What can or should the 110th Congress do to combat the Republicans' Class Warfare agenda? A good place to start would be on establishing legislative controls on corporate America's efforts to outsource the American economy to foreign interests. Also, any rational and intelligent debate will reveal that just about all of our "free trade" deals have been nothing more than a free pass for foreign economic interestes to rape and pillage the American economy. Certainly, Fair Trade must be given pre-eminence over Free Trade if America is to regain its economic strength domestically.
I was pleased to see that Sen. Reid will be pushing serious "Lobbyist reform" early on in the 110th Congress. I was also heartened to hear that Democrats will also tackle campaign finance reform as well, with public financing of campaigns a legislative goal.
All of these efforts will benefit the average American citizen, negating the self-destructive trend where corporations were allowed to rule America with few constraints. Finally, average Americans will have "their" interests represented in Congress.
Showing posts with label political reforms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label political reforms. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
Corporate Greed and the Threat of Communism
What I find so troubling is the fact that it didn't take American corporations very long to dump the American worker, along with his family, after the threat of Communism was removed in the 80s. The American family stood tall and strong against the corrosive tide of Communism, playing a pivotal role in helping to finance our military effort to curb and control its spread. The American corporation of course, representing our sense of individual freedom, was the primary beneficiary of this protection. And now with this threat removed, the American family -- the American middle class -- is being tossed aside without so much as a second thought. Where is the dignity in this?! Where is the fairness? Where is the sense of shared community?! Is this and corporate globalization our reward for defeating Communism?!
Where is the gratitude for having stood shoulder to shoulder in helping to nurture, build and defend our concept of freedom from those that would seek to userp and control? Where is the gratitude for those who paid the ultimate price in its defense? Do you honestly think that our sons and daughters gave their lives so that corporate America could export jobs overseas so that a few could profit at the expense of the many? Is this the kind of society that we've fought and died for?
In my view, "corporate globalization" spells the end to an America that we all came to believe and trust in. It is destroying that which we all labored so hard and so long to build over the years. The fundamental principles and allegiances which we all shared during the "Cold War" years -- that sense of American patriotism and unity -- has been discarded and tossed aside on the altar of corporate greed.
Yes, the middle class is shrinking while sustaining a continuing series of economic body blows delivered by a corporate mentality that justifies its actions on the basis of "global competitiveness". If this process is allowed to continue unabated, there will be disastrous results within our economy as we will no longer have a middle class -- the true engine of our economic prosperity -- to rely upon to pull us out of our inevitable recessions. We are already beginning to see this happening.
The American dream is fading fast. And the Bush administration, along with a compliant congress, seems completely apathetic to this disturbing process, opting instead to unwittingly embrace this culture of economic and societal self-annihilation. The American "way of life" that we have all come to know and love is rapidly disappearing, a sacrificial lamb on the altar of corporate greed. It's a sad, sad time in America and we need to do something about it. And it has to begin with our political system.
We need to bring sanity and a sense of fair play back to the political discourse. We need to replace words and slogans with actions that produce a healing of sorts. We need our politicians to restore a sense of sanity and fair play where the larger good and concern for our traditional American "way of life" is given priority over corporate and personal greed. We must establish firm rules and guidelines, free of loopholes, that help foster and promote that which will serve to protect and defend the American citizen -- the American family -- against the onslaught of corporate greed and globalization. For if we fail in this effort, the world will no longer know the kind of America characterized by generations of its citizens who worked, fought and died to protect and preserve the principle of "liberty and justice for all".
These fundamental principles, which served to inspire America and the world, are quickly becoming just empty political slogans -- a fading memory of a time where we all stood together in strong defense of freedom and justice against its enemies. Yes, we are losing a sense of cherished sovereignty -- as corporate greed exercises its formidable political leverage to recreate a world of markets devoid of societal and political integrity. This is very, very WRONG!
Our national soul and spirit is being whittled away by corporate greed. We need to nurture and cherish those principles that have been the bedrock, the foundation stone, to our society. We need a society of informed and enlightened citizens where principles and fairness stand head and shoulders above a crass, market-based culture that is dictated by corporate greed. For if we fail, it most certainly spells our doom -- both personally and collectively.
Little did we know that while fighting to preserve freedom and democracy against communism that another threat would emerge within our own borders -- a threat inspired by personal greed and characterized by selfishness and ignorance. God help us.
Where is the gratitude for having stood shoulder to shoulder in helping to nurture, build and defend our concept of freedom from those that would seek to userp and control? Where is the gratitude for those who paid the ultimate price in its defense? Do you honestly think that our sons and daughters gave their lives so that corporate America could export jobs overseas so that a few could profit at the expense of the many? Is this the kind of society that we've fought and died for?
In my view, "corporate globalization" spells the end to an America that we all came to believe and trust in. It is destroying that which we all labored so hard and so long to build over the years. The fundamental principles and allegiances which we all shared during the "Cold War" years -- that sense of American patriotism and unity -- has been discarded and tossed aside on the altar of corporate greed.
Yes, the middle class is shrinking while sustaining a continuing series of economic body blows delivered by a corporate mentality that justifies its actions on the basis of "global competitiveness". If this process is allowed to continue unabated, there will be disastrous results within our economy as we will no longer have a middle class -- the true engine of our economic prosperity -- to rely upon to pull us out of our inevitable recessions. We are already beginning to see this happening.
The American dream is fading fast. And the Bush administration, along with a compliant congress, seems completely apathetic to this disturbing process, opting instead to unwittingly embrace this culture of economic and societal self-annihilation. The American "way of life" that we have all come to know and love is rapidly disappearing, a sacrificial lamb on the altar of corporate greed. It's a sad, sad time in America and we need to do something about it. And it has to begin with our political system.
We need to bring sanity and a sense of fair play back to the political discourse. We need to replace words and slogans with actions that produce a healing of sorts. We need our politicians to restore a sense of sanity and fair play where the larger good and concern for our traditional American "way of life" is given priority over corporate and personal greed. We must establish firm rules and guidelines, free of loopholes, that help foster and promote that which will serve to protect and defend the American citizen -- the American family -- against the onslaught of corporate greed and globalization. For if we fail in this effort, the world will no longer know the kind of America characterized by generations of its citizens who worked, fought and died to protect and preserve the principle of "liberty and justice for all".
These fundamental principles, which served to inspire America and the world, are quickly becoming just empty political slogans -- a fading memory of a time where we all stood together in strong defense of freedom and justice against its enemies. Yes, we are losing a sense of cherished sovereignty -- as corporate greed exercises its formidable political leverage to recreate a world of markets devoid of societal and political integrity. This is very, very WRONG!
Our national soul and spirit is being whittled away by corporate greed. We need to nurture and cherish those principles that have been the bedrock, the foundation stone, to our society. We need a society of informed and enlightened citizens where principles and fairness stand head and shoulders above a crass, market-based culture that is dictated by corporate greed. For if we fail, it most certainly spells our doom -- both personally and collectively.
Little did we know that while fighting to preserve freedom and democracy against communism that another threat would emerge within our own borders -- a threat inspired by personal greed and characterized by selfishness and ignorance. God help us.
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