A Letdown Squid

OWS POST FEEDBACK (2)

executivebeard

This person has a fundamental flaw in his knowledge and reasoning. Democratic governments represent the people and are accountable to the people. Corporations do not represent the people nor are corporations accountable to citizens. Democratically elected governments answer to the citizens. Corporations do not answer to citizens. Corporations only answer to the executive officers and board members. Sadly the way laws and regulations have been hollowed out or taken away from the billions of dollars of lobbying that corporations have done over the past couple decades, corporations are barely even accountable to their stock holders. Now corporations are after our government. The supreme court’s decision on the Citizens United case is the worse decision made by the supreme court. Their decision allows for a legal attack on our democratic process. Corporations acting on their own or as a group can now use unlimited amount of funds in national elections down to local elections. You voice as a citizen will be drowned out by corporate backed PACS dispensing a sea of funds for people running for office that answer to the PACS and not caring about the citizens. I read an article recently how a nationally backed PAC for school vouchers has gotten involved in a local education council election in a town in NC. A person running for reelection was interviewed. During the first time he ran a couple of years ago, he and his wife ran the campaign and expensives were a few thousand dollars. This time he has had to get a team of people and the campaign expensives are tens of times larger at the minimum. And, he isn’t keeping up with the amount of money spent by that nonlocal PAC or going to pro voucher person who is running a campaign.

Please remember, government represents the RIGHTS of the people. Corporations DO represent the INTERESTS of the people. Remember these companies have investors, the majority of which are the 99% with their 401K’s, their “small” investments with their life savings. Corporations are completely accountable to their stockholders (if they want to stay in running) and as such often feel the responsibility to make sure those constituents see a profit. You seem to have a fundamental flaw in your reasoning and knowledge of how business works. 

You cited Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission.  You mean that case where the Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment prohibited the government from censoring political broadcasts in candidate elections when those broadcasts are funded by corporations…AND UNIONS!!!  Yes, it was an attack; on censorship. And the case revolved around Citizens United, a non-profit, not some big ‘ol corporation. You argue that corporations can influence elections down to a local level.  Yeah, and now so can non-profits and civil-unions, and charitable organizations.

You do mention an unfortunate side affect.  In a political arena that requires more and more money just to be heard it is true that people with real solutions may go unheard.  But then again look what a small little Canadian activist group started in Zuccotti park 2 months ago.  Perhaps money was never the issue.  Nothing stops an idea, right?  Or a movement that’s time has come?  Perhaps the 99% and not the 1% has the power to change things and maybe we always did.  Maybe we shouldn’t be blaming the “corporations” for our apathy, for not holding OUR representatives accountable.  Maybe we’re the 100% and it’s all OUR fault. 

One thing is for certain, as this continues and escalates OWS will lose the support of more and more observers.  With threats to obstruct subways and streets, and some now making open acts of aggression, they will only alienate themselves and push away the other 99%…like me.

17 November 2011 · Comments

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• OWS
• occupy Wall Street