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Why
Mar 31, 2011 4:40:14 GMT -5
Post by ltfred on Mar 31, 2011 4:40:14 GMT -5
The richest 400 Americans earn more than 154, 372, 769 Americans, over 100,000,000 households. The most profitable corporation made $14,000,000,000 in profits and paid $0 in tax. 2010 was the most profitable year for corporations since 1950; a strong majority of American households do not have a full-time job and therefore lack a living wage. Social Security, food stamps and teachers' wages are under threat; rich Americans pay less tax than they have for decades, including during the Bush years. Democrats run the Senate and the Executive. They had an unfillibusterable majority for two years in both houses. These statistics got worse. www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/mar/10/michael-moore/michael-moore-says-400-americans-have-more-wealth-/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/why-were-fasting/?hp
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Mar 31, 2011 5:27:11 GMT -5
Post by Hyperio on Mar 31, 2011 5:27:11 GMT -5
It's because both parties are the parties of the rich. Why? Because nowadays you need a lot of money to win the campaign. And most politicians in the congress and senate are rich themselves.
To change the situation, I'd start by changing the ways people and corporations can give money to politicians. Perhaps corporate gifts should be disallowed. Perhaps all more costly ways to reach the voter should be discouraged (no TV, radio, magazine or poster ad campaigns? I am not sure what can be done here). Definitely candidates with more awareness of the problems of the poorer people (and the ideas to fix them) should be supported in primaries.
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tempus
Full Member
Alien Ant Farmer
Posts: 212
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Why
Mar 31, 2011 5:57:54 GMT -5
Post by tempus on Mar 31, 2011 5:57:54 GMT -5
But...but...I thought corporations were people, and money was free speech! What do you have against free speech?
But seriously, Citizens United is going to go down as one of the worst legal decisions in the history of the human race.
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Mar 31, 2011 7:09:36 GMT -5
Post by the sandman on Mar 31, 2011 7:09:36 GMT -5
I think that the real problem is that the system we have has become so entrenched in crony-ism, special interest money, back-door deals, and jealously hoarded partisan power over the decades that anyone who sets foot in Washington is immediately sucked under and drowned in ethical compromises and party discipline. Let's face it, the people we think are in charge haven't really been in charge for decades.
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Mar 31, 2011 11:33:25 GMT -5
Post by happycheeze on Mar 31, 2011 11:33:25 GMT -5
I think that the real problem is that the system we have has become so entrenched in crony-ism, special interest money, back-door deals, and jealously hoarded partisan power over the decades that anyone who sets foot in Washington is immediately sucked under and drowned in ethical compromises and party discipline. Let's face it, the people we think are in charge haven't really been in charge for decades. Thats right. Because the people in charge are actually shape-shifting aliens that worship satan.
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Mar 31, 2011 12:57:03 GMT -5
Post by id82 on Mar 31, 2011 12:57:03 GMT -5
It's probably going to take some kind of uprising of the poor against the rich to in order to change this.
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Mar 31, 2011 13:18:18 GMT -5
Post by booley on Mar 31, 2011 13:18:18 GMT -5
It's probably going to take some kind of uprising of the poor against the rich to in order to change this. Hopefully not as those sorts of things generally involve guillotines. But getting to Sandman's point, a good part fo the reason this is so is the weakening of the unions. After taft /hartley, the unions could provide less and less money to Democrats. To make up for it, the Democrats turned to the only other source of large amounts of cash.. the corporations that were being checked by the unions. Which would seem to explain the seeming the schizo democratic policies and how the Dems have moved to the right. They are trying to serve two opposing sides. The republicans have no such problem.
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Mar 31, 2011 15:01:27 GMT -5
Post by Old Viking on Mar 31, 2011 15:01:27 GMT -5
Kissing corporations' asses started with Reagan. Since the, the parties share the blame, but particular credit for our current situation goes to the Chimp and his merry band of neo-Nazis.
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Mar 31, 2011 15:52:19 GMT -5
Post by m52nickerson on Mar 31, 2011 15:52:19 GMT -5
Democrats run the Senate and the Executive. They had an unfillibusterable majority for two years in both houses. These statistics got worse. ...and those Democrates showed a serious lack of a spine!
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Mar 31, 2011 17:43:02 GMT -5
Post by ltfred on Mar 31, 2011 17:43:02 GMT -5
Democrats run the Senate and the Executive. They had an unfillibusterable majority for two years in both houses. These statistics got worse. ...and those Democrates showed a serious lack of a spine! Do you really believe that the Democratic perpetuation of the policies that caused this was just out of incompetence?
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Mar 31, 2011 19:39:43 GMT -5
Post by m52nickerson on Mar 31, 2011 19:39:43 GMT -5
Do you really believe that the Democratic perpetuation of the policies that caused this was just out of incompetence? Not having a spine is different then being incompetent. No I don't believe the cause was just incompetence or just a lack of backbone. I do believe both of those are part of the reason.
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Mar 31, 2011 20:10:46 GMT -5
Post by Vene on Mar 31, 2011 20:10:46 GMT -5
It's probably going to take some kind of uprising of the poor against the rich to in order to change this. Hopefully not as those sorts of things generally involve guillotines. If there is going to an uprising, it's going to be against the poor and in favor of the rich. At least, it will be if the teabaggers are anything to go by.
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Mar 31, 2011 20:44:04 GMT -5
Post by MaybeNever on Mar 31, 2011 20:44:04 GMT -5
Hopefully not as those sorts of things generally involve guillotines. If there is going to an uprising, it's going to be against the poor and in favor of the rich. At least, it will be if the teabaggers are anything to go by. Yeah, the poor have more crucial things to do, like be able to just barely afford to buy food and make rent.
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Apr 1, 2011 3:46:54 GMT -5
Post by dasfuchs on Apr 1, 2011 3:46:54 GMT -5
I don't understand why either party needs money from outside sources...if the party's that important to them, let'em pay for it themselves, they all make more than enough to dump some money into it. Because of that now it's almost impossible for anyone to get a shot unless they're backed by either party or independently wealthy
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Apr 1, 2011 7:59:57 GMT -5
Post by Rat Of Steel on Apr 1, 2011 7:59:57 GMT -5
I don't understand why either party needs money from outside sources... "What do all men with power want? More power." -- The Oracle, Matrix Reloaded
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