Throw the Bums OUT!!

When will everyone (especially the OWS crowd) figure out that our government is almost solely responsible for the economic reality we face today? I read day in and day out about new members of our government openly supporting the efforts of OWS. I really can’t wrap my head around how supporting OWS and the vilification of Wall Street will benefit these goons because they are obviously behind the thievery going on. Take a look at this:

RollCall

Members of Congress had a collective net worth of more than $2 billion in 2010, a nearly 25 percent increase over the 2008 total, according to a Roll Call analysis of Members' financial disclosure forms. Nearly 90 percent of that increase is concentrated in the 50 richest Members of Congress. As with the general U.S. population, a few exceedingly wealthy people skew the averages for the rest of the membership. But still, by almost any measure, the average Member of Congress is far wealthier than the average U.S. household.

Congress is getting richer while we’re all struggling? How is that possible? Are they benefiting from the corruption in Wall Street? Maybe even facilitating it??

What’s happening is not a result of capitalism as I’ve heard so many times on ATS. These problems are the result our greedy, corrupt government officials gobbling up power and manipulating the markets through corporatism and crony capitalism. The policies and actions of our federal government (our elected officials) are causing the huge economic collapse that we are entering now.

American Thinker

TARP was signed into law in October 2008, and its crony capitalism effects came mostly after that. But it is important to remember all the things that have happened since 2008: Obamacare became law, the Obama stimulus package was enacted, the Dodd-Frank so-called financial reform law, etc. The real divide is how the rule of law has come to be abused and misused to favor the political establishment and their cronies, while burdening and bullying the rest of us. The political establishment is crushing the economy, killing jobs, and decreasing liberty. What's bad for us is obviously good for them. Cursing the problem doesn't seem to be working.

The sooner everyone identifies and vilifies the correct enemy the sooner we can address the real problems!

By this time, everyone should be aware of the federal policies that precipitated the housing bubble and its collapse — the push by Congress and two administrations to push higher-risk lending in order to expand home ownership, as well as the effort by Congress to get Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to spread that risk through mortgage-backed securities. While Wall Street made the situation worse by developing risky derivatives on those securities and failed to recognize the risk inherent in the securities themselves, the collapse wouldn’t have occurred at all had the federal government not intervened to distort lending for their own social-engineering goals.

hotair.com...





Congress! Caused the problems take off those blinders and listen to people who don't get their information from the internets.

Just like to point out something.

We are all responsible for this mess. Generations of people sitting on their arses watching TV, sport. Living our selfish insular lives allowing those driven by greed an open road exploit us and saying nothing to stop it.

The OWS group may or may not be correct but at least they are doing something.

You are at least half right. It comes down to this: "What came first, the crooked politician or the lobbyist with the briefcase of cash"? We have to deal with both problems or we are wasting our time.

The reason why they are getting richer is due to the more compliance that their financiers are ordering and are now and have always done time and time again,

This is the literate definition of being bought and paid for as well as corruption to the fullest extent of the definition of the term. Welcome To The Corporate States Of America!

Millionaires are more common in the Congress per capita percentile wise then in the General Population!

This is where the problem lies directly.

Good people have to turn to evil sources to finance things like tv time, mailers, staff pay, supplies, paper, ink, cardboard and whatever else they need and have to go to the financial giants to get money. This is how control is leveraged, I tell you "I'll pay for your tv commercials but you've gotta do something for me?" and you agree. You've now made a "Deal With The Devil" as that entity you just got money from will want a big favour and for you to overlook an illegal item. That circumvents and totally takes democracy and the Constitution off the table.

We have been living under a Corporate-Banking-Military Industrial Complex Dictatorship for quite some time now.

reply to post by neo96


Great examples, Neo! These idiots intimidated lenders to make high risk loans because they wanted to look good to their constituents. They threatened these banks and did everything they could to tear down all of the roadblocks (all of the things that protect lenders from loan defaults…such as the borrower having a decent credit rating and income!!!) so that these loans were given out. They also bullied every member of congress that spoke against this lunacy. When the house of cards fell apart, and it was quite obviously a house of cards, they pointed the finger at everyone else. The fact that BARNEY FRANK still has a job is shocking to me! The level of corruption and incompetence demonstrated time and time again by so many members of our government is mindboggling!! The fact that anyone would blame capitalism for the problems in our country rather than the bastards in DC who continue to drive the economic buss off the cliff is even more shocking!!

Wake up!! Forget what you've heard about the evils of free market capitalism!! Forget what you hear every night from the Chris Mathews’ of the MSM!! Think for yourself!! The evidence is all around you!! The cause of the problems is so obvious!

I would be curious as to exactly how a nation such as the US can go about cleaning house in this corrupt political system? Our vote does not count because we vote by state and electoral college. My vote has never counted, not even once as the college chooses who to vote for. ..And the Senate and House? No one will ever agree because they too are being controlled....by someone...somewhere ... dangling dollars and power in their faces....
they control the money...they have all the power ... and they decide what to take from us and what to give back which is increasingly very little. But how do we throw them out? they will just be replaced by another group of power hungry trolls who have nothing other than the same agenda.
Independents cannot win the electoral votes...There are no candidates on the Republican side that is even close to being truthful. There is no one on the Democratic side that is even close to being truthful. In fact there is no one to vote for that is close to being truthful. If your vote has no voice, then the only voice that will be heard is silence.
I would love to simply clean house..but it will never happen because someone is in control we cannot even see. they are there make no mistake, but we do not know who they are and cannot stop them until they show their faces..And I fear by then it will be too late. Indeed it may already be too late.

DH

reply to post by seabag


Keep banging that drum brother! (Or is it sister?)

I have had this debate over the years all to many times. But people seem to keep on thinking that it is only one entity that screws them.

it takes two to tango...and we're the dance floor.

Originally posted by DavidsHope
I would be curious as to exactly how a nation such as the US can go about cleaning house in this corrupt political system? Our vote does not count because we vote by state and electoral college. My vote has never counted, not even once as the college chooses who to vote for. ..And the Senate and House? No one will ever agree because they too are being controlled....by someone...somewhere ... dangling dollars and power in their faces....
they control the money...they have all the power ... and they decide what to take from us and what to give back which is increasingly very little. But how do we throw them out? they will just be replaced by another group of power hungry trolls who have nothing other than the same agenda.
Independents cannot win the electoral votes...There are no candidates on the Republican side that is even close to being truthful. There is no one on the Democratic side that is even close to being truthful. In fact there is no one to vote for that is close to being truthful. If your vote has no voice, then the only voice that will be heard is silence.
I would love to simply clean house..but it will never happen because someone is in control we cannot even see. they are there make no mistake, but we do not know who they are and cannot stop them until they show their faces..And I fear by then it will be too late. Indeed it may already be too late.

DH

How? Well if I told you that my friends from Langley would come knocking. Nahh, just joking.. to chuck out the folks who feel they are unchuckable and will resist any chucking will be.. difficult. Call it a need for a coup since our power of vote has become a farce.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by seabag

 

Keep banging that drum brother! (Or is it sister?)

I have had this debate over the years all to many times. But people seem to keep on thinking that it is only one entity that screws them.

it takes two to tango...and we're the dance floor.

Yeah, we're on the dance floor, but some are waltzing, some are hip hopping, some are moshing... etc. When we all get together and do the robot as one people I suppose we can get some results...

,,,,,doin the robot!

Yes, Throw them OUT

Occupy D.C. NOW

Prevent them from doing more HARM

reply to post by Advantage


Actually, you misunderstood me. Lobbyists/Corporations and politicians are doin the Tango. The people are the dance floor. Gettin' tromped on.

But ya got a doin the robot referance in there so good for you!

Star for youuuuuu!

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by Advantage

 

Actually, you misunderstood me. Lobbyists/Corporations and politicians are doin the Tango. The people are the dance floor. Gettin' tromped on.

But ya got a doin the robot referance in there so good for you!

Star for youuuuuu!

edit on 2-11-2011 by TDawgRex because: (no reason given)

Meh, Im just thankful I made any sense at all.. I fractured a rib and am taking dilaudid aka fake morphine. Thanks for pointing my poor brain in the right direction. Maybe I should refrain from posting tonight??

Originally posted by Advantage

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by Advantage

 

Actually, you misunderstood me. Lobbyists/Corporations and politicians are doin the Tango. The people are the dance floor. Gettin' tromped on.

But ya got a doin the robot referance in there so good for you!

Star for youuuuuu!

edit on 2-11-2011 by TDawgRex because: (no reason given)

Meh, Im just thankful I made any sense at all.. I fractured a rib and am taking dilaudid aka fake morphine. Thanks for pointing my poor brain in the right direction. Maybe I should refrain from posting tonight??

Been there, done that.

Get some rest bud. Heal.

It does the body good!

Originally posted by seabag
When will everyone (especially the OWS crowd) figure out that our government is almost solely responsible for the economic reality we face today? I read day in and day out about new members of our government openly supporting the efforts of OWS. I really can’t wrap my head around how supporting OWS and the vilification of Wall Street will benefit these goons because they are obviously behind the thievery going on. Take a look at this:

RollCall

Members of Congress had a collective net worth of more than $2 billion in 2010, a nearly 25 percent increase over the 2008 total, according to a Roll Call analysis of Members' financial disclosure forms. Nearly 90 percent of that increase is concentrated in the 50 richest Members of Congress. As with the general U.S. population, a few exceedingly wealthy people skew the averages for the rest of the membership. But still, by almost any measure, the average Member of Congress is far wealthier than the average U.S. household.

Congress is getting richer while we’re all struggling? How is that possible? Are they benefiting from the corruption in Wall Street? Maybe even facilitating it??

What’s happening is not a result of capitalism as I’ve heard so many times on ATS. These problems are the result our greedy, corrupt government officials gobbling up power and manipulating the markets through corporatism and crony capitalism. The policies and actions of our federal government (our elected officials) are causing the huge economic collapse that we are entering now.

American Thinker

TARP was signed into law in October 2008, and its crony capitalism effects came mostly after that. But it is important to remember all the things that have happened since 2008: Obamacare became law, the Obama stimulus package was enacted, the Dodd-Frank so-called financial reform law, etc. The real divide is how the rule of law has come to be abused and misused to favor the political establishment and their cronies, while burdening and bullying the rest of us. The political establishment is crushing the economy, killing jobs, and decreasing liberty. What's bad for us is obviously good for them. Cursing the problem doesn't seem to be working.

The sooner everyone identifies and vilifies the correct enemy the sooner we can address the real problems!

How do politicians get elected?
Where does the money come from that makes a successful political campaign?
How do you not know how that system works?
Who benefits from the majority of decisions that come from government action?
How can you honestly believe that politicians make the decisions?

Just answer 3 of these questions. If you still can't understand why current ideologies in capitalism and economic theory are the problem, then you should just get used to it, enjoy the tv, and go to the doctors office and get a prescription for your drug of choice and keep going through the motions until it's time to die.

reply to post by Butterbone


Politicians get elected by votes. 

They get votes by spending money. Typically the person with the most money gets the most exposure - and ultimately the most votes. 

In many cases the money comes from companies, lobbyists and special interest groups. In exchange for their contributions and financial backing the companies benefit from returned favors that take many forms (government contracts, tax breaks, appointed positions, etc). 

I'm well aware how the system works and my point is the same. We need to get rid of the crooked politicians who are bought. We need the government to do its job and represent the people who elected them rather than special interest groups that bought them. If you take away the influence of special interest groups (take away the money) and take away politician's ability to carry on with crony capitalism you clean the system up. 

You fix the problem by going to the source. We need comprehensive campaign finance reform and we need to clean house! What don't you understand? 

reply to post by seabag


OK Great!

You are saying the source is the person who takes the bribe.

I say the source is where the bribe originates.

The bribe originates because American business culture is focused on the idea that profits are the only goal. Being a great company means nothing. Being the best company means nothing. Being a company with a history means nothing. The biggest possible profits are the only goal.

Buying politicians and writing policy that benefits you is just based purely on greed. Profits should not be the only goal. Being the best at what you do because you truly care about what you do should be the goal.

You change that at the source as well. In education, and social conscience and changing the culture that having more is always better.
You go to the source, which is wealth, and need.
You show to wealth that it can be more fulfilled and satisfied by eliminating need. Not just in themselves, but also in others. You show wealth that helping people enjoy their lives more, benefits everyone in society. Less crime, more community, increased ability of the middle class to spend more. Attempting to eliminate the lower class and lowest class and have a distributed middle class.
Simple facts start to change. Poor people have more babies than wealthy people because sex is still something they can do. So more poor making more poor babies means eventually you will have a giant base of ultra poor. That increases crime, reduces community because undereducated, angry and want filled needy people tend to be people no one wants to spend time around.

The middle man needs to change. No doubt. But if the manufacturer stops making the product, the middle man has nothing to peddle. And that is the source. Where "it" is made. Greed. It's as simple as that. Everyone wants it to be more complicated, more evil, more conspiracy riddled. But it isn't. It's the simplest thing in the world for a supposedly christian nation to understand.
What would Jesus do?
How much would Jesus charge?
Who would Jesus heal?
Who would Jesus feed?
How many people would Jesus watch die because he wanted to ensure he got another 8% profit?

But no one wants to own up to it. I'm not even a christian and I understand that the simplest of Jesus's teachings if applied honestly would pretty much END all the internal issues we have in this country.

Or you can keep blaming the middle man. It's pretty much WHY the truly wealthy have that governmental buffer to cover their behinds. So that there is another straw man to point at and blame, and then people get to vote and feel like they are the ones making the decisions, when in fact, the peoples choices have had nothing to do with how this country is run since the mid 1800's.

reply to post by Butterbone


I see where you're coming from but here is the problem with that theory - lobbying is not illegal or immoral. There is nothing corrupt about being a special interest group today. Corporations are in business to make profit. Profit gives the company the ability to take care of their shareholders, take care of their employees, hire people, do things in the community and offer better products/services to it's customers. Profits make the world go around. Capitalism is only a 4 letter word to liberals, communists and marxists.

If a company can lobby a politician 'legally' to get things that benefit the company then why would they not pursue that option? That's not greedy it's smart business. Many forms of crony capitalism are not illegal today! There in lies the problem. Crony capitalism should be illegal. Companies should not be able to lobby politicians in exchange for 'favors'. Politicians should not be able to take the money or any 'favors' from lobbyists.

So the question is - do you fix that problem by demonizing companies or by changing the law? You have identified the problem correctly but not the source of the problem. Greed is in play here but that greed is from the politicians who want to game the system for profit; profit that, unlike the companies, they did not legally earn. 

reply to post by seabag


Then you are going to be stuck with this system.
The mentality of "throw the bums out" will, arguably, IS, making this country ungovernable. It is a situation that is only favorable to those people who wish for less government because they want less oversight and less regulation.
Less oversight and less regulation are only beneficial to those people to whom moral and ethical standards mean nothing.
So effectively, every time a new official gets elected and doesn't create the utopia that is impossible to attain within 2 years, people start chanting throw the bums out, and then a drastic flip flop of in voting happens and the incoming politicians have no one to turn to but lobbyists and special interests for advice.

reply to post by Butterbone


Well, do tell - What is your solution? OWS wants to destroy Wall Street, destroy banks and corporations that employ Americans and redistribute wealth through bigger government. Is that your plan? Do you want to throw out capitalism and replace it with more government?