Hey Rachel or KO please invite Bill Moyers on to discuss that

[malaise]

brilliant speech.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-moyers/occupy-wall-street_b_1071288.html?ref=yahoo&ir=Yahoo
<snip>
The revolt of the plutocrats has now been ratified by the Supreme Court in its notorious Citizens United decision last year. Rarely have so few imposed such damage on so many. When five pro-corporate conservative justices gave "artificial entities" the same rights of "free speech" as living, breathing human beings, they told our corporate sovereigns "the sky's the limit" when it comes to their pouring money into political campaigns. The Roberts Court embodies the legacy of pro-corporate bias in justices determined to prevent democracy from acting as a brake on excessive greed and power in the private sector. Wealth acquired under capitalism is in and of itself no enemy of democracy, but wealth armed with political power - power to shake off opportunities for others to rise - is a proven danger. Thomas Jefferson had hoped that "we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." James Madison feared that the "spirit of speculation" would lead to "a government operating by corrupt influence, substituting the motive of private interest in place of public duty."

Jefferson and Madison didn't live to see reactionary justices fulfill their worst fears. In 1886 a conservative court conferred the divine gift of life on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Never mind that the Fourteenth Amendment declaring that no person should be deprived of "life, liberty or property without due process of law" was enacted to protect the rights of freed slaves. The Court decided to give the same rights of "personhood" to corporations that possessed neither a body to be kicked nor a soul to be damned. For over half a century the Court acted to protect the privileged. It gutted the Sherman Antitrust Act by finding a loophole for a sugar trust. It killed a New York state law limiting working hours. Likewise a ban against child labor. It wiped out a law that set minimum wages for women. And so on: one decision after another aimed at laws promoting the general welfare." The Roberts Court has picked up the mantle: Moneyed interests first, the public interest second, if at all.

The ink was hardly dry on the Citizens United decision when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce organized a covertly funded front and rained drones packed with cash into the 2010 campaigns. According to the Sunlight Foundation, corporate front groups spent $126 million in the fall of 2010 while hiding the identities of the donors. Another corporate cover group - the American Action Network - spent over $26 million of undisclosed corporate money in just six Senate races and 26 House elections. And Karl Rove's groups - American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS - seized on Citizens United to raise and spend at least $38 million that NBC News said came from "a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls"- all determined to water down financial reforms designed to prevent another collapse of the financial system. Jim Hightower has said it well: Today's proponents of corporate plutocracy "have simply elevated money itself above votes, establishing cold, hard cash as the real coin of political power."

[hlthe2b]

1. Ahh, Bill Moyers. What an incredible treasure...

If only we had more like him.




Oh, and K&R-- of course. ;)

[malaise]

2. I love that man

What a brilliant timely speech

[malaise]

3. Arlo Guthrie's Patrots Dream mentioned by Bill Moyers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIEaso4Ty1M

The Patriot's Dream? Arlo Guthrie, remember? He wrote could be the unofficial anthem of Zucotti Park. Listen up:
Living now here but for fortune
Placed by fate's mysterious schemes
Who'd believe that we're the ones asked
To try to rekindle the patriot's dreams

Arise sweet destiny, time runs short
All of your patience has heard their retort
Hear us now for alone we can't seem
To try to rekindle the patriot's dreams

Can you hear the words being whispered
All along the American stream
Tyrants freed the just are imprisoned
Try to rekindle the patriot's dreams

Ah but perhaps too much is being asked of too few
You and your children with nothing to do
Hear us now for alone we can't seem
To try to rekindle the patriot's dreams

[RedEarth]

4. Thanks for posting......... Moyers is the best

He's been beating the drum about corporate/big money influence for years and years, so OWS is something I knew he would have an interest in.

Miss seeing Moyers and David B on PBS.

[malaise]

5. He's coming back in January

Can't wait :hi: