Posted on 09/01/2009 9:11:26 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
And here's why: Ask any neuroeconomist, behavioral-finance quant, investment psychologist or other practitioner of the mysterious "science of irrationality" and they'll tell you that Americans have two self-sabotaging mental biases that killed democracy from within: "Denial" and "Magical Thinking" make us easy targets. Our brains are being manipulated by clandestine forces beyond our control. We can't see them or resist.
Yet we refuse to believe in this new Orwellian America. We prefer the world of magic, myth and illusion.
Yes, folks, democracy is dead. Oh, the illusion will be kept alive in our history books, in the rhetoric of politicians, in the manipulated minds of America's 95 million Main Street investors. The propaganda machine works. Like a child's fairy tale, democracy has been deeply imbedded in our brains for decades; we prefer believing old, familiar stories. They comfort us, even when no longer true. The real democracy, what so many fought and died for since 1776, is dead.
Lobbyists now run America, own America, rule America. Forget the 537 politicians you thought we elected to the White House, Senate and Congress to run America for us. No, they're mere puppets, pawns for the "Happy Conspiracy," an oligopoly, plutocracy, cabal, monopoly all-in-one -- a private club of America's richest few on Wall Street, in Washington and in Corporate America.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
Gee, and every time I point something like this out, I’m told that lobbying is “First Amendment Free Speech”...
No Dead Parrots Here ("It all began when Tanenhaus published 'Conservatism is Dead'")
bb.bbbu...bu..b.bbb.bbbu....bbb...but, I thought John McCain and Russ Feingold fixed this problem several years ago?
Democracy is nothing more than mob rule and it should be dead.
We used to have a constitutional republic, but 50+ years of government schools has everyone believing we live in a 'democracy' as if that's the highest possible form of government. Sheesh.
Until it doesn’t cost millions of dollars to buy...I mean get elected to...a public office, lobbyists will always get their representative in.
Did you read the one about Matel lobbying for the anti-lead in toys legislation, and then got themselves exempt from it?
A classic.
In case you didn’t here it is: http://www.theagitator.com/2009/08/30/wow-21/
Absolutely correct! Democracy’s don’t work. REPUBLIC’S work and we are a Republic. You don’t hear that much any more. We need to get back to our Constitution and start over if necessary. Get rid of all the laws that our politicians have put in and start over.
GourmetDan wrote: “Yes, folks, democracy is dead.”
Democracy is nothing more than mob rule and it should be dead. We used to have a constitutional republic, but 50+ years of government schools has everyone believing we live in a ‘democracy’ as if that’s the highest possible form of government. Sheesh.
..... SPOT ON !!!!!
Democracy should die. A Constitutional Republic is what we had, and should work to regain.
This is my answer to his column
http://bluelori.blogspot.com/2009/08/he-makes-good-point-restoring-republic.html
What we need is an underground site giving us names and addresses of lobbyists.
I’m serious.
He’s so wrong.
If Congress is controlled by lobbyists for the rich, why is so much of the spending in the form of programs for the poor (and middle class)? ENTITLEMENTS are the biggest item in the federal budget.
Yes there are a lot of lobbyists on the Hill. Of all stripes. University lobbyists. Patients lobbyists. Church lobbyists. All sorts of do-gooders have lobbyists. In fact, *some* of these do-gooder lobbyists do more damage than the corporate lobbyists.
The problem is that some folks confuse “republic” with “democracy” and this is what hurts it for this country.
http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/shows/show_668436.mp3
Listen to this discussion, if you have not already.
Google Rodney Glass and Joyce Rosenwald for additional information and research.
We’ve been pwned since 1913 and the oligopoly, plutocracy, cabal, monopoly all-in-one — a private club of America’s richest few on Wall Street, in Washington and in Corporate America are the ONLY ones (until you listen to the above) who know it.
http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/shows/show_668436.mp3
MUST be heard, round the world. Knowing what to do and which Court to file our lawsuits in is the ONLY way we can win against that oligarchy of elitist rich few. And WE WILL WIN in the end.
Money is speech.
Money talks.
Politicians listen.
PACmen rule.
We never had a democracy, we had a Republic.
That’s why I’m in favor of term limits. It’s a lot harder to have to keep buying new politicians, than to keep the same old ones that are already bought.
Can't we "bing" something like, "Names of lobbists in Washington?"
They’d still be for sale, and they’d stiil need the money to get elected. They might switch “sides” (from the lobbyists point of view), but they’d still be looking out for someone other than We The People.
It is not the fault of business that pols shake them down for campaign funds. It is not their fault that unelected bureaucrats can pass regulations with the force of law that can destroy their business. Business did not invent crony capitalism, government did.
The influence of lobbyists is proportional to the power of the federal government. It is not their fault that the Supreme Court interpreted the commerce and general welfare clauses to mean that Congress can pass any law affecting any industry or facet of our lives.
It would be dereliction of duty to shareholders to not get the best deal they can out of our corrupt politicians and regulators. Blame the Supreme Court and Congress for the situation they made, not lobbyists.
Career politicians make it too easy for the lobbyists.
Remember: House Majority Leader Tom DeLay declared an "ongoing victory" against bloated federal spending. He had the nerve to say, in effect, that there was no more fat in the budget to cut, IIRC.
The GOP needs a new plank in its platform for term limits, e.g. four terms as a Representative, two terms as a Senator.
They need to repeal so much stupid legislation. It's too much to count. They can campaign on that next year, IMHO.
P.S. Defund the marxist moonbats/czars too.
>>>Gee, and every time I point something like this out, I’m told that lobbying is “First Amendment Free Speech”...<<<
Lobbying is not only free speech, it’s also protected as redressing the government for grievances. That’s not the problem.
The problem is that the republic with limited government has been transformed into a democracy with unlimited government. In a limited government, the lobbyists would still be there, but in a limited manner, since the government would also be limited. In an unlimited government, though, everyone is there to press for his or her agenda, and the process becomes a free-for-all.
Bring back the republic, and a lot of these concerns vanish, or at least become lessened.
>>>Gee, and every time I point something like this out, I’m told that lobbying is “First Amendment Free Speech”...<<<
Lobbying is not only free speech, it’s also protected as redressing the government for grievances. That’s not the problem.
The problem is that the republic with limited government has been transformed into a democracy with unlimited government. In a limited government, the lobbyists would still be there, but in a limited manner, since the government would also be limited. In an unlimited government, though, everyone is there to press for his or her agenda, and the process becomes a free-for-all.
Bring back the republic, and a lot of these concerns vanish, or at least become lessened.
btt
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