Corporations + Money + Lobbyist + Politicians = P.O.P

[concerned citizen23]

It’s important to recognize how (today) the legislative process works in Washington DC.

By original design it was intended that elected officials set aside their party affiliations and work as a cohesive non partisan body enacting national policy of, for, and by the people. Today elected officials are bi-partisan and cohesive only with respect as to whom they serve – the multinational US corporations who largely dictate our national policy.

Regardless of party affiliations elected officials receive their election financing and are continuously lobbied, with strings attached of course, via the same sources. Both parties essentially want the same things. Each is in collusion and in servitude to the same multinational corporations.
http://opensecrets.org/bigpicture/topcontribs.asp?cycle=2004

That’s why we see "Democrats" voting in support of the war in Iraq or to censor MoveOn.org etc. It all comes down to: who’s their Daddy? Here's an excellent example:

Conflict of Interest
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3520512#3520520

This isn’t bad or evil, but it is good only for those who benefit. With the exception of known abuses (i.e. Abbrams) our campaign laws and lobbying laws are legal. Of course the legislation making it so evolved over several years and naturally was greatly influenced by the very ones who benefit the most. We the people have in many cases unwittingly assisted in putting these laws into place through those we have voted into office.

Companies and other organizations place greater investment on lobbying because it is the most effective. In 2006 over $ 2.6 Billion was invested in our lawmakers. Its one of those: “I’ll give you a little of this if you give me a little of that…or I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” types of scenarios…
http://opensecrets.org/lobbyists/overview.asp?txtindextype=is

It’s not evil, incestuous maybe, but it’s simply people doing the jobs they are paid to do:
• People need jobs and therefore need corporations
• Corporations need people, expanding market share, and continuous profits to prosper and grow—with a little less competition
• Politicians need money to get elected –lots of money---(they set the rules on how to get that money too)
• Their primary source is corporations and individuals since elections are not publicly funded
• Frequently national policy and corporate needs don’t always align
• So a little influence is necessary to resolve these little legislative “problems”
• Corporations expect a return on their investments – R.O.I
• They're not the enemy, just good people trying to survive, but at whose expense?

So what we wind up with is a legislative system bought and owned by the military-corporate-media-lobbyist network or as I refer to it: the ‘Politician Ownership Program.’ (P.O.P).

So it kind of goes like this:

• Government is used as a tool by the industrial complex to manipulate national policy for their gain
• Washington is an orgy of Lobbyist - in 2006 over 28,117 of them (Big Business!)
• Elected leaders are largely puppets on the industrial complex string - P.O.P
• Mainstream media is used as the tool to manipulate and shape public opinion so we the people go along
• And merrily, merrily we go… life is but a corporate dream…

If our goal is to return to government of, for, and by the people, than current campaign laws must be changed and corporate money must be removed from both the election and legislative process.

Corporations are good, we need them, but they should not be dictating our national policy.

Petitions we sign and send to our P.O.P politicians most often get passed only if they happen to align with and benefit members of the industrial complex.

We need to focus first at the source of the problem and a good starting point is:
1). Replace nearly every elected official in DC – we need a complete turnover – sever the industrial complex umbilical cord
2). Revamp the campaign finance and legislative system - get corporate money out of the electoral AND legislative process
3). Restore journalistic ethics in this country - break up the corp. monopoly of the media
4). Restore our electoral system so that every vote is counted and every vote is secure

Regardless of party affiliations, they all serve the same masters
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3532891
Dennis Kucinich on corporate power
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=132&topic_id=3534002&mesg_id=3534002
“NEW” Preamble to the US Constitution
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3536703&mesg_id=3536703

[concerned citizen23]

1. thanks for the vote

[concerned citizen23]

2. Kick...

[sarcasmo]

3. Politicians are Corporate Whores, bought by some lobbyist for some Corporation.

[concerned citizen23]

4. Our 3 point check & balance structure if functioning

fully and unadulterated should among other things help protect against that...but well...