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Forum Post: Remarks on your current list of demands

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 4, 2011, 3:25 a.m. EST by Kooch (77)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

My comments toward the list of demands are in brackets. I think you're doing very well, so far!

LIST OF PROPOSED "DEMANDS FOR CONGRESS"

1.

  CONGRESS PASS HR 1489 ("RETURN TO PRUDENT BANKING ACT" <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1489> ). THIS REINSTATES MANY PROVISIONS OF THE GLASS-STEAGALL ACT.

[While I completely understand the idea, this one is unnecessary if you strike at the root: the need for monetary reform. End the fractional reserve lending system that creates over 99% of the currency (or at least ratchet down to a reasonable level no more than 4:1). This is the banksters's primary power. Without it Glass-Steagall is not needed.]

2.

  USE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY AND OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES FULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS

[Spot on. Yes, indeed.]

3.

  CONGRESS ENACT LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY BY REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE CITIZENS UNITED SUPREME COURT DECISION RE-ESTABLISH THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES IN THE U.S. SO THAT POLITICAL CANDIDATES ARE GIVEN EQUAL TIME FOR FREE AT REASONABLE INTERVALS IN DAILY PROGRAMMING DURING CAMPAIGN SEASON.

[Yes--however, in number 8 you address most of this anyway. But correct, of course.]

4.

  CONGRESS PASS THE BUFFETT RULE ON FAIR TAXATION SO THE RICH AND CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE & CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOP HOLES AND ENACT A PROHIBITION ON HIDING FUNDS OFF SHORE.

[Whether or not this tax is a good idea, making it a part of a revolutionary movement is not a good idea. Change the system. Then start looking at how to pay for it. Besides, in this proposal you tip your hand and show yourselves to be led mainly by partisans on the so-called "left". This proposal brings you shame.]

5.

  CONGRESS COMPLETELY REVAMP THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION and staff it at all levels with proven professionals who get the job done protecting the integrity of the marketplace

[Yes!]

6.

  CONGRESS PASS SPECIFIC AND EFFECTIVE LAWS LIMITING THE INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATING THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYISTS WRITING LEGISLATION THAT ENDS UP ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS.

[Yes, with caveat: must be written to do what you intend while not stifling speech of organized groups.]

7.

  CONGRESS PASSING "Revolving Door Legislation" LEGISLATION ELIMINATING THE ABILITY OF FORMER GOVERNMENT REGULATORS GOING TO WORK FOR CORPORATIONS THAT THEY ONCE REGULATED.

[Indeed.]

8.

  ELIMINATE "PERSONHOOD" LEGAL STATUS FOR CORPORATIONS. The film "The Corporation" has a great section on how corporations won "personhood status". <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SuUzmqBewg> . Fast-forward to 2:20. It'll blow your mind. The 14th amendment was supposed to give equal rights to African Americans.

[Yes! Yes! And this negates the need for number 3 minus the media part. Santa Clara County Vs. Southern Pacific Railroad was decided and falsely reported in the record as giving "personhood" to corporations. This is/was wrong.]

Not bad for a start. I'm only truly against #3, and really on the grounds that it hurts your movement by painting a partisan stripe on you.

The main thing you're missing:

Monetary reform. I know you hear cries to "End The Fed". But the truth is greater than The Fed's mis-dealings and insider knowledge/manipulations that cause and let the oligarchs profit from the bubbles. The greater truth is this: There should be no such thing as a "National Debt". Why does a supposedly sovereign nation borrow money when it has the ability to create it on its own? It's been done before (England's tally sticks, Rome's low-grade metal currency, Lincoln's greenbacks during the Civil War) and is still done today (island of Guernsey). If you end the fractional reserve practice (or severely limit and let the spoils go to The People), you will have cut the banksters' power at the source. The source of heir power is that they issue the currency every time you, I, or the government take out a loan. At least this should not be the case with government! NO MORE NATIONAL DEBT!

Whether you usually agree with Dennis Kucinich or not, you should check out his NEED Act. It is not completely perfect (he has the money power under the executive, whereas it should be separate from the other branches....but maybe Dennis was feeling shy about actually proposing the need for a new 4th branch of government), however besides that, he has the deal right: Ratchet up reserve requirements. Take the currency-issuing power back. Let the government be creative with using that power for the betterment of society. Tax only to extract money from the system to ward off inflation.

5 Comments

5 Comments


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[-] 1 points by wallwillie (39) from Hunter, NY 13 years ago

Corporate Free Speech There needs to be better corporate representation. Money is speech. Every individual, even individual stockholders, "ownership," has a right to free speech. Free speech means no one can force or prevent an individual's speech. Ownership has the right to direct the corporation's speech and political contributions. Majority control of contributions may violate an individual's free speech. Corporate management can speech for the corporation, but ownership needs to authorize that speech. No speech or money spent on political contributions may be made without ownership authorization and such contributions must be taken from the individual's dividends. No dividends means there is no allowance for contributions. Corporate management must poll the ownership to determine the amount and placement of all individual stockholder directed contributions. The assignment of all corporate contributions must be made public so that ownership can verify the correct placement of their contributions. Management can not make contributions on the behalf of nonresponsive ownership and thus can only make contributions for which they have been directly authorized.

Money is speech. Corporations are people, because people get the money. Free speech means people are not forced to pay for someone else's speech. Corporations may not force to pay or deny dividends, to a person who does not approve of money spent on speech. Corporations may only spend money on speech that is taken, by approval, from the people who get the money. Every person who gets money, from the corporation, must approve the money spent on speech, in order to protect the right to free speech. Since the money spent on speech is identifiable with a person then that money is subject to caps associated with that person and must be reported. Also, tax consequences flow, to each person, for tax exempt contributions. If the corporation feels that the cost of polling and reporting the money spent on speech is prohibitive, then the corporation is prohibited from spending on speech. Corporations spend money on product ads and any political placement in a product ad must have unanimous consent of ownership.

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[-] 1 points by Oursec (4) 13 years ago

I think the movement needs a coherent and reasonable list of demands. We are where we are from a systematic destruction of safeguards installed by Roosevelt during and after the Great Depression. All US citizens should watch the documentary "Inside Job". Not buying stuff hurts US blue collar as much as it does white collar, other than the goods that are manufactured (which admittedly we import a lot of goods; seems like most, but I am told that America is still the world’s largest manufacturer). This movement needs to take on epic proportion - and result in a wholesale change in congress or member support of the movement, because as we all know, they are currently owned by the super wealthy. The control of congress by Lobbyist is complete; we need a game changer. I submit the following list for consideration:

  1. Reinstitute separation of banking, insurance, and investment (stock); eliminate trading on margin; Provide regulation to limit the ability to speculate on commodities markets if feasible.
  2. Reinstitute 90% tax bracket for incomes 40 times greater than American average; Allow 50% depreciation in first year for capital improvement projects within the United States and double deflation for following years.
  3. Wean off of lending from China and Canada; Eliminate free trade agreements; institute trade agreements that recognize American cost for OSHA, minimum wage, and environmental protection. Tax or tariff imports in proportion to lack of these standards by competing country.
  4. Recognize that some capabilities such as research, construction and life cycle support of warships and warplanes (not cargo ships or planes) does not have a competitive environment; government is fleeced by current companies. Construct and manage these projects in-house (government owned, government operated). Where competitive environments exist – maximize capitalism.
  5. Recognize that some infrastructure (such as power, water, land-line communications road and rail) are natural monopolies – institute not for profit management with over-site akin to electrical coops for natural monopolies. (Government could own transmission routes, and companies pay government for access to compete for customers… Rates charged to companies based on cost of maintenance and improvements to system)
  6. Reduce corporate taxes; eliminate loop-holes, favor small companies
  7. Break up companies that are “Too big to fail”.
  8. Enforce the same standard to congress and aides as they do to American Government and Military Workers – ie they cannot represent their company in congress (Political Action Committees etc..) for five years post end of government service; limit all political offices to 12 years (congress, senate, governor)
  9. Determine activities essential to American ability to win a war – ie steel production, manufacturing, food production... Tariff foreign competition and/or supplement these industries as required to keep them afloat.
  10. Determine infrastructure that will improve competitiveness of American companies, ie cheap and plentiful energy and transportation capabilities. Implement massive construction projects to develop these capabilities.
  11. Legalize and tax the drugs that are no more harmful or addictive than alcohol. This will not only result in tax revenue, but it will save much in taxpayer dollars that currently feed the legal system, prisons, and law enforcement.
  12. Place cap on overhead above manufacturing cost for prescription drugs, and highly scrutinize/eliminate ability for drug makers to make a new paten protected drug by simply changing one small item in the composition (that is no more effective than the original). This will greatly reduce the tax burden associated with Medicare, and it will also put money back in the Americans pocket due to reduces insurance rates and prescription drug cost. Provide tax dollars to US Universities for R&D for drugs to keep the innovation rolling.
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[-] 1 points by Oursec (4) 13 years ago

I think the movement needs a coherent and reasonable list of demands. We are where we are from a systematic destruction of safeguards installed by Roosevelt during and after the Great Depression. All US citizens should watch the documentary "Inside Job". Not buying stuff hurts US blue collar as much as it does white collar, other than the goods that are manufactured (which admittedly we import a lot of goods; seems like most, but I am told that America is still the world’s largest manufacturer). This movement needs to take on epic proportion - and result in a wholesale change in congress or member support of the movement, because as we all know, they are currently owned by the super wealthy. The control of congress by Lobbyist is complete; we need a game changer. I submit the following list for consideration:

  1. Reinstitute separation of banking, insurance, and investment (stock); eliminate trading on margin; Provide regulation to limit the ability to speculate on commodities markets if feasible.
  2. Reinstitute 90% tax bracket for incomes 40 times greater than American average; Allow 50% depreciation in first year for capital improvement projects within the United States and double deflation for following years.
  3. Wean off of lending from China and Canada; Eliminate free trade agreements; institute trade agreements that recognize American cost for OSHA, minimum wage, and environmental protection. Tax or tariff imports in proportion to lack of these standards by competing country.
  4. Recognize that some capabilities such as research, construction and life cycle support of warships and warplanes (not cargo ships or planes) does not have a competitive environment; government is fleeced by current companies. Construct and manage these projects in-house (government owned, government operated). Where competitive environments exist – maximize capitalism.
  5. Recognize that some infrastructure (such as power, water, land-line communications road and rail) are natural monopolies – institute not for profit management with over-site akin to electrical coops for natural monopolies. (Government could own transmission routes, and companies pay government for access to compete for customers… Rates charged to companies based on cost of maintenance and improvements to system)
  6. Reduce corporate taxes; eliminate loop-holes, favor small companies
  7. Break up companies that are “Too big to fail”.
  8. Enforce the same standard to congress and aides as they do to American Government and Military Workers – ie they cannot represent their company in congress (Political Action Committees etc..) for five years post end of government service; limit all political offices to 12 years (congress, senate, governor)
  9. Determine activities essential to American ability to win a war – ie steel production, manufacturing, food production... Tariff foreign competition and/or supplement these industries as required to keep them afloat.
  10. Determine infrastructure that will improve competitiveness of American companies, ie cheap and plentiful energy and transportation capabilities. Implement massive construction projects to develop these capabilities.
  11. Legalize and tax the drugs that are no more harmful or addictive than alcohol. This will not only result in tax revenue, but it will save much in taxpayer dollars that currently feed the legal system, prisons, and law enforcement.
  12. Place cap on overhead above manufacturing cost for prescription drugs, and highly scrutinize/eliminate ability for drug makers to make a new paten protected drug by simply changing one small item in the composition (that is no more effective than the original). This will greatly reduce the tax burden associated with Medicare, and it will also put money back in the Americans pocket due to reduces insurance rates and prescription drug cost. Provide tax dollars to US Universities for R&D for drugs to keep the innovation rolling.
↥twinkle ↧stinkle reply
[-] 1 points by Oursec (4) 13 years ago

I think the movement needs a coherent and reasonable list of demands. We are where we are from a systematic destruction of safeguards installed by Roosevelt during and after the Great Depression. All US citizens should watch the documentary "Inside Job". Not buying stuff hurts US blue collar as much as it does white collar, other than the goods that are manufactured (which admittedly we import a lot of goods; seems like most, but I am told that America is still the world’s largest manufacturer). This movement needs to take on epic proportion - and result in a wholesale change in congress or member support of the movement, because as we all know, they are currently owned by the super wealthy. The control of congress by Lobbyist is complete; we need a game changer. I submit the following list for consideration:

  1. Reinstitute separation of banking, insurance, and investment (stock); eliminate trading on margin; Provide regulation to limit the ability to speculate on commodities markets if feasible.
  2. Reinstitute 90% tax bracket for incomes 40 times greater than American average; Allow 50% depreciation in first year for capital improvement projects within the United States and double deflation for following years.
  3. Wean off of lending from China and Canada; Eliminate free trade agreements; institute trade agreements that recognize American cost for OSHA, minimum wage, and environmental protection. Tax or tariff imports in proportion to lack of these standards by competing country.
  4. Recognize that some capabilities such as research, construction and life cycle support of warships and warplanes (not cargo ships or planes) does not have a competitive environment; government is fleeced by current companies. Construct and manage these projects in-house (government owned, government operated). Where competitive environments exist – maximize capitalism.
  5. Recognize that some infrastructure (such as power, water, land-line communications road and rail) are natural monopolies – institute not for profit management with over-site akin to electrical coops for natural monopolies. (Government could own transmission routes, and companies pay government for access to compete for customers… Rates charged to companies based on cost of maintenance and improvements to system)
  6. Reduce corporate taxes; eliminate loop-holes, favor small companies
  7. Break up companies that are “Too big to fail”.
  8. Enforce the same standard to congress and aides as they do to American Government and Military Workers – ie they cannot represent their company in congress (Political Action Committees etc..) for five years post end of government service; limit all political offices to 12 years (congress, senate, governor)
  9. Determine activities essential to American ability to win a war – ie steel production, manufacturing, food production... Tariff foreign competition and/or supplement these industries as required to keep them afloat.
  10. Determine infrastructure that will improve competitiveness of American companies, ie cheap and plentiful energy and transportation capabilities. Implement massive construction projects to develop these capabilities.
  11. Legalize and tax the drugs that are no more harmful or addictive than alcohol. This will not only result in tax revenue, but it will save much in taxpayer dollars that currently feed the legal system, prisons, and law enforcement.
  12. Place cap on overhead above manufacturing cost for prescription drugs, and highly scrutinize/eliminate ability for drug makers to make a new paten protected drug by simply changing one small item in the composition (that is no more effective than the original). This will greatly reduce the tax burden associated with Medicare, and it will also put money back in the Americans pocket due to reduces insurance rates and prescription drug cost. Provide tax dollars to US Universities for R&D for drugs to keep the innovation rolling.
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[-] 1 points by WhiteLotus (17) from Panama City, FL 13 years ago

You have some good points that are definitely something to stand up for .I want to share this form with you .

Please put the word out .

If you fill this out you will get a response back I have used it in the past to get help .

http://housingforvietnamvets.blogspot.com/

Click the link above the video where it says write congress here .

This form works. Bombard Comgress with letters .

Also the second link is to file a Informa Pauperis which can be filed out which will allow you make your complaint heard in the courts .It will not work without support the courts passed laws a few years ago that can give them the right to not hear your voice but with support they will not deny you .It will not take hundreds of millions of dollars which many movements in the past have needed .

See we can protest all we want ,we can never defeat the ruling classes without love if we come with hate we will lose at this current moment .But if people work together to go to court laws will change .It will take more than media power and protest to change this situation .Eventually the numbers will grow perhaps in the millions for a change of this current system but without going through the proper channels i,e the court this may be just like the protest of the 70s .

Peace Man

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