We are being groomed to switch places with China, India etc. as the cheap labor pool to produce low cost products for sale in those huge Asian markets of the not-so-distant future. As corporate money is used to dominate our elections, our votes become meaningless. We are only given the opportunity to select between corporate puppets being presented for our approval. They do not represent us once elected. In practice we really don't have much of a democracy left.
It is not irreversible at this point. Many on the left see this. Not all are actively helping us however. For now the politicians still decide how elections are funded and how money is raised to brainwash the voters. We do know, at least, that most of the attack is from the right-wing of politics. While it cannot be said with certainty that anyone on the left is truly our friend, we do know that the basic ideology of the left still has it's base in the average working class American. Yes they can be bought as well but as long as they are supported sufficiently by their base, the temptation to look to special interest money is less. The right seems very content to live on corporate handouts regardless, offering up tribute in the form of tax cuts and special subsidies in exchange.
Most of the political rhetoric of campaigns and speeches is designed as a smoke screen to the real issues that threaten us as a society. Corporate greed and big money influencing our elections is the single greatest threat facing our democracy, our economy and the future of our middle class. We need to look beyond the TV brainwashing and corrupt, lying political ads of both parties. We have to arm ourselves with knowledge we seek out independently of those who would tell us what we are supposed to believe. They tell us only what serves their own best interest.
This is not meant to be an endorsement of a particular candidate. Republicans and Democrats alike have a lust for position, power and influence. The party who can best rely on a base of average Americans will be the party less in need to seek others to assure their seats in of power. We cannot expect them to close the holes they created through which "legal" bribery flow...but we can make it less necessary for the left to put their hand out for this bribery in order to be elected.
With the backing of the middle class, we can and must demand that this bribery ends as part of their pledge to the American people in exchange for our support.
We have to make them realize where their bread is buttered. We have to make it easy for them to represent us by removing the temptation to accept cash for political favor. By taking OUR money and not corporate bribes, we can instruct our elected officials that they owe their loyalty to the masses of individual citizens and not to a few well-heeled with a lot of cash.
Paul Kruger / aka Joe the Voter
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