MEME for Dems: you cannot serve two masters, corporations and people

[yurbud]

The silence and complicity of the democrats in the face of the assault on our democracy from the right is not primarily motivated by fear but because too many serve or want to serve the interests of corporations and financial institutions. While the interests of corporations and the people often overlap, they don't always. In those cases, we need the government to side with us since corporations have the money and power to deal with being on the losing end, and the average American does not.

We have one party wholly owned by corporate interests, the GOP. They have an advantage over the Democrats too, in that their rank and file have been taught to be worried about issues that don't even touch the outer edges of their core economic agenda. Abortion, flag desecration, gay marriage, prayer in schools, have no effect on deregulation, privatization, and ever lower taxes on the rich and corporations. The great thing for the GOP is those symbolic issues also add nothing to the budget when they win.

The Democrats do not have a comparable advantage. While some of us only care about civil rights and separation of church and state issues, too many care about economic issues: if we have a job that pays enough to raise a family, if we can afford to go to the doctor, if our kids have a good school to go to. All of those things to one degree or another conflict with what corporate America wants. So our Democrat elected officials seem to believe what we do, then shock us by betraying us on the economic front fairly consistently.


Democrats say that they have to be "business friendly" to win elections, but this is a lie. Many, possibly most, on even the farthest right detest NAFTA/CAFTA and other trade agreements that make it easier to send our jobs overseas as much as those on the left do. But both parties ignore this popular sentiment. If the democrats embraced what people want on this whole-heartedly, loudly, and unapologetically, they would make the GOP look like precisely the corporate lapdog they are.

Likewise, giving every advantage to small businesses over corporations, and explaining how the GOP does the opposite would show the Democrats to be the true populist capitalists.

Instead, many Democrats mouth empty platitudes not to avoid offending voters, but to avoid offending those corporations that might donate to them or give them a job as a corporate lobbyist in the future.

This would be a logical next step in following through on the "Culture of Corruption" meme. If those in the Democratic Party power structure fail to take this step, they should be replaced.

It may not be done in 2006 or 2008, but eventually, we need to clear out those with divided loyalties. One good way to do it is to propose a LIFETIME ban on working as a corporate lobbyist for members of Congress, and a ban on senators, presidents, and generals at the pentagon from working on corporate boards or as corporate officers. That way we would know when someone is proposing an action that benefits a particular business, we would know they have their constituents interests at heart, not their stockholders. The bill that would propose this ban should be named in honor of our revolving door vice president:

the Dick Cheney Bill.

[Selatius]

1. Tell that to Joe Biden et al.

How many Democrats have taken money from corporations in the credit card industry or the technology industry? I mention those two sectors specifically because Democrats often have trouble getting corporations in other sectors of the economy to donate to them because of labor standards and environmental regulations supported by the Party. Of course, there are corporations that play both sides of the political aisle as well.

[acmejack]

2. These industries in particular had legislation to move.

Bankruptcy & Intellectual Property were their big thing as you know. Invest a few tens of millions get billions back, pharma is a great example. Hell, Billy Tauzin retired and got a great job with the Pharmaceutical lobby, too! Makes one ill...

[yurbud]

6. I think something called the "Dick Cheney Bill" would make the right

apoplectic. They would talk about it at length, and the more they did, the more people would support it.

[yurbud]

4. I always have him in mind

[Armstead]

3. You got it

That is the core reason for most of the problems in America and with the Democratic Party, IMO.

A line was drawn in the sand in the 70's and 80's between tghe interests of the majority of Americans and those of the Corporate Elite.

The Democrats have -- at best -- straddled that line for too many years, instead of being equally clear about standing on the side of average Americans and the disadvantaged in this contest of values.

The ONLY way the Democrats can right themselves -- and benfit America -- is to recognize and push for the intersts of the majority against the corporate elite.

[yurbud]

5. Wellstone was one of the few who stood clearly on our side

and his reward was that plane crash.

[Armstead]

9. The plane crash was probably an accident

I agree with you that Wellstone was one of too few who were willing to stand up for the people against corporate power.

But I diagree with th statement that his plane crash was his "reward." If that were true, then all progressive Democrats would have been dead long ago.

Sorry I know some feel otehrwise. But such statements are a way of shutting down the real process of pushing for reform.

[Kalisiin]

11. I Disagree

Look what we got as a result.

Mondale got put up for the seat and lost, and now there's a Repuke sitting where Wellstone oughta be.

Accident?

I don't think so.

I put NOTHING past these evil Repuke motherfuckers. NOTHING!!!

[Armstead]

14. We'll have to agree to disagree

I make a distinction between unproven personal suspicions and allegations.

There's enough rotten shit out there that is known and obvious, without engaging in unproven allegations like that.

[Kalisiin]

17. Fine With Me. We Disagree. Disagreement Is Allowed On DU

Unlike certain other unmentionable Internet sites.

If I could, I'd blame every rotten thing that has ever happened, in the history of mankind...on Repukes. I'd blame the death of Lennon on them. I'd blame 9/11 on them. I'd blame The Challenger on them. I'd blame my next-door neighbor's pneumonia on them.

I hate them passionately.

[yurbud]

20. History Channel ran episode on spying on Lennon

It's odd that these people that seemed to make the right feel threatened like MLK and Lennon died the same way--the lone nut gunman.

Likewise, it's odd that the most progressive and independent member of the Senate died at a moment when it was most advantageous for the far right.

9/11 was equally incredibly providential for what the right wanted to do anyway, but there's a hell of a lot of evidence to back that one up.

Many of these things that get called conspiracy theories when they happen here in the US are considered a matter of course and the likely explanation if they happen in other countries.

• assassinations
  
  
• terrorist attacks that lead to crack down on dissent and civil liberties
  
  
• lies to justify wars of conquest
  
  
• stolen elections
  
  
• control and suppression of the press
  
  
• ideology is fig leaf to cover keltocracy
  

Not only do we consider these possible explanations for events in other countries, the Bush administration has accused Syria of political assassinations and Ukraine of stolen elections and it made front page news here and were treated as credible allegations.

Do you really think that our shit doesn't stink, that we are some separate species of human being from the rest of the earth?

That our leaders who have shown a disregard for our laws here and a disregard for human life in other countries in pursuit of economic power would be restrained from using these methods, especially when members of the administration taught them to the other countries that used them?

This is probably one of the most destructive beliefs in American society--an American exceptionalism, that there is some sort of ethical minimum all the powerful people in our country adhere to. Some do, but not enough to assume all do and let them go about unchecked. That's why checks and balances, oversight, and transparency in government are so important.

Does that mean every suspicious event is a planned act? No.

But it means someone isn't nuts for asking the question and connecting the dots to see who profits from it.

[Selatius]

18. Not all progressives would be dead, just the biggest ones

You didn't have to kill off the whole lot of them if you only had to kill off John, Martin, and Bobby in the 1960s to stop the movement for change. I'm not going to comment on whether Wellstone was killed by accident or was assassinated, but I disagree with the notion that one would have to kill off everybody to affect negative change.

[yurbud]

26. If three or four of our more prominent leaders were killed, people would

notice.

They have done an effective job with ridicule and shutting people out of the media, but when that stops working, if they go back to just plain killing people, it will have the opposite effect of the disillusionment after the assassinations at the end of the 60s.

I hope.

[Selatius]

28. The corporatists have already provided a solution for that

Simply give in to some of the demands from the people, but keep your power and simply sit and wait the people out. People will eventually grow tired and will go back to their lives. As long as you give them something that they view as worthwhile--it doesn't even truly have to be worthwhile on merits alone--that's enough to satisfy most people. Perception is the key. This is social engineering 101. It's tough to defeat, but it's not impossible to beat.

[yurbud]

29. This is frankly why I have been surprised by the Bush pusch

It was so obvious it pissed too many people off, and those with the real power might have to give a fair amount to lull us back to sleep.

Also, like the people in South America, Americans are starting to see that the right wing rhetoric doesn't put food on the table.

[Kalisiin]

30. Exactly! Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

I care about the bread and butter issues...DOMESTIC ISSUES. I give a flying FUCK about foriegn policy, I, in fact, believe in isolationism, and avoiding foreign entanglements.

That said...what matters most for me is...Am I going to eat tonight? Will I be able to keep a roof over my head? Will I be able to afford to heat my home so I can stay warm and not get sick this winter? When and if I DO get sick this winter, will I be able to afford to go see a doctor? (I have no medical insurance) Or will I just have to suffer through my sickness, and HOPE it doesn't get worse...and HOPE it doesn't become a serious illness with the ability to kill or cripple me, or have lasting effects for the rest of my life...all because I couldn't get medical treatment for it when it was small and treatable?

THESE are the issues America ought to be caring about. Fuck the Middle East, and fuck Israel, and fuck Pakistan, and fuck Iran, and, for that matter, fuck the rest of the world. When things get better here, first, THEN we can worry about the rest of the world! Maybe some of you non-Americans think this is a shitty way to feel, but, too bad. We have cared about the rest of the world for far too long...and haven't cared enough about Americans who are homeless, jobless, sleeping in the streets...starving, having to choose between heat and food...food and medical care...food and gasoline...you get the point.

Point is...it is time we started caring for our OWN people...and who gives a shit about the rest of the world, let them take care of themselves for a change! And while we're at it, we Americans can keep our noses the fuck out of their internal affairs, as well...and quit trying to tell them how they must live, and how their governments must function!

I'm so sick of all this bullshit, about us caring more about foreigners than about our own countrymen! It's really beginning to piss me off!

[Kalisiin]

10. You Beat Me To It

I saw just your subject line, and I was gonna say...yeah...he was clearly on our side...and look what it got him!

Martin Luther King...same thing. Look what it got him!

Anyone who tries...or tried...to do anything worthwhile for the average people...look what it gets them! It gets them KILLED. I still believe Wellstone was murdered...Carnahan was murdered...look what happened to JFK and RFK.

It just makes me fucking sick! Why, just for once...can't WE THE PEOPLE, ever fucking win?

[Kalisiin]

7. That'll Never Happen

They know who pays the bills. And they think money is all it takes to win elections. They need VOTES, and, until recently, that meant that they needed PEOPLE.

Now, of course, thanks to Diebold, they don't need WE THE PEOPLE anymore. just the money to buy the outcome they want.

Welcome to Murikkka.

R.I.P. America! I loved you.

[Cleita]

8. If we do one thing this year, we need to reform campaign

financing from private funding to public funding. Here is a plan:

http://www.publiccampaign.org/congress/howitworks.htm

[Kalisiin]

13. Good Luck. Might As Well Ask The Fox To Give Up Patrol Of The Henhouse!!

That has to be voted in. And the people who would vote it in, have the most to lose, by it's being voted in. They would no longer have anyone to sell out to. They would no longer have any cash advantage over an opponent. An incumbent would have no clear advantage over a newcomer.

These aren't bad things...unless you are looking from the perspective of those whom we will ask to vote this into law.

[cascadiance]

15. I think those reps who've felt their hands "tied"...

... who otherwise might be good reps would vote for it. If they felt that they could have a better edge against their competitors who they run against with ideas rather than money, then they will vote for it! Though you're right, we have a long way to get those sorts of folks in office, it ultimately will happen from the bottom up!

Through state and local propositions (where they can't stand in the way), which will help us with ensure fair districting and financing at local levels, which will help get the right situations for us voting for congress critters too. It might take time, but ultimately, I think it is solvable.

[Cleita]

24. Yep, that's why we need to break the back of this monster

one vertebrae at a time, meaning we have to do this locally in our own community first for local elections. If each citizen, who wants this reform, works at this, we may be able to get it to trickle up the ladder all the way to the federal level, but first we gotta do it small.

[cascadiance]

12. We NEED public financing soon!

Support "clean elections" wherever you see legislation happening in your communities. I hope to support it both here in San Diego and for California soon with those efforts moving forward now. It will have to be a bottom up grass roots effort that depends on YOU all out there to raise your votes and support it, as corporate America certainly will try and get in the way of such legislation passing.

There are many congress critters now who feel "trapped" with the need to get special interest money so that they can practically run for office whereever they run. If we can get public financing in place, those that truely don't want corruption will step out of this "trap" that they currently all live in, and hopefully be truely more independent of special interests in their representation from that point forward. Those that cling to special interest financing perks will then be more vulnerable to being voted out of office!

Make sure you vote for someone not tied to the DLC or other corporate financing in 2008 (like Russ Feingold, etc.), who will help us nationally lead us on this issue from the executive branch.

Thom Hartmann and Bernie Sanders just endorsed this approach last Friday!

[yurbud]

21. This could be a rallying cry for public financing in CA, and set agenda

nationally.

[yurbud]

22. are there lobbying limits at the state level for elected officials?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Trouble is the guys getting the $$$ are the guys voting for it.

Unlikely, to say the least, that they're going to cut off the bri..er, donations.

[mdmc]

19. Dems don't serve the people

triangulate, try not to hate...

The Dick Cheney Bill... lol

[cascadiance]

23. I do believe it is bad in congress now too...

But I don't believe that all people in congress are evil and corrupt and don't care about us. I feel that there are many like John Conyers, Cynthia McKinney, Bernie Sanders, and many more that aren't as vocal too that have a sense of integrity, and if they had the chance to shine even moreso because we could get rid of the crooks, they'd vote for public financing in a minute! We need to appeal to those that aren't hard core corrupt folks to feel that this will work for them too. If state laws are already put in place to help districtring be fairer and state officials be more elected by public financing, the pressure will increase on congress critters to do the same or be pushed out.

[yurbud]

25. I agree with you about who the good guys are but they don't hold positions

of power in the party with the exception of Howard Dean.

[cascadiance]

32. I think Feingold has also fended off corruption money too...

He pushed away a lot of special interest money last election and still won. The problem is, that the more powerful senate positions require so much more money now the way the system is architected. It is virtually impossible to have someone *NOT* "play the game" and win office these days in the Senate. Hopefully Bernie Sanders will join this club too, but I will cut some senators some slack of trying to at least stay in the game. The key is if we can get in a new system where they don't *have* to whore themselves to special interests to get elected to see who persist in taking special interest money, and who try to move away from it then.

It is frustrating now to try and separate those pols who are truly corrupt and will still be bought even when they have an option not to, from the folks that would jump at the means of not having to work for special interest money. But you are right that for president in 2008, I really want some leadership of people that will take leadership in changing the system we have now to get rid of the corruption mechanisms. There aren't many that fit that category now, and though I'd accept some of these folks that would get off this special interest bandwagon as senators and house members, I don't really want those people that aren't strong enough to stand up on their own now to take leadership at position of president. DLC-affiliated candidates need not apply in my mind.

[Kalisiin]

31. I Do.

I do believe that they all don't care about us anymore. If they did, they would SPEAK UP!!

If they are not part of the solution, then they are part of the problem. Their silence only emboldens our enemies.

They capitulate to the right wing agenda instead of standing up tall and proud and loud for WE THE PEOPLE...

If they cared about US...they would stand for us...loud and proud...and we would then support them with our votes, and may the chips fall where they will. But they are too concerned about covering their own asses and getting re-elected ad nauseam to give a shit about us.

[yurbud]

27. Vote in this related poll (LINK)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x210807