Pres. Obama and  Congress have now turned to focus on passing financial reforms that are long overdue. Fox News and the Republicans tried trotting out the same Goebbels/Rove playbook on this one but it’s really hard to convince people that corporations are the victim when they are being fired and foreclosed on by them and have had their pensions and/or nest eggs stolen by them through fraud.

So, faced with a majority of Americans supporting Obama and the Dems on this, after attacking the Dems of being enemies of democracy by passing HCR despite the poll numbers against it, the Repubs naturally first chose to bathe in hypocrisy like an elephant taking a mud bath and kept right on espousing their latest Luntz talking point (see: “lie”).

However, once they let the poll numbers settle in on them, they must’ve realized that being so open about defending corporations’ right to dominate and destroy our economy and democracy, might not be the ideal campaign platform to attract a majority of Americans.

So, even if their intent is to slyly sabotage financial reform from the inside by pretending they want to work with Dems on it, the Republicans also claim they want financial reform.

What is deafening though is the silence from the Teabaggers. Funny, ain’t it that their defense of their apparent racism and hatred towards Pres. Obama has been that they are only concerned about financial issues and oppose him so angrily for that reason?

Uh-huh.

Anyone hear about any Teabaggers marching for, let alone supporting Obama on financial reforms? Wonder why that is? It just seems so black and white.

Though AZ’s descent into 1900’s racist laws (now we know that “We want our country back!” literally means that) has reignited immigration reform, there does seem to be a coalescing of people, parties and organizations around reigning in corporations.

The oligarchy that has replaced our democracy in this nation was dealt a setback with the election of Obama and the consensus in this nation after the economic crash against their inalienable right to dominate our democracy, economy and society.

However, in light of the SCOTUS ruling allowing them to drown out the voices and interests of The People with unlimited tsunamis of money and as we saw in HCR and are seeing in financial reform, their ownership of one political party and many in the other party, a time of reckoning needs to come.

This is a civil rights issue, a constitutional crisis, an issue of economic justice and viability for this nation, an issue of the salvation or demise of American democracy and even the right to the pursuit of happiness.

Corporations are not democratic, they do not operate as democracies, they do not respect democracy nor do they have any financial interest in sustaining a democracy. They happily deal with and in some cases prefer to set up operations in countries with the most oppressive societies and tyrannical leadership.

Corporations may have succeeded in defining themselves legally as “people” but since they currently have only one legal responsibility as a “person” that negates all others, to generate profits to their shareholders, they are de facto sociopaths.

And yet, these sociopaths have the greatest power (even more in light of the SCOTUS ruling) in our democracy. So what would be the logical direction in which corporations would want to steer this nation?

Perhaps towards a society where they control the government and the people don’t, wages and the standard of living are low so their expenses for labor are low, government services and entitlements for citizens are reduced or eliminated so there is more money to be drained from our government by them.

Maybe even a country with a citizenry that’s overweight, under-educated, prescription drug dependent, distracted by entertainment and continuously terrorized, all conditioning them into a state of virtual impotence…but thank goodness there’s an array of prescription medicines for that.

Corporations don’t even support capitalism. They base themselves offshore to avoid paying taxes and supporting America’s troops, education, infrastructure, etc. For example, Exxon earned $45.2 BILLION in pre-tax income…and paid $0 in U.S. Income taxes.

How else do corporations show their spite for capitalism? They smash unions (collective bargaining is a historic component of American capitalism),  they game the financial market to cheat investors and sabotage America’s long term economy and as we’re all familiar with, they believe that losses should not be suffered by them but in a twisted view of capitalism, should be paid off by the helpless taxpayers who they just victimized.

As potential evidence that the next major national campaign for civil rights may be the fight against corporate power, here are a some excerpts from MoveOn.org’s latest email blast (from Justin Ruben), apparently making this a new sustained battle:

Dear MoveOn member,

This is an unusual email, to ask for your help in launching what may be MoveOn’s most important campaign ever.

…after consulting with thousands of MoveOn members, we’ve made a decision: to launch a massive campaign to fix our democracy and put We the People back in charge.It’s a hugely ambitious idea. It won’t be done this year, or next, though I think we can make real progress quickly.

The first step is to bring together millions of people who share our frustration with business as usual in Washington. Change this big will require an honest-to-God people’s movement, and this is the right moment for it. There is overwhelming voter anger right now, and the number of people who believe that lobbyists and special interests hold sway is literally without precedent.

So we’re also going draw up a bold blueprint for renewing our democracy: a sweeping set of new rules to limit the influence of big money, corporations and lobbyists.

This will face enormous opposition. And take years. But it’s the only way we’ll ever build the America we all know is possible, with real freedom, opportunity, and shared prosperity.

Though the RW has said this about Gay Marriage, Terri Schiavo and keeping the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, this is genuinely a battle for the future of America’s soul, its future and its democracy.

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LiseLivesKhiradescribacatjavazKQµårk 死神 Recent comment authors
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LiseLives
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LiseLives

What we all do : BOYCOTT –
Boycott Arizona (as many already are, per Huff’s main) – & boycott large corporation : banks, unfair retailers etc.
I boycotted HomeDepot last year, forever, when news broke of 250,000 layoffs, immediately followed by the CEO of Home Depot taking off on a fancy jet for a 3-week vacation – ruining the lives of 250,000 families & ……going off to enjoy Mai Tais ??

Boycott is what we can all do NOW –

escribacat
Member

The thing that puzzles me most about teabaggers is why they’re not angry with the corporations — why they blame everything on the government.

My brother was ranting about all his company expenses the other day…UI insurance, SS insurance, equipment insurance, liability insurance….at some point I realized by far his biggest expenses were to insurance companies, not to the government (he runs a small construction company). But this otherwise intelligent man has been so stupefied by O’Reilly/Hannity, he has somehow got all his “other” expenses listed under the “resent government” column. Amazing.

KQµårk 死神
Member

It’s all self rationalizing for Republicans. He probably blames the need for all this insurance on government like they blame the high cost of healthcare on malpractice law suits when those costs are relatively tiny. I think like 80% of premiums doctors pay on malpractice goes to lawyers and profits, not jury rewards.

KQµårk 死神
Member

President Obama’s full statement after Republicans say no again.

Chernynkaya
Member

KQ, Obama is handling this issue very well. I feel pretty confident that financial reform will pass soon. I agree with others here who say the Reptilians are losing this big time.

javaz
Member

AdLib, did you not write about Moyers going out with a Bank?

You do know that one of Obama’s biggest contributors was Goldman-Sachs?

Check out this site – http://politifact.com/ – if you haven’t already.

I love Obama, but he has to play a game, and one must ask themselves why so many of his players are Wall Street?

I voted for Obama and will vote for him again, but even I admit that Obama caters to the elite.

We are so screwed and with the SCOTUS, we are really screwed.

It’s a reality that we must all face.

No matter how much we believe that Obama and Democrats are for the working man, they always will bow to Wall Street.

So when the teabaggers call for a revolt, and I hate them just as much if not more, but I agree with them that we need a revolution, because corporations are ruling the world.

I just don’t know how we join together to do that.

Maybe Rome must burn first, but eventually we will unite.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Javaz all interests donate to the party they think is going to be in power before elections. It’s much more important to see who Wall Street is giving to now while legislation is being written and that’s the Republicans.

Face it if Republicans were in charge they would deregulate Wall Street more. At least Dems try to do something. Your blanket statement does not reflect reality.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Great piece adlib and very timely.

The GOP and Ben Nelson voted as a block to block bringing the financial regulation bill to the floor. Every American should remember this vote because above all it shows that one party will never be for the people.

President Obama had some harsh comments for the party of no.

“Some of these senators may believe that this obstruction is a good political strategy, and others may see delay as an opportunity to take this debate behind closed doors, where financial industry lobbyists can water down reform or kill it altogether,” Obama said in a statement. “But the American people can’t afford that.”

Questinia
Member

And as we already know, corporations will soon be claiming rights to time.

Right now, I can see it’s a Nabisco past Victoria’s Secret. Time for Kraft.

whatsthatsound
Member

First rate, AdLib! Napolean’s ultimate put down of arch nemesis Britain was to call it a “nation of shopkeepers”. We’re on our way to becoming a nation of Willy Lomans, and that’s a lot worse.

choicelady
Member

AdLib – this is spectacular analysis, thank you! To all of us, it is clear that remedies for the past 34 years of erosion of both capitalism and democracy will take time. But I read with dismay that we may lose control of the House and that people who voted for both Dems and Obama now have “more confidence” in the Republicans!

What can we do to stop this insanity? I liken it to embrace of the arsonist who burned down your house because the fire deparment is having a hard time putting out the gasoline-soaked fire. “Support the Arsonists! Vote Republican!”

I no longer am content to say we get the democracy we deserve because we do NOT deserve another siege from the Reeps! Whatever can be done to make people see sense, and, precisely, where IS the source of the problem? HuffPo cited a Virginia teacher who is still teaching because of the federal help – and has lost confidence in the Dems who kept her employed. She is going to vote for the Republicans. What?????

Is this all about message? Have we lost the battle there? I simply don’t understand the loss of confidence in the party that has rapidly undone so much of the harm that the Reeps did over the last three decades. I DO understand that Dems from Carter to Clinto and members of Congress bear some of the blame, but the REAL disaster came with the Reeps 2000-2008 – why would any working person vote for them?

I am so depressed by this turn of events because the things you have written seem to me to be self-evident but are not. Joe the Plumber is met by my postman who calls himself “a recovering Democrat” and blames unions for ruining CA. When I pointed out to him that Californians blame HIM, a union member, for ruining the post office, he bristled. I noted that we’re all pointing fingers at each other rather than at the policies and practices of corporations and the last 8 (if not longer) years. He could not “hear” me.

What can we do? It’s just not clear at all. How can we live with another incarnation of Reeps running and ruining America?

Chernynkaya
Member

And who is the premier corporate candidate? Palin, Inc.

Chernynkaya
Member

Adlib

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

Chernynkaya
Member

BT! That is the perfect scene– I just mentioned that movie in my comment above!

Kalima
Admin

Love your hair.

Chernynkaya
Member

Do you mean the new avatar? That hair was the closest choice, Kalima– but I cannot see the new avatar on my computer!!

Kalima
Admin

Yes and that is such a shame. Going to sleep for the 4th time tonight, sending you fairy dust and twinkly things, the hair looks great.

Chernynkaya
Member

Thank you!!– For the fairy dust (and the hair.)

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

Chernynkaya
Member

HEH! Me too. The thing that amazes me is how corporate Hollywood can produce and distribute such an anti-corporate message. That tells be either, A, they are so sociopathic that they do anything that makes $$ or B, they know nothing can hurt them.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

dildenusa
Member

Now I live in Arizona and I think the truth needs to be told about the short sighted politicians and their Anglo-purity laws.

Politicians here had been trying for decades to woo people to come here to live the “carefree” life. There is even a town called Carefree. But it was seen as a one horse state. The last of the lower 48. The old frontier mentality and the gunfight at OK Corral in Tombstone. Well then Alaska became a state and Arizona was no longer the old frontier. Then the real estate developers hooked up with or became politicians and the race was on. If you build it (cheap houses with cheap Mexican labor) they will come.

Now we are 2 years into the worst recession since 1930-1940. And population growth has slowed. So now the politicians are looking around wondering where did all the illegal Mexicans come from. Duuuuuuuhh. Mexico.

Kalima
Admin

Just finished watching Rachel, you are so spot on it hurts. Not one demo about issues close to the heart, why is that?