Breaking the Bank: The Rightwing Road to America's Privatized Future

[Sapphire Blue]

Breaking the Bank: The Rightwing Road to America's Privatized Future
by Bill Willers

(excerpt)

In September, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, in a comment perhaps not intended for publication, told Thierry Breton, French Finance Minister, that the US budget is out of control with the country being plunged ever more deeply into debt. The Economist reported Breton's disappointment "... that the management of debt is not a political priority today."

Breton was wrong. Accumulation of massive debt is the number one priority of the Bush Administration - a deliberate, managed move toward its goal of an “ownership society” in which all aspects are privatized.

Since the introduction of the massive Republican tax cuts, many observers understood immediately that they were to plunge government into debt, thereby undercutting its ability to fund social programs such as Medicare and Social Security, and to administer public domain that has long belonged to all citizens in common.

<snip>

... And things just don't add up.

Well, perhaps they do. Maybe they make even more obvious the Republican game plan to plunge government so deeply into debt that it can no longer offer support to the larger citizenry, and that this can only result in the corporate sector winning by default and becoming, in principle, like so many mediaeval landowners. Looking ahead, one sees the main controlling element of society not a government of, by and for the people but a corporate sector that controls life’s essentials and charges as much as the market will bear. “Nothing personal; just business.”

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1011-22.htm

[populistdriven]

1. WHAT DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WILL SHOUT THIS LOUD AND CLEAR?

This hits the nail on the head, most of us have heard it before and any Dem who is running in 06 & 08 knows it.

BUT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT!

WHY DOESNT HOWARD DEAN GET SPECIFIC AND SAY THIS!??!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!

[Sapphire Blue]

3. Nancy Pelosi has done an outstanding job in bringing attention...

... to the Culture of Corruption in the GOP. This issue is part of that corruption... and yes, we need our Dems to "SHOUT THIS LOUD AND CLEAR"!

[MadHound]

8. Because just like the 'Pugs, most Dems are bought and paid for

By corporate America. One merely has to look at the last two previous elections to see this. Search the records, see how big business donates money to both candidates, thus no matter who loses, corporate America wins.

The only way out of this mess is to go state by state and implement publicly financed election campaigns. Until we take corporate money out of our elections, it isn't going to matter what side of the aisle our reps are on, their overwhelming priority will be to please their real constituents, their corporate masters.

[bonito]

2. I can honestly say I have been seeing this happening

for years now. greed is a bigger disease than you can imagine because its managed to extract as much as it can without choking to death its victim so it can continue to be taped, until the victims are no longer needed because of new sources. sounds really pessimistic I know, But it can change, but only if we see the course its taking us, after all, WE are in control. Peace to the awake, and a nudge to the sleeping.

[Just Me]

4. Reversing a century of human bloodshed,...back to the robber barons.

SICK!!!

Profit over people.
Money over democracy.
Control over a REAL free market.

It IS personal. It IS political. The pursuit of concentrating money and wealth and power IS ANTI-DEMOCRACY!!!!

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Anti-Democracy coming from the administration claiming to spread democracy

:puke:

[Sapphire Blue]

6. ...

:kick:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Break the Bank, Starve the beast, wealth transfer

It is very clear that this is an organized, coherant agenda that is going on right this moment to dismantle government and as you say, undo 100 years of progress. Al Gore has a great speech about this topic in which he talks about the lie that government is bad. We need a great leader to articulate a great message about how what we think of as the American dream is being unravelled to line the corrupt pockets of the cronies.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Throw Diebold and ES&S election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor"

NOW!

Our votes were tabulated in 2004 by far rightwing Bushite corporations, using SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code. Destruction of our government, and the bankruptcy of the country, are expectable results of Bushite-controlled, non-transparent elections. Nothing we can do about it until we overthrow these machines and recover our right to vote.

[dcfirefighter]

10. !Viva la Revoluccion!

So, when we're broke, and the people are desperate, we hold a revolution.

#1 Get money out of voting. Preferably inject proportional representation.

#2 Monetize the debt. End fractional reserve banking and the Trillions of bank-created dollars that depend on it. Print up an equal amount of Treasury Notes. Spend these into circulation, and accept them as taxes. Each year, print up 3% more.

#3 Tax wealth, but exempt labor-produced wealth. Generally this leaves fiat created wealth: land titles, licenses, permits, etc. Tax it all, full market value. This would lead to full employment.

#4 Pay for the government services desired by the electorate. Return any surpluses to the people as a demogrant or Basic Income. These taxes / user fees could pay for existing government as well as provide $10,000 of annual income to every American.

#5 Party like it's 1999.

[AuntiBush]

11. They Need to STOP STEALING From Our TREASURY!

And lining the pockets of Delay, Frist, Cheney, Bush companies & friends. When Americans stop buying because they won't be able to afford to, maybe then Corporate America will awaken.

It's issues like this that have most American's fed-up. I can't foresee "them" touching our Social Security any longer. Republicans need their Social Security & Medicare, too!

[CrispyQ]

12. The Commons is what's at stake here.

They are destroying our government & selling off the Commons for pennies on the dollar to their rich corporate buddies.

A brief primer for those who have forgotten 5th grade social studies, the Commons are:

Our air
Our water
Septic systems
Transportation routs
Educational systems
Radio & TV spectrums
National health care (in every developed nation in the world except the richest one!)

and the most important of all . . . OUR GOVERNMENT!

Our founding fathers wanted to create a common institution -- our government -- owned by its own citizens, answerable to its own citizens & authorized to exist & continue to exist solely "by the consent of the governed."

We are entering what Thom Hartmann calls corporate feudalism. He states: "When the wealthiest in a society take over government & then weaken it so it no longer can represent the interests of the people, the transition has begun into a new era of feudalism."

Feudalism doesn't mean the end of government, but the control of government to the interests of the feudal lords. CEOs, corporate officers, shareholders are the 21st century version of feudal lords. Once the rich & powerful gain control of the government, they turn it upon itself, usually first eliminating its taxation process as it applies to themselves.

Sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?

[dcfirefighter]

13. Land is part of the Commons n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

14. The RW has successfully portrayed protecting the commonwealth...

... as the road to socialism... God forbid we should have redistribution of wealth, God forbid we should care for each other, that we should care for 'the least of these'. No, instead, the RW, so many of them calling themselves 'Christian', exhibit bigotry against 'the least of these', stereotyping our fellow citizens in need as 'welfare queens' & 'looters'... supporting the brutal policies of this administration... meanwhile, all of the commoners, right, left, and center, are losing, piece by piece, everything those who came before us shed blood, sweat, and tears for... and they don't even see it.

What will it take for their eyes to open? What will it take for their hearts to open? What will it take for America to rise up & defend itself against this madness?

I don't know the answer, but mark my words, it will happen. We will be America again.

[CrispyQ]

15. You are more optimistic about America than I am.

Their eyes won't open until they are cold & hungry. Their hearts won't open until they realize 'we're all in this together' & that sometimes, we must each put our individualism aside for the better of our community. Community is where individuals find unity.

I'm at an age where I believe I have seen the greatness of America & will not see it again in my life time. Arghhh!!! The past 5 years have turned me into a pessimist! :banghead:

[Sapphire Blue]

16. I don't think I'm more optimistic than anyone else.

I think we have untold suffering ahead of us... this administration's response (or lack of) to Hurricane Katrina is only a taste of what the future holds. People are cold & hungry, and have been for years, but they are invisible to this society... a society that doesn't want its eyes offended by the sight of a homeless person sleeping in a doorway... a society that seems only concerned w/buying their own unaffordable houses complete w/60-in. plasma tv.

I may not see changes for the better in my lifetime, but I know there will be changes for the better... if we give in to the negative, we might just as well head for the gas chambers... that I will not do. I am my brother's & sister's keeper, and I will fight until my last breath.