Its now official: money talks. (as if we didnt know) This is Chief Justice Edward Ryan, Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1873: There is looming up a dark new power. . . . The enterprises of the country are aggregating vast corporate combinations of unexampled capital, boldly marking, not for economic conquest only, but for political power. For the first time in our politics, money is taking the field of organized power. The question will arise, and arise in your day though perhaps not fully in mine: Which shall rule--wealth or man? Which shall lead--money or intellect? Who shall fill public stations--educated and patriotic free men, or the feudal serfs of corporate wealth? But what really got my heart rate up was the following comment below the article: Vixpix1: The critical issue is how to get poor people to understand that voting is vital to their own well-being. I think many poor people dont relate to the system at all. They see it as having oppressed them all their lives. They are too busy scuffling to put food on the table, or come up with rent money. Whos ever done anything for them? But until they produce the next Martin Luther King or Cesar Chavez, well continue our political and economic decline. There are two major factors working against us. First, I believe that we are going through a historical process where jobs, particularly well paying jobs, are becoming scarcer. Just look at companies laying off workers by the thousands, and look at how most of the new jobs being created are toward the lower end of the pay scale. People fighting each other for a job may not feel like organizing to change the system. Second, the Supreme Court has opened the floodgates for the wealthiest Americans to buy elections and politicians. If we dont figure out how to get started on reversing our slide into becoming a third world country, we may be the generation that watches the disappearance of a meaningful democracy. And this was my reply: -- Believe it or not, poor people understand a lot more than you apparently give us credit for. Some of us actually have degrees from big fancy universities. And many of us across the entire economic spectrum have been coming to the realization that not only is voting NOT vital to our well-being, but that participation communicates our consent to keep in place the very corrupt, broken and dehumanizing system that oppresses ALL of us. Since you mentioned him, why do you imagine there hasnt been another MLK? Two reasons: First, look what they did to him. Secondly, we have had other strong civil advocates, but TPTB do whatever is necessary to keep them away from the public lens. Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein wasnt even permitted to participate in the debates, and when she showed up at Hofstra University ANYWAY, both she and her running mate were arrested. You call that a meaningful democracy? The fact is all weve ever had in this country since its inception has been the illusion of democracy. Trying to fix the system by voting hasnt worked yet, nor will it. How can it? People dont make it onto the ballots unless theyre no threat to the oligarchy in the first place, regardless of campaign rhetoric. Sure weve seen reforms, but no real systemic change. And we dont have any more time to hope for something better to come along in another 2, 4, 8 or 10 years. The system is fractured and is coming apart. You may find this hard to comprehend, but not only the economically challenged have chosen to actively boycott the electoral process. truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/most-non-rich-us-voters-have-near-zero-level-impact-on-national-policy-new-study-concludes
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 04:33:19 +0000