The People Speak / Howard Zinn = American Democratic madness

I came across a website called "The People Speak" which promotes a film by the same name and purportedly a "movement" though the site fails to mention just what that movement is about. There is lots of star power involved, many famous actors and musicians that most of us would consider to be progressives: Matt Damon, Bruce Springsteen, Don Cheadle, Bob Dylan, Sean Penn, Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tomei, et al.

The website can be found here: www.thepeoplespeak.com...

Having watched the clips and read the content, the theme of "Democracy" pops up over and over again.
Not Once is the word "Republic" used which I found to be more than curious, to me it smacked of intentional disinformation.

I have written the site with my complaint though I really do not expect to hear back from them.
What do you guys think? Has Hollywood put this together to derail any movement towards restoration of the Republic of the United States? Is this more historical revisionism being pushed as progressive? Why the heavy repetition of democracy being used as a mantra?

Howard Zinn is one of my heroes. His book "A People's History of the United States" opened my eyes to many, many things that changed the face of America. In it, Zinn reveals the long history of US labor strikes, indigenous uprisings and mass protest movements that have changed America for the better; establishing basic worker protections and securing rights for minorities and women, etc.
Zinn was a very likable man, a great researcher, teacher, activist and writer. He often put himself on the front lines in the fight to end the Vietnam war and gain basic civil rights protections for all.
Sadly, he passed away not long ago.

Mods:Feel free to move if there is a more appropriate place for this thread, thanks.

I've wanted to read Zinn's book for so long.

I am currently reading a book about Vietnam and I read a quote from an American President, I think it might have been Kennedy or Johnson who talked about events undermining the American democracy.

So I don't think this kind of thing is necessarily a recent phenomenen.

I'm not sure to be honest.

If I find the quote I'll post it.

Shame nobody replied to this thread though. I know the feeling my threads always go down like lead balloons.

Wow,
that video is pure
unadulterated emotional string pulling.
I hope the full version at least contains some facts,
but my impression is that for every fact they will spend
ten times as long telling us how we should feel about it.


David Grouchy

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I have found that even with my level of understanding of this Republic, that the word Democracy means to our people the version of electing people to office used here in the US. However, a Republic is strictly a Represenative Gov and is not a true Democracy. We do use a Democratic process to decide who represents us. Thus, confusing the populace, Then those elected get to decide what is enacted whether we like it or not. We get to throw them out of office, if we just would.

People who are elected are to be kept on a short leash. But as in ancient Rome, the current Republic has abdicated to allowing these few a liitle g, god like status unduly. By those in power taking advantage of the system's own use of distributing that power to those who are senior legislators, it forces the citizens to be afraid to set their elected officials out to pasture. Mainly, for fear the pork barrel will go elsewhere. Too many times, the people will keep a self serving official in office based on the frivoulous pork.

The problem appears to be money raising issures.I don't wish to see legislators having to raise funds for campaigns anymore. Legislation needs to be drafted that puts a permanent end to this practice. Too many promises have to be made to win elections. The elected end up serving special interest money and are not held responsible to the Constitutional aspect of their office. This can only end bad if someone does not make the change soon.