How Do We Bring America Back?

Thom plus logo Twenty one Tories have now left Boris Johnson and his Conservative party to join the Liberal Democrats and other parties in the UK in stopping Boris Johnson from a hard Brexit. In other words, they took a position in the best interest of their constituents, and were willing to buck their party and take a political chance to do the right thing.

Meanwhile, here in the US, Republicans cower in terror before their billionaire overlords and even ridiculously continue to insist that guns don't kill people and fossil fuels don't cause climate change. The difference? The United Kingdom has relatively strong election and political ethics laws which prevent billionaires and corporations from entirely owning politicians; here in the United States, the Supreme Court has rewritten our laws so that it is very easy for politicians to be owned by corporations and billionaires. Until America changes its election laws, as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are calling for, we will continue to see the pathetic spectacle of Republicans denying climate change to keep in the good graces of Koch Industries and ExxonMobil, and corporate Democrats booked into high dollar fundraisers hosted by fossil fuel company founders right after they participate in discussions of global climate change.

America is now officially the most politically corrupt develop nation in the world. If we are to return to a functioning democracy, that has to change.

-Thom

Comments

Hephaestus's picture
Hephaestus 3 years 29 weeks ago
#1

Please don't forget the "will of the people" calling to leave EU in the 2016 referendum

Seems that more than a few are forgetting this

I always thought "we the people" were sovereign and members of the house of commons their servants

SueN's picture
SueN 3 years 29 weeks ago
#2

But what exactly did they vote for? Some would argue that they did not vote for brexit without a deal.

I would argue that there was so much misinformation during the campaigning, and so little research or thought by those who were for Brexit, that the referendum was completely invalid.

Brexiters probably voted on single issues, like immigration or some regulation that affected them adversely, rather than being able to see the whole picture.

Personally, I saw advantages and disadvantages to both staying and leaving, and voted remain because I did not see a brexit under the conservatives as bringing any positive change, as I had done my research and found out how little room for manoeuvre they had. I would have voted leave if it was led by somebody with a positive and practical vision.

Now, the thought of having to deal with Trump for trade, even though he is nowhere near as good at the art of the deal as he thinks he is, is frightening, as he is so unpredictable.

On the other hand, we have soured our relationship with Europe, so staying in is less desirable than it was.

So, the conservatives have landed Britain in an unholy mess and frittered away precious time that we should have spent combatting climate change. It will take a significant change in leadership to dig ourselves out of this hole. More of the same need not apply.

Hephaestus's picture
Hephaestus 3 years 29 weeks ago
#3

Thanks Sue!

I am not being political for I have no affinity to any of it

Since we have to live in a so called "democratic" system then we need to abide by rules

I reiterate, the referendum in '75 was about a trading arrangement named "the common market"

It appears to me we are now about sovereignty... who determines how citizens are ruled and by whom

UK has lost it... period!

SueN's picture
SueN 3 years 29 weeks ago
#4

Never a dull moment...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-49661855

Brexit: Scottish judges rule Parliament suspension is unlawful

I reckon Boris was within his rights to suspend parliament, but the timing and length are clearly political, and therefore should not be done, don't you know. Whether the Suprem Court will rule next week that that makes that illegal or not, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm not party political either, and there is a lot of blame to go round on the issue, but clearly the conservatives started it and are still making a mess of it.

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