Thank you professor, I am still doing badly, in part because, it is so hard not to think that I, and almost everyone, I actually know, are just pawns for the rich and powerful. To be used when useful and discarded when not. Other countries are, I believe, and you are teaching us, ruining the USA. It hurts my heart.
"The Center for American Progress recommends that no U.S. corporation with 5 percent or more of its stock under foreign ownership or 1 percent or more controlled by a single foreign owner be allowed to spend money to sway the outcomes of U.S. elections or ballot measures."
This will be a long process. The rot began with Citizens United, accelerated with the tax cuts of George W Bush (remember those?), which made corporations much wealthier, which allowed them to take advantage of Citizens United through ever increasing amounts of lobbying of Congress, which allowed, for example, Big Pharma to write, yes write, legislation allowing them to fix prices...indeed everything Adam Smith had warned against in Wealth of Nations, and why Smith invented progressive taxation, as a means of curbing the power of the wealthy..
So, restrictions of the lobbying power of foreign-owned corporations is a good start, but what about domestically owned corporations?
Tax cuts are the root of all (economic) evil. Biden's proposal for a wealth tax of 20% and an increase in corporate taxes is also good. Let's back him to the hilt....and meanwhile focus on getting out the vote in November, and in 2024.
The more we can visibly show the American people how and to who forgiven funds flow, and how that money is used to sway them to vote against those who support our values, and those out to destroy this country, the better we all will be!
So how much of our mainstream media is owned by these foreign influences? I rarely hear or read about these influences owning large portions of our big corporations. But plenty of harping on the dangerous immigrants on our borders,etc. The reporting is not balanced. Is it because of foreign influence?
i didn't realise that foreign ownership of so-called american companies was so prevalent. so i guess that TFG wasn't lying -- not exactly -- when he claimed that foreign elements were voting in/influencing our elections. it's just that he substituted "illegal immigrants", which conjures up the vision in the public's mind of brown people sneaking across the southern border rather than all those obscenely rich corporations and their obscenely rich partners-in-crime making decisions that oppress the american people.
i know i am willing to make a lot of noise about this issue, and demand that democrats actually break out of their shell and DO SOMETHING about this, but ... and this is a big *but* ... will they actually do something to protect this country and its people when they too are beholden to this foreign money?
Of course I agree. The present (rotten corrupt) Supreme Court decided the other day on a Cruz case that the more corruption the better. You can now use the campaign money as a loan for yourself. See that.
Sounds like a good start. The People of the party formerly known as Republican must be forced to look at the reality of what they are helping to create. The common Fox viewer has gotten away with willful ignorance in the name of getting the right-wing in power, knowing they won’t ever be again, in a true Democracy. That’s what at least 60% of the campaign ads should address, targeting the right. And this info should be the eye-opener for the left, as well.
". . .and the beat goes on." Another article, another moment of disgust, and the beat goes on. Congress continues to make laws that favor private interest and not the public. I have been voting by mail for the last 9 years and have never had a ballot rejected. In the last 6 months I have had two rejected. What we are worried about has already happened! My plan now is to vote early and in person. I am retired and have the time to fight for my right to a vote, millions of others do not have the time. Their vote will be rejected and that will be the end of it. Laws are now bought and paid for with dollars, foreign and domestic. What we are worried about has already happened. The 2022 midterms will be a legal menagerie. You are right again, Dr Reich. And you still carry the curse of Cassandra.
I all have to add is the time-tested notion; "I'll believe that corporations are people when Texas executes one"... this surely sounds like an idea whose time is way overdue.
Professor, Last night, an MSNBC seemingly highly credible guest (I should have noted his name) unequivocally stated, after presenting a reasoned argument, that our choices this fall and, again, in 24 boil down to two mutually exclusive alternatives: White hegemony or pluralistic democracy. He added, “Everyone will have to choose a side.” Considering the interests of the foreign influences you cited, please advise, per the percentage thresholds you presented, how one organizes to influence Congress to limit said effects. I (and I imagine others) would welcome your thoughts, particularly since the impact of foreign influence receives virtually no coverage.
I have often worried about 'multi-national' corporations and how they make contributions to political (usually right wing) parties. The phrase coined by Dwight Eisenhower ; "the military -industrial complex" underscores the threat. Our military can also be bought!? Very concerning.
More divergent thinking, more intellectual judo like this is needed, to break through the idiotic framing they foist upon the world, through the mouths of overpaid and underbrained toadstools, who systematically erode the foundations of democracy at home, in their prurient puppet dance to princes of petroleum, abroad.
I believe that it can be demonstrated that the people who will vote for change do have an effect. If citizenship is to mean anything, then the right to vote should be exercised. I whole heartedly believe that money is not speech and that therefore each person, rich or poor, should have the same weight at the ballot box. I would so like to see a restriction on the political speech of the wealthy no matter their country of origin. Out-sized influence of money and therefore "more speech" goes against the basic principle that all men are created equal. Citizenship should be a requirement to participate and those considered as citizens should be living individual persons, not corporations.
I initially thought this was going to be about information warfare. The truth is, with a careful reading, the two are strongly linked. I once read that corporations were, effectively, sociopathic. Their allegiance to only money makes this so and your comment on Exxon substantiates this in a very big way. Justice Roberts and Citizens United. One has to just sit and shake ones head.
Vote! Organize! And keep the faith. These are the roots of yesterday's topic, hope. (This blog also helps.)
Thank you professor, I am still doing badly, in part because, it is so hard not to think that I, and almost everyone, I actually know, are just pawns for the rich and powerful. To be used when useful and discarded when not. Other countries are, I believe, and you are teaching us, ruining the USA. It hurts my heart.
"The Center for American Progress recommends that no U.S. corporation with 5 percent or more of its stock under foreign ownership or 1 percent or more controlled by a single foreign owner be allowed to spend money to sway the outcomes of U.S. elections or ballot measures."
This will be a long process. The rot began with Citizens United, accelerated with the tax cuts of George W Bush (remember those?), which made corporations much wealthier, which allowed them to take advantage of Citizens United through ever increasing amounts of lobbying of Congress, which allowed, for example, Big Pharma to write, yes write, legislation allowing them to fix prices...indeed everything Adam Smith had warned against in Wealth of Nations, and why Smith invented progressive taxation, as a means of curbing the power of the wealthy..
So, restrictions of the lobbying power of foreign-owned corporations is a good start, but what about domestically owned corporations?
Tax cuts are the root of all (economic) evil. Biden's proposal for a wealth tax of 20% and an increase in corporate taxes is also good. Let's back him to the hilt....and meanwhile focus on getting out the vote in November, and in 2024.
The more we can visibly show the American people how and to who forgiven funds flow, and how that money is used to sway them to vote against those who support our values, and those out to destroy this country, the better we all will be!
So how much of our mainstream media is owned by these foreign influences? I rarely hear or read about these influences owning large portions of our big corporations. But plenty of harping on the dangerous immigrants on our borders,etc. The reporting is not balanced. Is it because of foreign influence?
i didn't realise that foreign ownership of so-called american companies was so prevalent. so i guess that TFG wasn't lying -- not exactly -- when he claimed that foreign elements were voting in/influencing our elections. it's just that he substituted "illegal immigrants", which conjures up the vision in the public's mind of brown people sneaking across the southern border rather than all those obscenely rich corporations and their obscenely rich partners-in-crime making decisions that oppress the american people.
i know i am willing to make a lot of noise about this issue, and demand that democrats actually break out of their shell and DO SOMETHING about this, but ... and this is a big *but* ... will they actually do something to protect this country and its people when they too are beholden to this foreign money?
Of course I agree. The present (rotten corrupt) Supreme Court decided the other day on a Cruz case that the more corruption the better. You can now use the campaign money as a loan for yourself. See that.
Sounds like a good start. The People of the party formerly known as Republican must be forced to look at the reality of what they are helping to create. The common Fox viewer has gotten away with willful ignorance in the name of getting the right-wing in power, knowing they won’t ever be again, in a true Democracy. That’s what at least 60% of the campaign ads should address, targeting the right. And this info should be the eye-opener for the left, as well.
". . .and the beat goes on." Another article, another moment of disgust, and the beat goes on. Congress continues to make laws that favor private interest and not the public. I have been voting by mail for the last 9 years and have never had a ballot rejected. In the last 6 months I have had two rejected. What we are worried about has already happened! My plan now is to vote early and in person. I am retired and have the time to fight for my right to a vote, millions of others do not have the time. Their vote will be rejected and that will be the end of it. Laws are now bought and paid for with dollars, foreign and domestic. What we are worried about has already happened. The 2022 midterms will be a legal menagerie. You are right again, Dr Reich. And you still carry the curse of Cassandra.
I all have to add is the time-tested notion; "I'll believe that corporations are people when Texas executes one"... this surely sounds like an idea whose time is way overdue.
Professor, Last night, an MSNBC seemingly highly credible guest (I should have noted his name) unequivocally stated, after presenting a reasoned argument, that our choices this fall and, again, in 24 boil down to two mutually exclusive alternatives: White hegemony or pluralistic democracy. He added, “Everyone will have to choose a side.” Considering the interests of the foreign influences you cited, please advise, per the percentage thresholds you presented, how one organizes to influence Congress to limit said effects. I (and I imagine others) would welcome your thoughts, particularly since the impact of foreign influence receives virtually no coverage.
I have often worried about 'multi-national' corporations and how they make contributions to political (usually right wing) parties. The phrase coined by Dwight Eisenhower ; "the military -industrial complex" underscores the threat. Our military can also be bought!? Very concerning.
More divergent thinking, more intellectual judo like this is needed, to break through the idiotic framing they foist upon the world, through the mouths of overpaid and underbrained toadstools, who systematically erode the foundations of democracy at home, in their prurient puppet dance to princes of petroleum, abroad.
Absolutely this should be an issue democratic candidates use.
I think corporations shouldn't have any influence over elections at all, foreign or otherwise.
I believe that it can be demonstrated that the people who will vote for change do have an effect. If citizenship is to mean anything, then the right to vote should be exercised. I whole heartedly believe that money is not speech and that therefore each person, rich or poor, should have the same weight at the ballot box. I would so like to see a restriction on the political speech of the wealthy no matter their country of origin. Out-sized influence of money and therefore "more speech" goes against the basic principle that all men are created equal. Citizenship should be a requirement to participate and those considered as citizens should be living individual persons, not corporations.
I initially thought this was going to be about information warfare. The truth is, with a careful reading, the two are strongly linked. I once read that corporations were, effectively, sociopathic. Their allegiance to only money makes this so and your comment on Exxon substantiates this in a very big way. Justice Roberts and Citizens United. One has to just sit and shake ones head.
Vote! Organize! And keep the faith. These are the roots of yesterday's topic, hope. (This blog also helps.)