We've Got to Get to the Root

Mr. Walton, you sum everything up quite well.  Thanks for an incisive piece.

  

I have some observations.

  

First, no matter what’s official or what the citizens of The FUSA (The Former United States of America) believe, I believe you give George W. Bush too much credit.

  

This is nothing I can really prove, but, from my vantage point and based somewhat on the essays found on The Project for the New American Century web site, George W. Bush is just the Front Man.  He was the person with the outgoing personality, the politician’s smile and the ability to attract the devotion of middle America that the neocons, led by Cheney, needed to win an election and gain power.  I don’t believe that Bush knows what’s going on most of the time.  When he’s told to issue signing statements, he just signs and may not even ask what he’s signing.  I’m sure he knows that he’s screwing Americans, he just may not always know how.  That’s just how it looks to me, that’s all.

  

You mention that another president may take advantage of the “inroads” towards dictatorship that Bush has made – I paraphrase.  That’s exceptionally insightful and something that we all have to keep in mind.

  

That insightfulness, however, presumes that those who would be president aren’t already hungry for power.  

  

I’ve quoted George Wallace’s statement many times that “there ain’t a dime’s worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats.”

  

I strongly disagreed with Wallace’s ideology in 1968 when he was a candidate for president, but I just as strongly agree with the above statement.

  

We’re not safe with any of the candidates that call themselves Republicans and Democrats.  The only people that qualify are super wealthy people who are trained to say all of the right words.  They say that they’ll fight for the “average” American.  In truth, what they do doesn’t remotely resemble fighting and they have no idea what it is to be an “average” American.

  

We must obtain the right to vote before honest and open people are allowed to become candidates for important national office. 

  

The archaic Electoral College, with it’s almost “Skull & Bones” aura, its mystical and mysterious exclusionary methodology, has to go.

  

One’s cumulative wealth and ability to add to that wealth must be removed from having any influence upon one’s potential to be elected to national office.

  

All candidates from all political parties, or from no political party who have met a reasonable support criteria must be given equal access to the airways during political campaigns.

  

We must somehow be able to regulate political campaigns so that candidates are restricted to talking about the issues and prevented from making irrelevant personal attacks upon their opponents.

  

Until we fix how we don’t elect people to any office which may enable them to run for president, we will be ruled by the aristocratic and privileged red and blue Corporacracy whose sole rule of governance is to create money which creates more money for themselves and their accomplices. 

Michael Bonanno

by Michael Bonanno (85 articles, 19 quicklinks, 24 diaries, 123 comments) on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 7:49:20 PM
 

You've touched on a great point Micheal...

we don't just need campaign finance reform... we need campaign reform.

<>I've long said that running for public office shoudl be free. Money is not speech, it's access. Those with the money, or the support of the monied-class will always remain our "ruling class" until this changes. If the FCC has the ability to fine stations hundreds of thousands dollars because of the appearance of an errant nipple, they have the ability to tell broadcast stations that they provide free airtime for political candidates - with the stipulation that this free airtime be provided to all candidates equally in exchange for tax breaks equal to the lost advertising revenue that would have otherwise been generated.

Candidates could certain stil gather donations and use them how they see fit for direct mailing or even paid advertising on Cable - but the People's Airwaves should remain neutral and free.

<> Accomplish the above and you've gone a very long way toward allowing that the voice of the people finally be heard and headed - regardless of whether there is an "R" or a "D" next to the name of the candidate.

Vyan

by F. Vyan Walton (65 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 12 comments) on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 6:44:09 PM