Are ALEC and the Politicians They Fund Complicit in Niklas Cruz's Florida School Shooting?
By Thom Hartmann A...
The Koch American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) group writes many of our laws rather than the legislators. This is the result of a series of Supreme Court decisions starting with Buckley v. Valeo in 1976 and reaching their peak with Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010 and McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission in 2014.
Citizens United said that it's no problem, it's perfectly legal if a member of Congress wants to prostitute themselves, essentially, if they want to sell their vote, if they want to sell legislation that they introduce to the billionaire Koch brothers, to the Walton family, to Bill Gates or if an entire political party wants to sell out to a group of billionaires as the Republicans have done with the Koch network which has committed 400 billion dollars to them for this election cycle.
That's just fine, that's what the founders intended, that's why they wrote the first amendment - that's what the Supreme Court said.
It's total BS. It's a lie. It has destroyed our politics.
In 2011 in his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called out the Supreme Court for their 22 October 2010 Citizens United ruling and and Sam Alito, mouths "not true" at Barack Obama. Sam Alito's a fool. How did this idiot get on the Supreme Court? Well, then we had a Republican president, of course.
The Supreme Court said it's legal to own politicians and so sure enough, every group from the chemical manufacturers to the drug manufacturers to the gun manufacturers said, "hey, hey, let's buy some politicians".
And while the Democratic Party to a large extent, at least half of the Democratic Party, has been saying, "no, we're not going to be for sale," the entire Republican Party said, "oh, yeah, this is how we can get power." And that's what they're doing and they don't give a rat's ass about the future of America. These Republicans don't give a damn about these kids that were murdered.
Comments
#2
HC, The source of your "food for thought" wasn't Mein Kampf by any chance? It certainly is the most racist post I've seen on this site.
Call me skeptical regarding your multi-racial dinners where people of color are told that you would be a lot happier if they would go back to where they came from... "Thanks for coming to my multi-racial dinner...by the way, you are not welcome here and I would be a lot happier if you would go back to your own culture...pass the mashed potatoes please...just food for thought"
Incidentally, Bush/Cheney made huges cuts to the military and closed military bases. In my opinion, the only thing they did right. I suggest you Google Bush-Cheney military cuts.
#3
The Koch Bros. aren't Scott Walkers only PIMP...
#4
#5
stopgap.
Totally agree. The only people l ever hear use the, "lm not a racist.. Ive got black ( or Hispanic or Asian..etc.) friends".. ARE RACISTS!
And most of them are Republicans...
And as far as lm concerned..
We should shut down the vast majority of our military bases.
Its long over due. We must stop being the worlds "Imperialist" police force! With our "corporate" geopolitical agenda..which sure as hell isn't to spread " Democracy"!!
These countries dont hate us because of our "freedom"...
[Freedom, thats a joke. Most of us are only one paycheck away from disaster!]
No, thay hate us because we FUCK with them!
Over and over and over...
#6
#38 Stopgap
Culero. Es en pendejo!
#7
To be honest, I think we are all a bit racist and tribalist. I don't think that 10 million years of human tribal evolution can be easily wiped away from our DNA with a couple of hundred years of enlightenment. And our founding fathers certainly didn't think that either.
However, its not about ones own personal feelings or biases, its about how ones actions relates to society and government. You can think and even say whatever you want and even do whatever you want within your own private boundaries, but no one has the right to impose their personal biases on society or make laws to impose prejudice on the people at large. You can rant and rave about those from other races all you want, but you can't make prejudice into law, nor can you impose it on those that are unwilling to accept it. At least no in the good ole USA.
Its about "We The People" meaning all of us, not we the prejudice individuals or religious cults.
#8
Doorknobs, You're welcome! Chinga tu madre!!
#9
Thom, the latest 7C Constitution is @ bit.ly/7C32PDF about 85 pages.
I know you talked about the time of punishment beginning 3000 years ago, but my King James Bible says Moses wrote it in 1450-1410BC thus its about 3500 years ago, give or take 100 years. It's not really relevant, but my point is we need Concept 4, to abolish punishment.
Also my petition for starting the 7C Constitution is
https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-we-need-to-start-a-new-governmen...
And,
#10
stopgap
I hear ya.. Its probably as old as when "we" left our caves and ventured forth..
And discovered a "different we" also venturing forth from a "different" cave..
And lm not so sure what our "founding fathers" meant by.. " We the People"?!? They obviously weren't talking about women. Or about men who didn't own land. And they sure as hell weren't talking about the "black people" that they owned as property!
#11
Only catching the first ten minutes of your last hour ranting, I upped my membership from Life to Benefactor. The unhinged leftie/socialists are busy doing exactly what they accused the press of doing for Donald Trump.
Don't bother asking why the local LE was called to the Cruz residence 39 times or why the school had him expelled a number of times, or why the FBI openly admitted dropping the ball and getting this guy on the NICS check, let's instead, help raise more money for the NRA. Holy shit you guys really need to alter your thinking process.
Here is a start,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/15/grandmother-fo...
#12
I was raised in a family that enjoys the sport of hunting. And we all own guns. Mostly long guns. And almost all of them for hunting game. NONE of my guns have 20+ round magazines. You absolutely dont need it for hunting.
And yes... I'd have a real problem giving up my guns.
That being said..
I do believe we as Americans should be able to own firearms. But, the ownership should come as a privilege. NOT A RIGHT!
There should be firearm safety schooling, testing and licensing before ownership is allowed. And there should be strict, uniform Nationwide background checks!
My god... Its harder to get a drivers license than it is to purchase and own a gun!
And the" gun show loophole" drastically needs to be eliminated!! Anybody...and l mean ANYBODY, can virtually buy anything they want at gun shows, with almost no oversight.. Through the years, I've been to countless gun shows in numerous states. And they're all basically the same.. No matter who you are. Or what state of mind your in. If you got enough "green" in your pocket.. You can walk out with anything!
And I've NEVER joined the NRA! And l never will. They do NOT represent me as a gun owner at all! In fact, they're not here to represent any gun owner!! But, they've sure done a beautiful job of suckering-" Joe and Jane sixpack" into believing they do... When in reality... They're an extremely powerful, extremely dangerous, and absolutely huge lobbying group that only exists to represent the gun, and ammunition manufacturers!!
Buying up politicians with their corrupt, corporate, dark money..
#13
It is the laws that protect the gun owner but not the citizen. A few years ago a guy was walking down the street in Colorado Springs with an AK47. 3 different people called 911 but the operator said it was an open carry state and it was legal. It was not until he shot the first person that they could respond. 3 were killed before the police shot him. The average citizen has no laws that protect them.
#14
Suppose the school shooters or whoever killed the sheriffs had not had the weapon (gun) that they did. Would they have then just said, oh well, I don't have an AR, so I guess I won't go through with it? I don't think so. They would have found some other means to follow through with their intent.
Because our schools now allow bullying to take place, and forbid those who are being bullied to fight back or defend themselves, it's not hard to figure out that those being bullied will reach a snapping point somewhere and come roaring back. Not having an AR15 certainly won't stop them. They will find some other means, like building a bomb. We seem to think that by banning a particular type of gun that that's going to solve the problem of someone going in to shoot up a place. That's pure lunacy and totally hiding our head in the sand as to what the real problems are.
We become just like doctors - treating the symptoms, not the cause.
#15
sorry, I hit save twice, didn't mean to.
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Coffee, when all is said and done, I truly feel sorry for you, Kend, Diane, and Bachmann. I feel like I'm picking on fellow citizens who have been damaged by brainwashing. If you think those issues I listed are offensive to half the nation, you're sadly wrong...check the polls and your own conscience. Your Clinton issues are largely Putin Kool Aid. Hillary is not the monster, Trump is....I pray people like you wake up before its too late for the entire planet...I'm dead serious.