Reform, My Ass!

I'd like to think we can somehow take our democracy back via he current two party system but I fail to see how it could be possible. Average everyday citizens, the 99%, don't have the deep pockets it takes to influence most politicians. We now find ourselves with the finest democracy money can buy. Which is not a democracy at all. It is something more like this. As of this writing, we still have more or less freedom of speech (unless you talk about talking to so called terrorist groups and wind up in a cell at an undisclosed location as a guest of the US military, for example). There are other taboo topics where the punishment is not as obvious but still bad enough. Those who question the the on going War on Terror, invasions of other countries and bombing those we label rouge and or terrorist organizations often face ridicule, humiliation, job loss or marginalization.

The same can be said of anyone who questions capitalism or Neo-liberalism. "What are you, some kinda commie or socialist?" Try to get a job with this label. Hell, this may be worse than doing time in the American gulag. I think we still feed prisoners and let them have shelter which is more than I can say for our ever shrinking social safety net. But if you are a massive financial intuition who has paid BOTH political parties failure is not an option. Read 'em and weep; here here and here. How can average citizens compete?

Financial deregulation under former President Bill Clinton helped pave the way for mega-mergers and big banks gone wild. Did they really expect this industry to police itself? Those who say the market will weed out the dirty players may have been correct but some how they became "Too Big To Fail" and we the tax payers got stuck with the bill. Thus the cycle begins again. For an easy to understand explanation of what's driving the financial crisis check out the documentary, "The Greed Game". The super rich are building wealth on a massive scale while people in so called wealthy western countries are being stuck with "austerity". Those cashing in spend millions on our elections and rake in billions. That's a damn good ROI (Return on Investment)! Are the Republicans any better?

Republicans are all about pro business at the expense of the ever growing underclass. They confuse being a good business man with being a good political leader. Romney offers his business skills as a big qualification to be president but is a good businessman the right person to be president? I think business are two different things. Well duh! Business is all about making money. It is the whole point. Government should be about protecting liberty, providing defense (not an empire) and seeing to it every one's basic needs are being met. What happens when doing the work of good government clashes with making money? Now it seems money wins out every time, no matter the party in power. For a good objective article on Romney click here. Republicans play on people's fears to protect business interests. Government run health care is bad! The old lady on TV says "Big government stay out of my Medicare!" GROOOOAN. Death panels under your bed! They want to take away your guns! The Mexicans are taking our jobs! The list is almost endless but people buy in. Both parties do a hell of a job on selling us on war!

In the beginning George W. had me sold on the Iraq war but I started to listen to those opposed to it and woke up. "War made Easy" is a documentary which exposes the same script presidents use to sell us on war for more than fifty years now. "They are a grave threat to us.", "We must protect freedom." 'We must prevent genocide." Bla bla bla... Neither party questions the fact that a president can start a war and now has a private army in both the CIA and Contractors such as Dyncorp and Academi (formerly known as Xe, Formerly known as Backwater).

There are others who feel this way.

Stan Goff "Why I wont vote (and you shouldn't either)"

Ted Rall Blog

Chris Hedges "This is what revolution looks like"

Chalmers Johnson Read here!

I hope I'm full of shit and those who want to change the system / game from with in are right but how? If not, what are the possible alternatives? Let the dialogue begin! Keep it positive.

Reasons to Occupy...

Can our current system be reformed? I'm not so sure. Neither major political party looks out for those they were sent to serve. Rather, they look out for those who financed their campaigns. Almost from their first day in office, a new senator starts fund raising for their re-election. Yet, they will all say I'm not influenced by campaign contributors, which is a lie. How can they NOT be? So what has this best democracy money can buy system got us? Here are just four things to consider...

1. The soul crushing Earth raping system of neoliberalism that's never discussed, much less questioned, in mainstream media outlets. Businesspeople and their lapdog politicians talk about economic growth completely disregarding the facts we have limited resources and the environment is being destroyed. There's no room for even a discussion of alternatives.

2. The so called Health care debate. The recent reforms are not "socialist." In fact, they are opposite having been largely written by insurance and drug companies for the bottom line. 30 million new customers for health insurance companies courtesy of Uncle Sam will be great for the shareholders!

3. The bank bailouts cost in the TRILLIONS and counting. Meanwhile, congress argues over extending Unemployment benefits for the needy. (more on unemployment later...)

4. Ongoing wars generating disposable veterans while making defense contractors billions in profits. See here for some of the big players.

This list could go on and on. Reformers want to work within this system for positive change. I must concede the past is not without success, there has been progress on Civil Rights but where else has mass protest worked? There have been and are a few good people in politics. Time and time again the system fails to change from within. Can it be saved / reformed?

Your thoughts?