Forum Post: Do you want to effect real change? Make it illegal for the rich and powerful to use their money to slant our political process. It starts with CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM!!!!
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 9:24 p.m. EST by LSN45
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For decades now the corporations and special interests have had our "representatives" bought and paid for (both on the right and the left). Don't get distracted by the symptoms - we need to address the root cause. Concentrating our efforts on getting the money out of our politics is the best way we can create an environment in which further reforms can be realized. Until we end the current system of legalized bribery (campaign donations) and paid lobbying our politicians will continue to be the LAP DOGS of the corporations and special interests. What we need first and foremost is real, loop-hole free CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM!!!! If the corruption is not dealt with first, the chance of any other meaningful reforms becoming a reality is almost zero - the special interests will just use their money to buy votes and put forward bills that create loop-holes or otherwise twist the law in their favor. If we want our children to live in a country where there vote matters, we need to get the money out of our politics, otherwise they will increasingly become the 21st century version of the "landless peasant." Spread the word - End the LEGALIZED BRIBERY!!! CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM needs to be THE main goal of the protests!!!
Agreed. OWS needs to become focused now. Phase 2 should be about taking all of Occupy's legitimate complaints and focusing it into a message of Campain Finance Reform and getting the outside money out of our politics.
Do not let this opportunity pass you by OWS. Its time to focus with the most important message that unifies all other messages. Get money out.
11 Reasons Why Occupy Wall Street Protesters Are Hypocrites If They Do Not Call For Barack Obama To Resign http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/11-reasons-why-occupy-wall-street-protesters-are-hypocrites-if-they-do-not-call-for-barack-obama-to-resign
and while your at it,
Securities & Investment: Money to Congress http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=F07&cycle=All&recipdetail=M&sortorder=U
Executive Branch - POLITICS Solyndra Case Reveals Gateway Between Administration Loans, Obama Allies Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/16/solyndra-case-reveals-gateway-between-administration-loans-obama-allies/#ixzz1dvsWW3jy
Obama administration pressured Solyndra to delay layoffs for political gain
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2807883/posts
Don't lose sight of the forest for all of the trees. Campaign Finance Reform is but a leaf.
What OWS needs is a strategy which provides a focus and an overall goal.
Use Peter Schweitzer's book THROW THEM ALL OUT as a manifesto for revolution: the Permanent Political Class must go!!!
This provides the movement a focus as well as a goal!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Throw-Them-All-Peter-Schweizer/dp/0547573146 Book Description Publication Date: November 15, 2011 One of the biggest scandals in American politics is waiting to explode: the full story of the inside game in Washington shows how the permanent political class enriches itself at the expense of the rest of us. Insider trading is illegal on Wall Street, yet it is routine among members of Congress. Normal individuals cannot get in on IPOs at the asking price, but politicians do so routinely. The Obama administration has been able to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to its supporters, ensuring yet more campaign donations. An entire class of investors now makes all of its profits based on influence and access in Washington. Peter Schweizer has doggedly researched through mountains of financial records, tracking complicated deals and stock trades back to the timing of briefings, votes on bills, and every other point of leverage for politicians in Washington. The result is a manifesto for revolution: the Permanent Political Class must go.
Yes.
I agree that campaign finance is the root cause and that we need to level the playing field between corporations and regular people.
But here's the weird surprising fact that any political scientist will tell you. Leveling the playing field by reducing the flow of money from corporations has the paradoxical effect of increasing political corruption, since politicians become more desperate for cash. The right way to level the playing field is to increase the flow of money from regular people making small donations. This can be accomplished through matching government donations for campaigners who agree to only take small donations. This is called public financing.
'Campaign finance reform' will not remove the root cause of government corruption. The constitution grants to government absolute power over commerce (i.e. the economy). THIS is the incentive behind corporate control of government. Remove the commerce clause from the constitution and you will achieve the intended effect of 'Campaign finance reform'.
Campaign finance reform will create the environment in which a reform such as the one you have mentioned has a chance of actually occurring. That is what I'm trying to promote - let's get the money out so that our policies, such as the one you mention, actually reflect the will of the people, not the will of the group with the most money.
Campaign Finance Reform will not get the money out of politics. Only the removal of the incentive for a certain action will eliminate that action.
I agree - (although the introduction of powerful disincentives, such as public scorn and long prison terms, can also curb unwanted behavior - right now the bribery is legal). What we need to create a situation where the politicians are competing on who has the best ideas for effective government, not who can buy the most votes or can hand out the most political favors to special interests. That's why I like the idea of publicly funded campaigns. That said, I don't have all the answers, but I imagine that if a group of about 30 average Americans locked themselves in a room for 3 days they could come up with a fair, common sense plan that would remove the ability for the rich and powerful to slant our politics.
'powerful disincentives' have served us well in the war on drugs and sexuality. /sarcasm
As far as the 30 average americans in a locked room idea. They don't need to put in the effort. I already have :) Abolish the commerce clause.
So what action would you recommend?
A constitutional amendment to remove the commerce clause. It provides NO protection of individual rights and serves solely to give the government power it has no legitimate use for (legitimate government existing solely to protect individual rights, as proposed in the Declaration of Independence).
It would also get rid of Obamacare which would also be a plus.
That and every other welfare program funded by force and coercion.
Amen