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Forum Post: PUFF On The Long Term Strategy For The Occupy Movement......How To Use Wedge Issues and Constitutional Amendments To Achieve Your Ends.

Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 30, 2011, 12:58 a.m. EST by puff6962 (4052)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

There has never been a better time to be an activist. The key is to get out of the park and to begin using the mechanisms of government to achieve your ends.

I would submit that the ONLY issue for Occupy at this time is to get big money out of politics. This will require a constitutional amendment of some form in order to do an end around Congress. Any legislation developed within the House and Senate will become watered down and loopholes will be installed. The result will be the status quo with window dressing. The Amendment must come from outside of Congress.

A constitutional amendment on this issue should include the following: A ban on ALL corporate contributions to political campaigns, 527's, and etc.; A ban on all Lobbyist contributions to campaigns; and, a provision for all contact between Congressmen and lobbyists to be public information. (All contact would be written or conversations transcribed with the information entered into the public Congressional record).

Now, for the politics involved. A Congressional amendment of this sort will have broad appeal across most demographics in our country. Republicans, Democrats, Tealboggers, Libertarians, Liberals, Neoconservatives, etc. all can get behind it. It will be an issue that will bring OWS into the mainstream and will lend it credibility with average Americans.

However, politicians--of both parties--will hate it, but Republicans will hate it more. Big money is the key to the Republican machine and they will vehemently oppose any initiative of this sort. That is the key. Republican attacks on this Amendment will reveal their true affiliation with big money and corruption. Their reaction will appear overblown in the minds of most Americans and this will serve to drive a wedge in their base of support. Ergo, an amendment banning big money in politics is a classic wedge issue against recalcitrant Republicans and a very good idea.

There are numerous other "wedge" issues that will serve a similar--and synergistic-- function. These include Constitutional Amendments affirming the right of collective bargaining, affirming the government's role in medicare and social security, and declaring that a very basic form of health care is the right of all Americans.

Elderly Americans are the most powerful voting bloc in the country and they will support each of these initiatives. Politicians, particularly Republicans, will face the most extreme dilemmas in opposing the initiatives.....

And change will begin to occur.

26 Comments

26 Comments


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[-] 4 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

This is, again, the hard part about posting something serious on this forum. You have to include the word libertarian to get the crazies to keep a topic on the radar.

[-] 3 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

meritocracy.

American dream.

middle class.

living wage.

manufacturing base.

anti-corruption.

fair regulations

The truth is that anyone who is anti-capitalism or anti-corporate is also anti-reality. These items are necessary parts of the modern world and they're not going away.

So, OWS should actually preach a message similar to the following:

"We want capitalism to work, but we want it to work better for all of it's participants and to, again, reward hard work."

"We also want for corporations to succeed, but we want for them to do so on their merits while treating their employees fairly and respecting both laws and basic morality."

That is the message that nobody can disagree with and spokespersons should sound similar.

[-] 1 points by ZenDogTroll (13032) from South Burlington, VT 12 years ago

I opened this window a while ago, with the intent of sharing this link:

Forum Post: Rep. Deutch Introduces Constitutional Amendment To Ban Corporate Money In Politics

That was hours ago. I got lost. Lost I say, lost in the white space . . .

Anyway, if passed will become the 28th Amendment - but it looks like there may be some issues with it.

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

I'll work on those.

[-] 1 points by ZenDogTroll (13032) from South Burlington, VT 12 years ago

You might want to review this forum post - it pertains to the Deutch version of this bill, but a lot of the issues here, may apply there.

Or not - the Senator's version does use a bit different language.

I think you will find three links now to the same forum post regarding the Deutch version - two of them are this forum post and Rep. Deutch's amendment discussed here: - it looks like that link has been posted previously on this page - here but this on is to a specific comment, and I'm not sure why.

Omy - it is a little early.

And here are a couple of other links - in case they are useful or something:

[-] 1 points by AFarewellToKings (1486) 12 years ago

I think this issue and the solutions will be widely discussed at the NGA and the news will spread like wildfire. It's only 217 days away...

NGA NOW all roads lead to Philadelphia July 4th 2012 https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/

[-] 1 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

I plan on being there.

[-] 0 points by XenuLives (1645) from Charlotte, NC 12 years ago

Me too. I'm looking forward to it.

[-] 1 points by looselyhuman (3117) 12 years ago

The Amendment process seems like an insurmountable challenge with the political divisions in this country. And you know how Fox will treat it, which means a ready-made army of Teabaggers hitting the streets in opposition, ready to crack liberal skulls. I want to believe it's possible, but it's just so outside of my experience of politics.

That said there are at least two groups working on this:

http://callaconvention.org (which is an original Tea Party organizer and Lawrence Lessig, working together - so maybe there's some cause for optimism)

and

http://movetoamend.org

[-] 2 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

The process doesn't have to succeed to be successful. The initial goal is to begin to peel away Republican supporters. An anti-corruption, anti-back room deal, anti-lobbyist initiative will be, as you noted, vehemently opposed by Fox News, talk radio, and the Republican party.

That is the key.....most people support these initiatives. When conservatives are told that they must oppose them, many will question why? That will expose the propagandist and maybe some of these people will finally see who is really behind the curtain.

[-] 1 points by looselyhuman (3117) 12 years ago

That really is a good point.

But the missing piece is how to generate the groundswell of support that it would take. I think we've played our hand, at least for this round, unfortunately. The 99% and inequality are on everyone's radar now, which is a start.

[-] 2 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

It's hard to get people excited about a Constitutional Amendment that will not immediately put money in their pocket.

Yet, this document would do more to transform our nation than anything since the New Deal.

[-] 2 points by looselyhuman (3117) 12 years ago

Yep, an amendmant would definitely be a game changer, and I want it, badly. Have since I learned of corporate personhood. I guess I've become overly pragmatic... The system is skewed, but so are many of the people - the majority seems to practice system justification, not to mention being generally apathetic. Am I just a pessimist?

[-] 2 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

Apathy is the instrument of a benevolent tyrant.

[-] 1 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

The most important thing is to disband the occupations. End those on a high note.

Second, get about 50 people who can project well on a television. Educate these 50 very well on the subject of this Amendment and other items pertinent to the Occupy movement.

Then, you need to organize very tactical....flash....demonstrations representing the idea. That will keep you on television and will remind the public that the Occupy movement is still a force.

Finally, you need to have some sort of rallies in the summer with speakers, meetings, leaders, and the statement of what the movement stands for.

These wedge issues will play out over the next ten years.....but the most important is to get big money out of politics.

[-] 1 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

Article V of the United States Constitution:

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

What if the tea party backed the idea of eliminating big money from our politics?

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

First Power, Then Change.

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

First Power, Then Change.

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

A PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

I, _, Promise To The Citizens Of The District Of The State Of _ And All

Of The People Of This State That I Will Support The 28th Amendment To Our Constitution That

Shall:

I. Ban All Corporate Donations To Political Campaigns And Election Activities,

II. Limit Personal Donations To One-Hundred Times The Amount Of The Federal Minimum Wage,

III. Require That All Lobbyist Interactions With Congress Be Recorded And Made Public Information, and

IV. Forever Ban Employees Of The Federal Government From Engaging In Lobbyist Activities Or From Being Under The Employ Of Such Firms That Do.

Signed

Date

Witness

Witness

Please Sign And Return To: Occupy Forward P.O. Box Blank Blank, Blank 555555

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

Was George Carlin German?

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 12 years ago

I just don't like German words.