influences and as it is, the will of the minority can halt all progress. If the will of the people was realized by Congress, the Super Committee would have succeeded, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy would have expired and we would have real bank reform after the economic meltdown of 2009. Its just not as simple as you're presenting. But I'm going to continue to turn it over.
And besides, if there is no EPA, who is going to enforce environmental regulations written by Congress? Well, written by oil, gas and coal companies for adoption by Congress.
I don't have to understand the TP movement to witness TP politicians request and fight to protect pork barrel spending in their districts. Man, I fully support the ideal that local projects should be funded locally. I also recognize that means many projects won't happen because there aren't resources available locally to fund them, or worse, the local burden of taxation will skyrocket to fund the projects. A million dollars from the Feds to build a museum in Kentucky is a drop in the bucket, but to locals in Kentucky it is a huge endeavor. Hey, if wealthy denizens and corporations stopped buying politicians to steer the money to their localities and instead used the money to directly bankroll the project, that might work!
"Where we may understand that many "People" derive their livelihood from working within corporations, you believe that from corporations there is no benefit to any real People. That is just crazy."
Indeed, that is crazy. Good thing I don't believe that, huh? Equally crazy is to kowtow to corporations because their benevolence allows so many people to derive their livelihood from working within corporations. Can there not be good and bad that comes from corporations? And are we not righteous in trying to change or stop the bad aspects, the aspects that violate individual rights? For example, an individual's right to breathe air not saturated with chemicals and fine particulates.
The role of government traditionally has been to protect people from the damages caused by some corporations and industries, to partner with citizens in seeking justice to such violations. I would submit tea party conservatives are trying to flip that role of government to one of protecting industry against her people. Every effort and action on the right regarding this issue is in violation of the TP principles as you present them. What good is a Tea Party philosophy if its not applied and practiced in reality? They're just words John. If you really embrace these words, you're going to have to accept that sometimes your ideology is going to conflict with the will of the people. I think TP'ers are nowhere close to that level maturity at this point.
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