Forum Post: Three simple and concrete demands
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 10, 2011, 2:56 p.m. EST by LearnSomeHistory
(58)
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Three proposals for a list of demands:
A ban on corporate donations to political campaigns. Only individuals should be allowed to donate money for political campaigns in the months ahead of the elections. And a limit of 20 thousand dollars should be determined. Nobody should be allowed to donate more than 20 thousand dollars to a candidate's campaign.
The USA should cut by half its astronomical spendings with the Military and Defense. Currently, the USA spends almost 1 trillion dollars per year with Military, Defense and related activities (including CIA, NSA, and "Homeland security"). The USA spends more than twice the sum of the military spendings of all the other countries in the world together. Only 50 percent of that would be more than enough to keep the position of the USA as the main superpower in the world.
The big banks of Wall Street that received trillions of dollars in bailout money should be seized by the government, and become public institutions.
I agree with #1 or at least a variation of it. Because in my opinion that is the root of this movement. Think about it, every problem we face as a county regardless as to political beliefs boils down to who's willing to pay the most money to see their agenda done. So until we fix this system of legalized BRIBERY also known as lobbying this country will never ever be the place we dreamed that it could be.
It doesn't matter if you are a Republican, Independent, Democrat, Tea Partier, believe in Socialism or Capitalism. Contrary to what we believe none of us actually has a voice in this county. We have been taught to believe that if we elect our respective parties into power that our goals and ideas will be done. Well guess what people, it won’t. The only people in this county with a voice are the 1%ers!
Who are the 1%ers you may ask? Well I say they are the large corporations and special interest groups who TRULY run this country. They are the groups of individuals who spend millions upon millions of dollars each year to convince YOUR congressman, YOUR senator and YOUR President to do what best suits them regardless as to what's in the best interest of the rest of the 99% of this country.
Oh and those of you who disagree, ask yourself when was the last time you tracked down your congressman or senator in the capital between meetings and offered up a large sum of money in order to see a piece of legislation passed that best interested you?
If you allow donations of any kind you open the door for people to be able to buy our politicians. The homeless man on the street with nothing should have the same power as the richest man in this country. Allowing money to be donated, even if it's only $1, you are putting our politicians up for sale. Also, you know damn well some one will find a loophole and our current set of spoiled brats will include loopholes in any bills passed to some how allow large donations. It needs to be made 100% impossible and illegal to donate in anyway.
I think you are absolutely right. The entire system is bought and paid for and that goes for all sides of the aisle.
Yes sir...
Corruption is not a left or right thing. Our government is corrupt from the very top all the way down to the bottom. If we can address and fix this one problem, we can start building a better country. Lets focus on removing and keeping out the greed and corruption. Then, with a fair government, a government of the people, we can work out our differences on all of our other issues.
Correct. The voice of the majority should prevail, not the voice of those who have more money.
Exactly ! =)
I would agree with you, and call for public funds to electoral campaigns, just like they do in France. But I'm afraid that the Libertarians would become histeric, because of "more spending of the taxpayer money" represented by the public funds going to the political campaigns.
Besides funds, it would be interesting if the USA adopt some electoral legislation of Brazil: in Brazil, paid TV ads of candidates are forbidden. Candidates can only put paid ads on newspapers and the internet, but not on TV. The TV channels in Brazil are obligated to transmit every night, during one hour, for free, the video programs of all the candidates and parties. The duration of the video program of each candidate is determined by the number of elected Congressmen the party has.
I really don't care what the Libertarians have to say. Or the Republicans, Democrats, Progressives or Liberals. This is not about politics or political ideology. This is about Americans, all of us.
If we can not spend some of Americas wealth for the betterment of this country, we deserve exactly what we have.
Greetings Folks, Please read 'The Way Forward' by the New America Foundation. It is the answer to our world's problems. There is an article about it in the New York Times called 'This Time It's Different.' It's a great article. These people are on your side, and they've got clout, intellectual and otherwise. I wish you well... John O'Grady ivanogre@gmail.com
I like the broader demands and a Third Constitutional Congress:
https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
perfect! additionally, I feel the only way we can get back on safe financial footing again is to close the Enron Loophole for oil speculators and bring back The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which prevented the current banking and insurance scams/loopholes. After all, it worked great until late 90's when Congress threw it out. Since then, like prior to 1933, we are experiencing what our country went though then, total Wall Street greed with no penalties, its all legal now...Thanks to the architects of our new system in 1999, President Clinton and Senator Gramm. Cheers to all that are involved! Jim
Why we need Glass-Steagall to be reinstated:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp#axzz1aPEc3wXj http://www.counterpunch.org/2008/09/19/shattering-the-glass-steagall-act/
Why are oil prices high?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbdtTGYQBMU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNp0y0SjOkY&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-kExdTgNZA&feature=channel
I think Election Reform is the most important, because it gets to the root cause of so many of the problems. There is a proposed legislation for this called the Fair Elections Now Act. Which I think goes further than your suggestions. We need to end the corruption of government by unfair monied influence.
Military - too controversial for me to get behind and I think talk of this really divides the movement.
Wall Street - I propose that they be brought to justice for their crimes. Let them have their day in court. Hopefully a JURY trial!!
The Dept of Justice needs to do their job.
Re number 3. Agreed, but I would first indict all these firms that committed fraud and the individual perpetrators so that you have a legal basis for seizing the assets (they were criminal networks).
you certainly have my vote on the 1st... 2 and 3 can never be advanced by this movement... you are talking policy, and it is not possible I believe to hold consensus in the movement if they take it that direction.
The first one is already a big step.
The other two may require a higher level of maturity in the debate.
and some honesty in the people we expect to debate them. Ultimately, we must remove the cancerous corruption that holds our gov't. Until that happens... nothing changes.