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Forum Post: Corporations AND politicians

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 11, 2011, 8:05 p.m. EST by brookej123 (8)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Most of what the bankers did to get filthy rich and bring down the economy was illegal prior to the passage of two deregulatory bills in 1999 and 2000 (Gramm-Leach-Bliley and The Financial Services Modernization Act of 2000). The banks only did what the politicians had allowed them to do.

The politicians who voted for these bills deserve far more blame and attention than they have received so far.

13 Comments

13 Comments


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[-] 1 points by WorkingClassAntiHero (352) from Manchester, NH 13 years ago

The politicians who allowed them to do these things did so because they had their allegiances bought prior to their election to office by way of campaign donations and thinktank PAC support.

"Blaming" politicians or anyone does nothing to address the problems themselves. Campaign finance and lobbying reform would cripple the systems ability to corrupt themselves. And better still, its an issue one can generally support whether they are a free market libertarian or collective minded socialist.

[-] 1 points by geminijlw (176) from Mechanicsburg, PA 13 years ago

There are so many marriages in politics, they need a marriage bill for themselves. I wonder how the Christian right would see that?

[-] 1 points by geminijlw (176) from Mechanicsburg, PA 13 years ago

There are so many marriages in politics, they need a marriage bill for themselves. I wonder how the Christian right would see that?

[-] 1 points by TimUwe (39) 13 years ago

Also known as Crony Capitalism!

Vote Ron Paul 2012.

[-] 1 points by The99Amendment (17) 13 years ago

Please review http://www.the99amendment.com/

It discusses a way to effectively get back to government of the people, by the people.

[-] 1 points by brookej123 (8) 13 years ago

Forget theory. Our government has been bought by corporate interests, especially financial firms (and 12-20 of the richest families in the country, Kochs and Waltons to the fore). Forget the Constitution. It means (legally) whatever the five Republican "justices" say that it means, no matter how absurd. The case before the court originally had no connection with corporate personhood, but the Republicans sent it back, with a suggestion to add corporate personhood. The court was not presented with the issue, but suggested that the issue they wanted to decide be added! Funny how Republicans used to complain about judicial activism, legislating from the bench, but not a word about Citizens United.

I believe that this country is doomed by political corruption, including the corruption of the Supreme Court. I oppose this as a matter of principle, but I doubt that it will do any good. BTW, Transparency International rates Italy the most corrupt developed country. We are tied with France for number two.

[-] 1 points by brightonsage (4494) 13 years ago

Yes, and Phil Gramm, sponsor of the bill with his name and whose wife was on the board of Enron, and is responsible for the "Enron Loophole." is a banker for UBS who has had trouble re illegal tax shelters and aggressively helping tax cheats hide in Swiss and other numbered accounts. The reason that the poitions allowed them to do so was that they were bought, creatively, yes, but bought. But the first order of business is to fix the global finance system and the US election and campaign finance systems.

[-] 1 points by brookej123 (8) 13 years ago

Good luck!

[-] 1 points by brightonsage (4494) 13 years ago

Thanks. That is what this is about.

[-] 1 points by Skippy2 (485) 13 years ago

This protest has been highjacked by the Democratic party! Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Obama are now in control. If you think I'm wrong, check out how the media are portraying us to the world.

[-] 1 points by brookej123 (8) 13 years ago

Just as the Tea Party, originally upset about unemployment and the banks (a lot like us), was hijacked by the Republican Party (financed by the Kochs), which changed the issue to Big Govenment. Guess who wrote the Tea Party manifesto? Dick Armey! However a lot of the real Tea Partiers have noticed this, and they are not happy, and saying so. Whether they can do anything about it remains to be seen.

[-] 1 points by SparkyJP (1646) from Westminster, MD 13 years ago

I disagree. Most people I've talked to are just as disenfranchised with the left as they are the right. They say "At least you knew where the right was coming from and knew what to expect from them, even if you didn't like their ideology. The left, on the other hand, were the ones that sold out." Both sides are corporatist.

[-] 1 points by MikeyD (581) from Alameda, CA 13 years ago

The comment wasn't about what you heard from someone you talked to at OWS. Skippy is talking about how we are being portrayed on National Television