Forum Post: Abe Lincoln to America: "Corporations own our government."
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 17, 2011, 9:50 p.m. EST by Amanita76
(88)
from New Haven, CT
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
"We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast amount of treasure and blood. . . . It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."
The passage appears in a letter from Abe Lincoln to (Col.) William F. Elkins, Nov. 21, 1864
Its corporate dominance of our government that OWS should be worried about.
It would be an evolutionary leap if we could use this global movement to launch an economic boycott, locked onto a corporate target. We know we can occupy together, protest, engage in civil disobedience, but when will we add to the OWS non-violent arsenal, global economic boycotts on a transnational corporation engaged in economic and enviromental injustice. Aiming for the bottom line is where they live, and we need to fire the shot heard round the world in all the boardrooms of corporate America...global boycott. Will I ever see us take down an offending and non-compliant corporation ?Why are we afraid to to create the economic containment arm of OWS. Take down one corporation of the 1%, and OWS won't need to rely on street protests. It seems no one wants that awesome capacity, nor the notch on the belt.
http://www.occupywallst.org/forum/time-to-flex-our-economic-muscles/
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!!!
The politicians aren't listening to us. OWS is a global movement, which affords us the rare opportunity to launch global boycotts against a corporate target. Negatively impact their bottom line; take down a corporation; make then plead for mercy...and THEN their lackeys in congress will have some respect for the people. I've been hearing about campaign reform since I was a child; but nothing is done because we don't hurt them where they live...in the pocket. Hurt them there and they'll start to listen and have some respect for us. http://www.occupywallst.org/forum/time-to-flex-our-economic-muscles/
Here, here!
other way around. sorry to inform you, but that's just what they want you to think!