Daily Topics – Thursday January 21st 2010
By Thom
Quote: The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes.
-- Aristotle
Hour One - With the Supreme Court ruling on the Citizens United case, did the gates of hell just get opened up? plus....Banksters & healthcare
Guest: Shannyn Moore, The Shannyn Moore Show on KUDO 1080AM www.kudo1080.com
Hour Two - With the Supreme Court ruling on the Citizens United case,did the gates of hell just get opened up? David Cobb, DemocracyUnlimited of Humboldt County and 2004 Green Party PresidentialCandidate www.duhc.org
Hour Three - Amy Goodman (just back from Haiti) www.democracynow.org
What is going on in Haiti
Comments
#2
Thanks for flipping on the lights! Daily Topics for Thursday, January 21, is now open for business...(an hour late). Considering what the Supreme Court did, I thought the coup d'etat underway might have already shut us down here in Hartmannland. Oy vey.
#3
Supreme Court Phone Numbers*
Public Information Office: 202-479-3211, Reporters press 1
Clerk's Office: 202-479-3011
*They don't care what you think (nor will they take comments), but you can still tell them!
#4
DDay,
FYI: TH producers said the website was shut down on their end and they have been working to get it up for some time...:-)
...political hackers?
#5
Could this possibly be an end-around to eliminating corporate taxation?
If Congress removes taxes on corporation, there would be no right to representation. This could be done with the current Congress.
Or, corporations fund sympathetic candidates with unlimited misleading advertisement until enough are elected to remove corporate taxes and maintain pass favorable campaign finance laws.
Either way, the corporations win. It's just how much will it cost them?
This Congress needs to act now to overturn this decision. With new laws defining the 14th amendment or impeachment of activist Supreme Court justices.
#6
The website access is an internet routing problem between Portland and the web provider. It is working for 99% of the world - but not in the studio. The daily topic was fixed from the United Kingdom.
#7
I have been advocating that the Administration focus on the economy and jobs this period, (for political reasons), and then use this election cycle to highlight the problems and abuses of our election system to reform it, (for practical and patriotic reasons). Today's announcement from the Supreme Court illustrates the need to do so. Our house is on fire. Now is not the time to remodel or add a room. (health care reform) This is especially true when those remodeling plans are so lousy, (The Senate Plan).
#8
Thanks Federalist Society Judges!
Now there are no limits on what we can spend to sway elections.
George Soros
Arianna Huffington
Warren Buffet
Acorn
MoveOn
Keith Olbermann
SEIU
AFL-CIO
Red Army Industries (China)
#9
Interesting timing that this decision was not released until after the MA special election. Voters that stayed home on Tuesday might have rallied around Coakley.
#10
Grayson and Repair of the SCOTUS Decision
Rep. Alan Grayson has already introduced 5 bills to mitigate today's Supreme Court decision. He sent out a petition to sign BEFORE the SCOTUS decision. You can still add your name to it:
http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4&tag=01...
#11
Does today's decision open the door to murder charges when you close a company or euthanize a pet? it removes the line between natural beings and other beings so where does the differentiation exist?
#12
what's the difference between Dave and Wal-mart?
Dave votes for Progressives.
Dave also dies.
and.. uh.. that's about it..
#13
What do I think about democracy in the "United" States?
I'll use the same answer as Gandhi when asked about what he thought of Western civilization:
"I think it would be a very good idea."
#14
oh! and.. Dave likes to play video games..
Wal-mart's hand eye coordination isn't that good...
#15
Does this mean we change the Preamble to the Constitution to read: "We the People, and Transnational Corporations, in Order to form a more perfect Union...."
#16
Our president came out this morning with statements to rein in the banksters. I applaud this late but good first step.
On the other hand, It was announced yesterday that Erroll Southers nomination for head of the T.S.A. has been withdrawn. Senator Dimwit of "health care will be his Waterloo" fame had put a hold on Mr. Southers because he feared that Mr. Southers might favor unions. Never mind that he is widely credited with being more than qualified to run T.S.A. ! The White House folding on this is reprehensible and cowardly. Bowing to the bullies only emboldens them. Since when is favoring unions un-American? NOW.
#17
Grubowski - please find a more corporate friendly term than "Union"
#18
If we can't get tariffs I say we demand that all shipping containers get 100% inspected. Its a win-win for Democrats, they can claim toughness on terrorism and raise shipping costs enough to make manufacturing in America a bit more feasible.
Back door tariffs.
#19
Tuesday's Election was PROOF of Truman's statement that Phoney Democrats would loose to real Republicans. The Huffington Post had an interesting article about a poll of voters from the election. One main reoccuring theme was that Independents who voted for Obama a year a go and Brown Tuesday were not voting against Progressive Ideals at all. Actually based on the poll these people were upset that the Democrats were not tough enough in fighting against the CONservatives. They are upset that there is no public option. They are upset that the banks get huge bailouts and bankers are taking huge bonuses. They hoped for change and didn't get it and were unhappy. Here is the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/20/obama-backers-more-commit_n_429...
#20
Tough time finding this page today! :)
Corporate Personhood vs. the Estate Tax -
The right's primary arguement against the Estate Tax has always been that it amounts to double taxation. The rationale goes that since the deceased already paid taxes on that money when it was earned, paying further taxes on it when passed on to the heirs is a secondary tax on the same money - thus their pet name, the "Death Tax."
But if a corporation has a right to free speech, then the owner(s) of said corporation have what amounts to a second voice - each can "speak" with his or her OWN voice, AND with the voice of the corporation!
So it seem to me that one could conclude that this "doubled" right absolutely justifies doubled taxation - no?
#21
About the Southers nomination: if Harry Reid and Barack Obama had any balls, the Senate would have adjourned for a weekend so Obama could put Suthers in as a recess appointment. Let the haters rage! they will anyway ...
... about "Citizens United" ... we are reduced to hoping that the Saudi Royal Family and the Red Army buy competing ads and cancel each other out!
#22
Well thanks to the Supreme Court, we can expect more Ben Nelson's and less Ted Kennedy's in the Democratic Party. Appreciate Obama now, in 10 years we'll miss his extreme liberal agenda that just looks right-of-center to us now.
What a crock o' crap we've been handed. :-(
#23
Thom - about Indian tariffs: in 7 years of selling books online, I have sold to UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa ... but NOT ONE BOOK into India. India as more English speaking people than any of those (except maybe the UK) and some of them have plenty of money and Internet access, but NOT ONE BOOK have I exported there, in 7 years.
Could the tariff be the reason?
This is just a tiny anecdote but I think I am not alone.
#24
Public Campaign Action Fund Petition
A petition to let YOUR senators and congressmen know what you think about the SCOTUS decision:
https://secure3.convio.net/change/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=U...
#25
Welcome white progressives to the world of minorities where representation of We the People was thrown out the Supreme Court rooms for Citizens United!
#26
@DDay - re: Since when is favoring unions un-American?
Apparently, since this morning.
#27
About corporate influence on elections - y'all should read John Gresham's "The Verdict" --- a very excellent novel about the role of money in state judicial elections even BEFORE "Citizens United".
Now that corporations can spend millions on state supreme court races, Gresham's novel is actually a very moderate look at the danger to us all.
#28
So this is what Prez. Bush, Sr. meant by "The New World Order."
#29
I wonder if the corporations will even bother with the religious right any more. Think about it, why do they need them now? Corporate Republicans are far easier to control then Religious Zealots.
It'll be Mit Romney not Cara bu Barbie, that'll be the forerunner in the next Presidental campaign now.
#30
"Does the gentleman from Montana......I'm sorry, from United Health Care yeild his time?"
Welcome to the United Corporations of America! The land of the free-market and the home of the brave new world!
#31
I hope the big union heads burn Obama's butt over caving on Southers. They should threaten his re-election support. Time to get tough.
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." T. Paine
#32
Thom,
I think that you would agree that most citizens are uneducated on what's happening in this country and complacent even though they're increasingly uneasy. Do you think it's possible for us to salvage our America, especially after today's ruling? Does it sound crazy for us to seriously consider moving out of the country? Some of the best and brightest moved to America over the centuries for a better life. Is it time "we" move out?
#33
Well perhaps now we'll be able to buy stock options on our favorite Senators. Sink your 401K into Lieberman or O'Connell futures.
#34
Thom,
what can I do to reppeal the court's decision and stop the corparate conquest?
#35
Along with the ability to spend unlimited $$ on advertising goes control of the Media! Corporations get a two-fer with Supreme Court Ruling!
#36
I took my mother-in-law to the emergency room yesterday. While we waited for her to be "checked in" I noticed that the TV for the entire area was tuned to Fox News. The idea that the Repug. propaganda channel should be airing its lies (especially in the light of the current healthcare legislation debacle) in a HOSPITAL really infuriated me. I asked one of the staff people to either change the channel or turn off the TV. She changed the channel. I told her the channel was CRAP!
I guess I will no longer settle. I am my OWN "teabag" event! (No double-entendres, please! LOL!)
I WILL NO LONGER PUT UP WITH CRAP!
#37
"Citizens United" stands for the proposition that Al Qaeda recruiting videos have the same first amendment rights as everyone else.
#38
America will be the new China. Corporations have been to the mountain and that mountain is China. An empire linked at the hip to its industry works perfectly for the multi-national corporations.
This decision will result in the dismantling of hard fought consumer and worker protections.
#39
MoveToAmend.org
(707) 269-0984
#40
@bluemark- thx, you brought me a small ray of hope!
Also, if anyone has read Megatrends - you saw this all coming down the road, as well as Future... can't recall name of that last book-
But what about non-profits? I know you can be a 3c vs a 4c and then be political, but why not get rid of the septum?
#41
Corporations are in effect, cities, states, countries.
#42
Jay just said that the Supreme Court decision said, "if the corporations have some rights, then they should have full rights." Oh really...well, now corporations have more rights that gays. Hmmm...
#43
If Obama is wondering what he should be doing, he should listen to his speeches from the campaign. This is why we voted for him. It's time - it's critical - that he now put words into action. Words do matter when they are backed by action!
#44
Anyone want to take bets on how long before we see debtors prisons?
#45
Nels - why have debtors' prisons when there's plenty of bridges to sleep under?
Prisoners have to be fed. The homeless can be ignored.
#46
Nels, I've been thinking the same thing...
#47
rewinn,
Yes, a very pragmatic solution.
#48
debtors callbanks - they are cheaper than india - $1 a day until your debt is paid off... oh and we charge $2 a day for meals...
#49
@rewinn well its necessary to put the chilling fear of prison into the souls of the underclass so they are willing to accept slave wages. Prison guards don't make profit off of people sleeping under bridges. Also the privileged class really does not like the unpleasant icky feelings they get are confronted with human suffering as the drive down the street.
To corporations its not only necessary put the majority of us in the gutter, they also have strong desires to keep their boots on our necks.
#50
I'm tired of being a second class citizen just cuz I had the misfortune of being born human!
We should the demand the same rights as corporations such as limited liability.
Looks like it is time to sue under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
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At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a Mrs. Powel anxiously awaited the results, and as Benjamin Franklin emerged from the long task now finished, asked him directly: "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" "A republic if you can keep it" responded Franklin.
It sure looks like we could not keep the republic given to us my our forefathers.
It seems to me that this is the final nail in the coffin of democracy.