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September 7, 2008 at 12:46:05
Promoted to Headline (H2) on 9/7/08: by michael payne Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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Here is the common dictionary definition of democracy: government by the people; rule of the majority; a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation involving periodically held free elections.
What? That is what democracy is actually supposed to be? Sorry, but that definition of democracy no longer fits this America. This definition does not at all describe what is going on in America today; this definition may be what our founders had in mind as the guiding principle for the governance of our nation, but the current executive branch has trashed the U.S. Constitution, has wrested control of that supreme power from the people and declared that the only power that shall be recognized is – its own.
Here is my new definition of democracy in America: no longer rule of the majority; a government in which the supreme power is no longer vested in the people, but in the executive branch; and exercised by them solely through a system involving elections that have proven to be highly suspect.
In our democracy, the greatest influence upon our government, both our elected representatives in Congress and the president, by Constitutional design, is the American electorate. But what has been happening steadily over the past several decades is a continuing erosion of this mandated power and influence of the people. The Executive Branch and the American Corporate community have, together, usurped this power and taken it from the people. Who does this Congress and the White House listen to when carrying out their constitutional responsibilities, the American people or the American Corporations and associated special interest groups? It is now very clear that it is not the American people.
Speaking of corporations, here is a quote that many years ago warned America of the dangers from excessive corporate power: "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country...corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war."
President Abraham Lincoln
From the inception of the Bush/Cheney administration, this White House has been tied directly to Corporate Oil. Cheney's energy task force met in secret and made plans for America; and especially for themselves that neither Congress nor the American people know anything about to this day. Soon after, we witnessed the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq and the pacification and subjugation of the Iraqi people. Since then this oil-driven administration has spent much time and effort to convince Iraq's government to accept the major petroleum corporations whose goal is to obtain the majority control over that nation's vast oil reserves. What a cunning, creative way to develop and implement an energy plan for America and, at the same time, make Iraq the spigot that will feed our insatiable appetite and addiction for oil.
The influence of major corporations in our nation is immense. Estimates of the total number of lobbyists that function from their primary base of operation, K Street and nearby areas of Washington DC, reach as high as 35,000, a staggering number. There can be no doubt whatsoever that these lobbyists have a tremendous influence upon the White House and upon the members of the House and Senate. No such closeness exists between the Congress and the American people, its supposed employer. In fact it seems like the opposite is true in that Congress almost seems to be oblivious to the mandate that they were given by the American electorate in 2006. If they had accepted that mandate and had acted in the best interests of the American people, things in America would be quite different from what they are today.
Trashing the Constitution:
Slowly but surely America is becoming a nation under tighter and tighter government surveillance. The wiretapping involving the FISA law that has been at the center of a great debate is the greatest example of how the US government is violating the privacy of the citizens of America, all in the name of their war on terror. We are experiencing the beginning stages of the eventual complete control of America, as depicted in the classic book, "1984" by that visionary author, George Orwell.
In case you haven't read this novel, Orwell chillingly depicts a scenario in which a fictitious government uses secretive surveillance, a program of instilling fear through incessant propaganda, and the use of repressive techniques to control its citizens. Does the year 2008 begin to look a lot like the scenario in Orwell's 1984? You bet it does, in a very frightful way. We are not there yet but we are rapidly heading directly in that direction.
In a special White House meeting in November, 2005, GOP leaders told Bush that his hard-core push to renew the more onerous provisions of the Patriot Act could further alienate conservatives still mad at the President from his botched attempt to nominate White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. “Mr. President,” one aide in the meeting said, “There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution.” “Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!” Three people present at that meeting each confirmed to the press that this President of the United States said exactly those words.
Since the year 2000 Americans have watched in silence and disbelief as an imperial presidency has taken control of our government and our nation. This Bush administration has made it known that they are above any law, they do not recognize the Constitution, the Congress or the American people as having any relevancy in the agenda that they have developed. They completely ignore congressional hearings, any and all subpoenas, refuse to supply necessary information requested by oversight committees, and use signing statements to ignore laws enacted Congress.
Finally, as our Constitution comes under constant fire and attack by those who believe they are above the law, the people of America cannot continue to watch in silence. Our democracy is slipping away as so many of us say, "what can I do?" What can you do? Here's what! Contact your senators and representatives by phone, e-mail, letters and make your opinions known on this subject or any other that you feel is critical to this nation's welfare and future. Sign online web petitions, and there are many of them, to pressure our elected representatives to stop the corruption, to once again be responsible for oversight of the executive branch, to refuse to be complicit in acts that violate our Constitution such as illegal, immoral wars, to resist the influences of special interests and lobbyists of all stripes.
Something of great importance that we must do that is just not happening right now. Talk to your friends, your family members, your fellow workers about these issues. You need not be overbearing but there are subtle ways that you can bring them up and start some sort of dialogue. Far too many Americans continue to go about their business as usual, even they know that this country is definitely headed in the wrong direction. This silence and the reluctance to speak out strongly about what is happening to our Constitution and our democracy cannot continue. This nation is on a course leading to disastrous consequences unless we turn our government around. We, collectively, have the power to do just that, but we must find the courage, conviction and the will to make it happen.
Thinking about speaking out, getting involved, saying "enough is enough, I'm not going to take it anymore", let me give you a quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller as he recalled the silence of the German people during the period that the Nazis rose to power. "In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then . . . they came for me; And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
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You're venting to the choir
No one more than me can appreciate the need to vent right now, but it would be useful for writers here to see if they are actually adding anything new to the discussion of our current state of affairs. For example, a seach of articles about the destruction of the Constitution would net you a bevy of articles dating back to 2002 by myself and others who saw the writing on the wall and did our damnedest to try to wake the rest of the country up. We were not particularly successful, but the war in Iraq has been. (Sadly, it seems it takes the loss and destruction of thousands of lives to wake people up.) Almost 80 percent of Americans are disgusted with the current administration, over 90 percent are disgusted with Congress and its failure to do the job we gave it in November of 2006 (can anyone say "betrayal"?) and even the Kool-Aid drinking delegates at the RNC convention this week were relieved to not have Bush attend in person or have his henchman Cheney attend at all. Meanwhile Ron Paul attracted thousands to his party across the river. His message? Its up to us to take back our Constitution. Right now the push really needs to be finding a way to enact Article V (the way stated in Article V is not working, as all 50 states will attest, having been ignored an aggregate of about 600 times in the last decade), so we can initiate a real Constitutional Convention (waaay overdue - the framers expected us to do it about every 20 years or so), and send Congress home for the duration. (Perferably to return only upon reelection in special elections where TV ads are prohibited. A girl can dream.) Our Constitution has been under attack since the 1960s, and we were never a true democracy, we are a federal democratic republic. America is not watching in silence, America is finally seriously pissed off, albeit a few years too late, which is why I hope Americans vote in such record numbers this fall that not only will it be impossible for the hijacked voting machines to keep up, but at least one or two of the third party candidates will get the five percent needed to make their parties viable nationally (one of those necessities to making the country more democratic) while still electing the candidate who - while far from perfect - seems better prepared to help us do what we sovereigns need to do to take back our country. Barack Obama is a Constitutional scholar. John McCain isn't. Swing staters, you have a job to do (vote for the Constitutional Scholar). The rest of us progressives and libertarians need to vote for Cynthia McKinney or Bob Barr. (I know a few of you will vote for Nadar, but don't most of you think it's time Ralph retired so the history books will look on his pre-2000 record with kindness?) I grant you the water is scalding and the full boil is upon us, but the frogs are actually starting to jump out of the pot now. Don't let the activities in St. Paul this week discourage you. A lot of us stayed away because we heard that HSD and the FBI were there running the show, and getting arrested simply for being there (as opposed to being arrested for acts of civil disobedience) undermines the entire message of protest. Which was, of course, their goal. We have to find new ways to thwart them. Calling a Constitutional Convention might be one way to start. by ear (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 49 comments) on Sunday, Sep 7, 2008 at 2:00:26 PM  (0+)
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Just a minor quibble....
I agree with everything in this article, Michael, except.... Contact your senators and representatives by phone, e-mail, letters and make your opinions known on this subject or any other that you feel is critical to this nation's welfare and future. If you happen to have missed it, The Prevailing Theory (don't miss the links included in the original diary) spells out the reasons that elected officials are not our representatives and are not accountable to us. This is not a democracy because that "goddamned piece of paper," as the President of the United States called our Constitution, did not allow us to directly vote for President or Vice-President, did not allow us to directly remove from office a President, Vice-President, or Member of Congress who was fraudulently elected or violates their oath to uphold the "goddamned piece of paper," and established, as the highest law of the land from which there is no appeal, a Supreme Court for which there are no particular qualifications other than to be appointed by someone who may have been fraudulently elected or selected for office by that same corrupt partisan bunch of clowns, and which can in no sense be considered compatible with the dictionary definition of democracy. Some of us have been watching and even speaking out when possible. Other Americans have been watching the ballgame on TV. Unfortunately, too many still believe that voting can make a difference. It can not. If you're really mad as hell and don't want to take it any more, if you really want to show them who's boss, you have to gather up the courage to stop voting, to stop giving your mandate to people you cannot hold accountable, to stop delegating your power to people who do not represent you, and to start working towards citizen-owned, transparent participatory democracy. If you continue to vote in crooked elections, don't act surprised when you continue to have a government run by crooks. by Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments) on Sunday, Sep 7, 2008 at 8:22:22 PM (0+)
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What are people to do?
People have become too dumb, too addicted, too affraid, and too self absorbed to do anything about what is going on. The situation our culture is in today, the reality of the America we have become compared to that which we started out as, is like watching a giant tree fall on your house. All we can do is watch at this moment. by Dwight Black (16 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 50 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Sep 7, 2008 at 8:48:14 PM (0+)
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Reply: There is something we can do, Dwight.
We may not be able to stop the tree from falling on our house, but if we recognize that we're the ones pushing it over onto our house, we can stop. We might be able to change the direction in which it falls, or we might be able to stop it from falling at all. Most Americans disapprove of the wars, disapprove of Congress, and disapprove of our government. All we have to do is stop voting for anything we do not approve of. Congressional Democrats, for example, have only an 11% approval rating among Democratic voters. But many are still going to vote for a Congressional Democrat on the basis that he's not as evil as the Republican. We did that in 2000, and we got the Republican. We did it again in 2004, and again we got the Republican. Isn't it psychotic to think that if once again we vote for the Democrat because he's less evil than the Republican, we won't get the Republican again? Or, since the Congressional Democrats have voted for everything the Republicans wanted and are still protecting Bush and Cheney from impeachment, that if we got the Democrat he would have a different agenda from the Republican? Our elections are rigged, so whoever "wins" the rigged "election" is going to continue the same agenda. Otherwise the machines wouldn't be programmed to allow them to "win." Congress has pre-funded the wars until 2010. At the very least, those who oppose the wars shouldn't vote, because both candidates are committed to continuing the wars. After an election, the government always claims that it was democratically elected and has the support of the American people. Right now less than half the electorate votes in our rigged elections for candidates we cannot hold accountable and who have an agenda we disapprove of. What we can do is stop voting, not allow our votes, whether for the Democrat, the Republican, or for a third party or independent candidate, to be flipped to whoever those who order the central tabulator programming have pre-selected to "win," and to demonstrate clearly to the world that we do not support the wars, we do not support this illegitimate government, and we will not vote for it. A government can only claim to be legitimate if it has the consent of the governed. In order to demonstrate this consent, governments hold elections. Because our elections are rigged, the only way that we can withdraw our consent is to boycott the election and refuse to vote. The Apartheid regime in South Africa did not have the support of the people of South Africa. But as long as people voted, it was able to claim that it did. Because it held elections, it was considered to be the legitimate government and the opposition was demonized as Communists, rebels, and terrorists. Remember Nelson Mandela spending 27 years in prison? But when they held another election and there was a national boycott and very few people voted, it became clear that the government was NOT legitimate and did NOT have the support of the South African people. From that moment on it was no longer possible for governments which claimed to be legitimate to support a government that obviously was not, and then it was the opposition which was legitimate, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, new elections were held, everybody voted, and he became President. If only those who approve of our government vote, it will fall, but not on us the way it will if it is allowed to continue pursuing wars of aggression at a cost of a million dollars every two minutes. It will fall on itself and we and our house will be saved. We are the only reason that a government we do not approve of is able to claim to be legitimate and to have our support. When we vote in the rigged elections, we are granting whoever wins our mandate to do whatever they wish. And we're not going to like the next four years any more than we've liked the past eight. It is time to stop supporting what we do not want. No matter who "wins" the wars will continue. But if we don't vote, whoever "wins" will not be able to claim a mandate, will not be able to claim to have been legitimately elected, will not be able to claim the consent of the governed, and will not have our permission to continue spending a million dollars every two minutes, money we don't even have and that just drives us deeper into debt, on wars we don't approve of. If you don't want the tree to fall over on your house, stop pushing it over onto your house. Because if you keep pushing it onto your house, and claiming that you can't stop because you're unable to stop, you'll have only yourself to blame. You CAN stop. Voting isn't anywhere near as addictive as nicotine and many Americans have stopped smoking. Understand that it is bad for your health and for your kids, think about the money you'll save, and join with the 52% of the electorate that no longer votes. If those who don't approve of our government stop voting, we can bring that percentage up to 80% or 90%. An election with only 10% or 20% turnout will change the direction of our government. The tree won't fall on us. The country you'll save will once again be your own. by Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 7:38:53 AM (0+)
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too late
America has become to complacent to care about democracy or do anything about it.Do you really believe youy could get 80% of the people to stop voting and even if you did,a real impossibility,would our current facist government even care.The rich control which candidates get heard and elected,the media helps them and controls the brains of the majority puppets.Thomas Jefferson has the real solution.He said a good revolution with physical force was needced every so often to keep government from becoming corrupt.Look at South and central America they have been only able to achieve what freedom they have through revolutions not by going through crooked voting.The time for democracy has passed.the Facist control the government.Enjoy it or take Jeffersons advice because just like Rome we have become complacent and prefer bread and circuses to getting off our fannies by liberalsrock (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 256 comments [53 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 8:47:59 AM (0+)
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This author and many others would gain considerably
from reading my book Delusional Democracy, which not only documents the decline of American democracy over a fairly long period under both Democratic and Republican control, but also presents a set of detailed ways to fix our republic. Second, if you want to take action, then get smart about the soluton our Founders gave us in Article V by spending serious time examining the materials at www.foavc.org. by Joel S. Hirschhorn (141 articles, 50 quicklinks, 65 diaries, 546 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 9:08:24 AM (0+)
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Silence
NSPD-51, military commissions act, the patriot act to name a few have all but quashed the Constitution. All in the name to protect us? I don't think so! We have become a nation of sissies, period. Nobody has the balls that Gandhi, MLK and JFK had. Nobody. I have said time and time again that we can sit and complain but without any action, that is all it is, complaints! Where is our Jefferson our Adams or Washington when we need them? We need an influential leader to start this Revolution and it needs to happen right now, not next year... by Hal Smith (4 articles, 1 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 67 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 9:28:57 AM (0+)
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Reply: You've Overlooking Someone...
" Nobody has the balls that Gandhi, MLK and JFK had. ...Where is our Jefferson our Adams or Washington when we need them?" He's right under your nose, steely balls and all, heroically stabbing at the beast from within it's sour belly. His name is Dennis Kucinich. by Donald Rankin III (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 60 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 12:57:31 PM (0+)
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Reply: Pure Fantasy
Anyone who thinks Kucinich, Ron Paul or any other alternative candidate is the answer is drinking kool-aid with the rest of the sheep in America and is a disillusioned fool. The alternative candidates are provided to yield the illusion of potential and have NO CHANCE of ever winning an election in this country. They suck up your dollars promising fantasy while laughing all the way to the bank. Great perspective, wake up. by jeff prager (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 188 comments) on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2008 at 12:19:39 AM (0+)
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Reply: No Fantasies Here
We're ablaze and Kucinich has manned his post, offering the extinguishers. All you're doing is standing in the way, deriding him and insisting I'm a fool for not believing or doing what you do. Of course I know we might not succeed, but between you and me who's the bigger fool? Impeachment: The founders would. We should. Without defeatism like yours, we easily could. by Donald Rankin III (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 60 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 at 12:17:27 AM (0+)
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Orwell
The author actually states that it isn't 1984 "yet"..!!! It has been 1984 since 1947 when the National Security Act effectively replaced the Costitution and gave the US the secret government of the CIA; the Wall Street Boys in league with the international bankers. Vote??? You've got to be kidding me..."That trick never works Bullwinkle!" by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 1:03:27 PM (0+)
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No Americans in Congress
What does one do? The newspapers and televison media will not tell the truth and there are no Americans in our federal government. by Billy Ray Wilson (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 30 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 1:10:41 PM (0+)
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No one to vote for
I agree with most of this article. Our rights under the constitution have been hi-jacked. Everyone says McCain is nothing but a 3rd term for Bush. On the other side we have a candidate in Obama that is so questionable that he looks just as bad, being backed by guys like Soros and some very very bad friends in Chicago. These two people, in my humble opinion, have been hand picked by none other then the Bilderberger Group. I believe we have been out voted by people in the shadows. If you want change, we need to look in another direction then the status quo. We need to change this money backed only candidates to an honest system that would allow people of any backround to run. Why not a butcher, a banker or an iron worker instead of some legal eagle lawyer with big, huge pockets of money buying their way into the big seat. I have seen people with masters degrees that couldn't hold a candle to some people with an 8th grade education. Common sense is what it takes to run your life and your country, we need to get back to basics. by Jay Timmins (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 113 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Sep 8, 2008 at 5:58:11 PM (0+)
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Anyone
Anyone who thinks Kucinich, Ron Paul or any other alternative candidate is the answer is drinking kool-aid with the rest of the sheep in America and is a disillusioned fool. The alternative candidates are provided to yield the illusion of potential and have NO CHANCE of ever winning an election in this country. They suck up your dollars promising fantasy while laughing all the way to the bank. Whoever mentioned above that the only answer is to stop voting has a clue, unlike the BUDsters that make up the greater percentage of Americans, voting for sociopathic criminals that dress well and command respect from the masses. It's sickening. While the sham press attempts to hypnotize the masses with untruths, lies and propaganda, which is working by the way, the elitist leaders are plundering earths resources for personal profit. While we argue non-issue political ideology the elitist corporations and bankers control the strings on the puppets of government. While the deceitful Democratic and Republican parties attempt to fool the masses into believing they are different the government moves towards a police state without addressing the issues of poverty, economics, energy and monetary policy which so much affect us all. The economic circumstances in America will have to get much, much worse before anyone pays the slightest attention. Americans are too busy playing computer games and watching American Idol to bother with anything as important as government. The American People, The BUD People, The Broke Useless and Depressed. We are the MPBs, Money, Power and Brains. As long as we keep food on the BUDSTERS tables, a roof over their heads, a car in their driveway and gas in their gas tanks to go to and from work we can keep the BUDSTERS at bay. --President George H. W. Bush Truer Words Never Spoken! by jeff prager (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 188 comments) on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2008 at 12:16:12 AM (0+)
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Reply: There IS a plan.
It's called impeachment. Not surprisingly there is opposition to the plan, from the criminals at one extreme and the defeatists at the other. Are you helping or hurting the effort? by Donald Rankin III (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 60 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 13, 2008 at 11:58:48 PM (0+)
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Denouncing Discouraging Defeatists
With all the problems we're facing TOGETHER, the best you can do here is throw yourselves in front of progress like vandals' boxes of tacks? You are the WORST kind of stooges! Worse than the lazy, worse than the apathetic, worse than cowardly, worse than virtually any mental defective! You are simply loud-mouthed cheerleaders for failure: ill-informed, cynical, antagonistic nay-sayers. How do you escape your beds each morning with such defeatist attitudes?!? AS YOU ARE, you epitomize our problems. You enable our problems. Indeed, people like you SUSTAIN our problems! by Donald Rankin III (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 60 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 13, 2008 at 11:50:51 PM (0+)
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