More claptrap. Blah, blah, blah.

National healthcare, more laws, more of the same, more of this, less of that, blah, blah, blah.

Really, really bold.

How about throw them all out except for Cynthia McKinney, Ron Paul and a few others, Impeach Bush and all the NeoCONs, get our troops out of Iraq and evacuate the Iraqis to a new place to live since we have decimated Iraq and contaminated it forever with depleted uranium? How about exposing the entire debacle that was put on the whole world by the NeoCONs by their attack on our own country so they could have an excuse to go to war?

How about if we just get some honest judges that aren't in the pocket of these gangster criminals that pass for politicians -- get some honest judges that WE THE PEOPLE have chosen -- and let THEM oversee a big Nuremburg-type trial of Bush, Cheny, Rumsfeld, Condi, Gonzales, Chertoff, Powell and all the rest, the hundreds of others including Giuliani and Patacki, who participated in the false flag attack known as 9/11?

This is what is most important.

Then let's start over. Let's get our Constitution out -- the one that's been trashed, the one George Bush said was nothing but at God damned piece of paper -- and let's clear the books. Let's get back to our roots, our moorings.

Aside from doing that, we have no country anymore. None.

We have nothing to look forward to but concentration camps, death, famine, mayhem, and a police state of BATF, FEMA, and New World Order goons knocking at our doors to take us away in the night.

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Much of this article can be understood with one glaring realization; that our lives as human beings are now subordinate to the industrial/military machine we have created using technology as our Pied Piper. With every new technological advance, whether the internal combustion engine, electrical appliances, computers, synthesized drugs, telephone, and on and on, we have sacrificed some aspect of our connection to nature and thus jeopardized our own surival. The machine is now self perpetuating and on the verge of being out of our control. Relying on others, especially those who have the wealth and power, to change direction and offer new paths to improve quality of life has been and will continue to be fruitless. The change is with each individual regarding how they live their own daily lives. But it takes courage and responsibility to take care of ones own life and then all other forms of life. As it is the machine has become quite successful in producing automatons that respond to short term goals of immediate gratification by acquiring material goods. As for myself I stopped following the Pied Piper long ago and life has never been better. I have no problem sleeping at night, what more can I say?

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... why don't we begin at the logical starting point: placing the entire Bush crime family (including Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, etc.) under arrest, and sending them to Guantanamo to be executed by firing squad. As far as I'm concerned, destroying these criminals MUST COME FIRST.

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None of this will ever be possible to implement if the major media outlets keep up their practice of lying to the American public on a daily basis. Running 'video news releases' and other advertisements from public relation firms as real news - in short, knowingly and deliberately lying to the public. Shouldn't this be a criminal offense? If Bush is impeached for lying to the public about the Iraqi WMDs, shouldn't the CEOs of the media firms who knowingly spewed that forth also be put in the dock?

Why are advertisers and government officials allowed to spew deliberate falsehoods through 'respected media channels' over and over again? Bill O'Reilly is a deliberate liar; he is paid well for lying to the US public. In fact, a good chunk of the corporate media's job resume should read: "Professional liar. I can read anything with a straight face. Trained by experts."

Rumsfeld says the truth must be protected by an 'armada of lies' but really he's talking about protecting his political agenda and corporate contracts. How many times can you use that "Beaches of Normandy" excuse, anyway? "We may have a big secret attack coming, so no, I can't talk about my connections to Gilead and the Tamiflu business!" Firing Rumsfeld would be doing us all a big favor.

Reviewing the media ownership rules, breaking up the major media firms under anti-trust laws, and promoting local ownership of news outlets should be at the very top of your list. How can you expect people to act reasonably when they're being spoon-fed lie after lie?

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Good luck getting any of these past the corporate jackals.

I have no expectation that things can be right here again until this government is replaced, and that will not succeed unless the American people who are presently unfit to govern themselves are subjected to tyranny sufficiently severe and prolonged to teach them the lessons well known to the colonials and the founding fathers who had lived under the British boot for so long.

Americans are annoyed that a criminal escapes punishment because a warrant wasn't properly executed, so they are ready to do away with warrants. Such people are not politically mature enough to be entrusted with a republic.

I have compiled a list that was originally conceived as a wish list for changes in the Constitution for which I would advocate, but as I've come to understand that making such changes would be virtually impossible given the entrenched resistance, I now conceive of the list as improvements that I would make to an imaginary new constitution for a hypothetical new nation, perhaps this one some day. These are the kinds of changes that I believe need to be in place before any of Mr. Pizzo's agenda can be successfully implemented.

Each element addresses a perceived flaw or deficiency in the present system. I would be interested in feedback to improve this list by modifying or deleting existing elements of the list where appropriate, and adding overlooked elements that need including. It could be argued that not all improvements should be written into the new constitution per se as opposed to the law books, but that is a trivial and technical point:

1. It would be a treasonable offense punishable by life imprisonment or death for any elected public official to be caught taking money from any other source other than his meager paycheck. Just as it is recognized that influencing a judge or policeman’s decision with regard to enforcing or interpreting the law is a crime (bribery) and is immoral, it should be acknowledged that lobbying those who write the laws is just as corrupt and should be just as illegal.

2. Public campaigns for elected office are funded entirely by the appropriate level of government (federal, state, county, etc.) from tax dollars. There is no private collecting of campaign contributions permitted and no spending permitted except within prescribed limits. National and state level candidates will have television channels assigned to them and their race where they will campaign according to guidelines that insure the dissemination of all relevant information to anyone interested.

3. The Federal government would be banned from turning over the right to print currency and regulate monetary policy to private interests such as the Federal Reserve. This little known major flaw in American government has cost Americans trillions in debt and has deliberately caused countless depressions and recessions. Most readers will not see the value of this because they are unaware of the nature and the magnitude of this problem that is, unbelievably, the source of the national debt, not deficit spending.

4. Documents cannot be classified as secret by the whim of the president alone. Just as judges must approve warrants, so too do we need an independent body to approve removing documents from public scrutiny. Only matters of bona fide national security would be classifiable.

5. A draft or an automatic two-year period of service is expected of young people (to include the children and grandchildren of Congresspersons.

CONT.

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Instead of "bitching" about the system, I desided to help elect a democrat to the House. But what I got is a do nothing corporate retired hack as a candidate.

This man has no ideas, no plan, and no chance of being elected. By default the Republican will remain in office.

Democrats are lame. And lame animals should be put down.

I quit helping him yesterday. I have better things to do with my life.

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armed revolution. Really.

You won't get half of that list done without it. This is no longer government for the people, by the people. We have a government for the corporation by the corporation.

Wake up.

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Mr. Pizzo is really one smart cookie. His idea of our politicians wearing the names of their corporate sponsors and disclosing this information in every news article is priceless. But today he let us down.

What I want more than anything else these days is for someone -- I don't even care which party they are in -- just someone, to take genuine bold action.

He like the writers of most liberal articles is looking for somebody else to take action. We can't all stand in a circle and tell each other that "somebody should do something. Somebody else should solve the problems that I listed".

Now is the time for action. I suggest that the proper action to take is for the people to take control of the platforms of both parties. Force them to address our issues.

Join The Lincoln Initiative. Make "government of the people, for the people, and by the people" a reality.
Click on Do it now

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I would only disagree with the balanced budget proposal. A deficit is not "spending more than you have" in the same way it is for a family -- which, by the way, is doing deficit spending every time a house loan is issued. Remember, unlike a state or a family, the government can control the money supply.

Deficits aer actually quite useful -- for example, they lower the value of money printed making exports more viable. If the dollar was worth what it was in 1984 we wouldn't be selling anything overseas.

Deficits are not wonderful, but they are sometimes a part of large economies. Surpluses aren't always wonderful either. The last time we had a huge one was in 1933. There was no inflation -- prices were dropping. Money was worth 10 tmies as much. Sound good? Sure, until you realize we were in a depression at the time.

Economics is often a bit counter intuitive. Paying off the national debt, for instance, would eliminate the bond market. You don't want to do that, believe me.

Other than that, tho, the rest is interesting and something I would support.

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Bold ideas are just that... long term economic and social change takes more.

A new philosophy is emerging in economic thought, instead of just looking towards the bottom line in a linier stampeed, new economic thought is demonstrating how everything is connected.

The money masters are regulated by governments based on an economic philosophy - the philosophy must change to include all our lives and needs. This would require loosing the bottom line as a measure of "success" and instead use our quality of life as the standard.

Of course, this is becomming more and more common around the world. In America, typically, it's still considered communist (or some other archaic term).

And hey, all those billions going into corporate welfare alone could pay for most of what I mention.

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We need to abandon the current system. No more voting for the entrenched political franchises. Find a political party that truly represents your views and support them with your vote. I'm voting for the Green Party. Check out their platform here http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/

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Once the Federal Reserve is understood for what it is, basically a giant privately held corporation who practically owns the United States, yet is subject to no oversight, then we can begin to see a way through this mess.

Suppose we all begin to stop using money whenever we can, wherever we can. I don't think anyone can predict the consequences. But if we understand that money keeps the corporate monsters strong, then at least we can begin to understand how to starve the monster. The more we work, the more productive we are, the fatter They get and the poorer and sicker we get.

So maybe the answer is as simple as living a simpler life, spending less, relearning the self-sufficient lifestyle that NAFTA, CAFTA, the War Against Terror, etc. is quickly trying to destroy. If you want to learn about a self-sufficient life style, then ask the immigrants coming in from Mexico, or the Iraquis, etc. I would venture to say that the main reason that the Bushies want to destroy the lives of these simple people is because they spend so little MONEY. They don't need to. They are described to us as people in "poor, third world countries" who earn some pittance per day, but they actually are, except when our corrupt system intrudes, vibrant, healthy people who eat home-grown food, have access to public transportation, free health care provided by the government, and they have access to purchase highly energy efficient applicances which aren't even available in the United States. And if this ideal is not always reached, then at least many countries strive for it, despite worldwide banking policies that put so many obstacles in the way.

In short, people who don't earn much money often live much better that those who do, simply because their overall lives are healthier. So yes, something needs to be done now, and yes, each of us can do something now. Forget the vote, it's already programmed away from your control, forget armed rebellion, they'd wipe us all out in an instant. There's only one way to go now, and that's back to self-sufficiency. Start now, do something today that will make you less dependent on a corporation or governmental entity.

There are some of you out there who have the know-how, start teaching others. Build yourself a home-made composting toilet, rig up a water collection system for your home, learn to make biodiesel, grow a garden, make your own wine and beer, grow your own tobacco, build your own home out of renewable resources. There's a whole world of people out there already doing these things. Find them and hook up and do whatever you know how to do. Spread the word by simply talking and getting together with friends and neighbors to start community projects that no one needs to know about but yourselves. Forget the system. If we all simply stop using it, it will go away.

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The basis of all democracy is the vote. As long as a candidate can steal the vote or discard it, as Bush has done twice now, nothing will change. So we need drastic election reform

We also need to ban public money from campaigns. As long as corporations own our representatives in Congress and the White House, they own the government. Campaigns should be run with public money.

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The only way to get rid of politics is to get rid of politicans. Every single person that is backed by a politicial party is a politican. For god sake people you want human, non partisan politics in the white house vote for a grandmother. Vote for a mom. Not a hillary or a connie, a real mom or grandma that doesn't know a c.o.p from a g.o.p. Vote for a mom that has one thing on her agenda. A mom that says when I get to congress I am going to introduce a bill that bans legalese. Or I am going to forgive every student loan. All the rest of the crap will happen but it will happen different. Grannies and moms are not going to waste time reading through a bunch of crap they don't understand. I promise you every one of them will get to the bare bones and get something done. They have no private agendas. They don't know a lobbist or have any special interest ties yet. Give them a few years and they will start to get corrupt just like everyone else. But for the time being they can do almost no harm in two years time. Then next election you vote in another common ordinary citizen with common ordinary problems and solutions. Put ordinary people in charge and they will get things done. Guarenteed.



I am sick and tired of the crap too. I don't believe any politican anymore. If we want action then I guess we are going to have to show these numb nuts how action works. Voting is action. Voting works. It is the only real honest to goodness action that gets something done and done right. Any novice, plumber, candlestick maker, ditch digger, customer service rep, mom or granny is going to be 100% better representative than what we have now. None of the above could do the damage that a seasoned politican can do. You want revolution. This is it folks. Get rid of the politicans and put in real people and that is the beginning of the end for this reign of corruption and terror. That is how this country started. Farmers, not lawyers were our first repres. Kick all the bums out and lets start fresh.

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Eileen Fleming, Independent candidate for House of Representatives District 5 in Florida, vows to:

• Donate up to one half of my total take home pay in payments of $5,000.00 each to those communities in District 5 for new Habitat for Humanity homes for single parent families. And to any Florida community where Hurricane Katrina victims have already relocated and have applied for housing. I committ to donating up to one half of my take home pay as a freshman rep if elected to Congress.



• Challenge all politicians to be public servants and volunteer in their schools, hospitals or nursing homes at least one hour a month.



• Challenge retired folks to donate one hour a week in elementary schools in their neighborhoods to share their talents and encourage skills: a love of reading, the arts and physical fitness.

I support's Clean Money, Clean Elections (CMCE) campaign finance reform. CMCE reduces the influence of special interest money and provides a level playing field by offering qualified candidates a limited and equal amount of public funds. It's a bold, new experiment in campaign finance reform, seeking to restore democracy and the principle of one person, one vote and thus, We the People will become the government, and wrest control from corporate domination.
Read more: www.publicampaign.org/

I support Congressman John Linder's FairTax Bill-H.R. 25.
Read the book by Neal Boortz: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS

I will work for a just health care system for all. As an experienced registered nurse and nursing home volunteer who is married to an Internist/Geriatrician/Teacher, I has more than a desire to seek a just health care plan, I have experience and know that we honor our Veterans, elderly and children when we care for them.

I have been to Israel Palestine three times since June 2005. I
promote a Global Marshall Plan to help address the war on terror -and immigration.

Imagine a foreign policy that would build security and a chance for a future with hope in impoverished countries.

Just as the well being of every American depends on the well being of every other person of the earth, the well being of every Israeli depends on the well being of every Palestinian.

I am committed to work to reconcile with all nations and work towards uniting every industrialized advanced nation to provide 5% of their GDP to Non Governmental Organizations committed to human rights, democracy, environmental sustainability and respect for native cultures in the neediest of places in the world.

more on WAWA blog

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These ideas are, in my opinion, not particularly bold; they are what a congress dedicated to the common good would have done long ago. All those clowns worry about is their party's dominance, their own popularity, their fat retirements and health services, what they can get from the lobbyists, and their military-industrial patrons for whom they can lobby should they lose their sinecure.

But the American public gets what it votes for, and visionary leaders don't usually get elected. It's not pretty, but that's the truth about traditional American politics. And now that the mass media are owned by a handful of members of Bushco it's harder for the average Joe/Joan to see that what they're being given for news are Bushco lies. Because they fall for these lies, there's no chance for a bold leader to rise.

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People should know that the hydrogen economy and hydrogen as a fuel for transportation is an utter fraud, perpetrated by auto-related interests (energy, oil, auto, finance, insurance, accessories, road construction, parking, etc).

The vehicle technology with by far the most advantages, benefits, applicabilities and practicalities is the Plug-in Hybrid. Federal R&D programs were promptly cancelled in 2001 and replaced with hydrogen at the behest of these powerful interests who are acting to preserve a captive market and monopoly.

The Plug-in Hybrid offers an energy supply system that challenges the stronghold of Enronian utilities. Any household with photovoltiac rooftop panels is a threat to corporate power. More than that, their limited battery-only range affects development patterns which in time builds more destinations closer to home that become accessable without having to drive. Travel choice could finally include walking, bicycling and mass transit for more trips. This sort of development builds local economies which become less dependent upon outside influence of corporate giants.

The internal combustion engine of a Hybrid drivetrain can run on any available fuel and perfect its combustion through strict regulation of engine speed, load and standard emission controls. With the larger battery pack of a Plug-in Hybrid, the engine is used less and less, increasing mileage indefinitely past 200+ mpg.

Many if not most of the worlds environmental and social ills can be traced to economics. The most central problem upsetting economies everywhere is transport and travel and urban design that suffers to accommodate motorized travel. The BOLD MOVE in the energy and fuel, transportation and urban planning issues, is NOT Hydrogen, Mr Pizzo.

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Press Release
Contact: Daniel Rosen
Phone: (775) 588-4211
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 A.M. PST, May 10, 2006
Congressional Candidate Makes History with Nevada Vote Direct
Nevada Vote Direct is a citizen initiative for eliminating political corruption and waste, and for making government responsive to the people. Its polls are open all day every day to registered voters in Nevada's Second Congressional District. When elected, Mr. Rosen will vote in Congress exactly as directed by the majority of voters in his district.
Stateline, NV - May 10, 2006: The voters at NevadaVoteDirect.org have the solution to the problem of political corruption. And to make it work, they have placed Daniel Rosen on the ballot as a candidate for U.S. Representative in Nevada's Second Congressional District. His candidacy is unlike any other. Marking milestones in the history of both technology and politics, he is the first candidate anywhere to offer a state-of-the-art digital voting system that will enable citizens in his district to control his votes in Congress.

At Nevada Vote Direct [www.NevadaVoteDirect.org] registered voters in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District may vote on any legislation pending in Congress. They vote only on the issues that concern them. The system provides secure electronic voting in secret ballots conducted continuously on the Internet or by telephone. But this is not just another opinion poll, for Mr. Rosen has pledged that, when elected, he will vote in Congress exactly as directed by the majority of voters in his congressional district.

When his constituents see the need for new legislation, they may use the same system to get Representative Rosen to introduce it in Congress. And, since voters cannot always be consulted in due time about last-minute amendments or emergency legislation, the system is designed to formulate comprehensive rules representing the will of the people on specific issues such as spending or immigration. Thus, Mr. Rosen's constituents will be fully empowered.
Members of Nevada Vote Direct understand that political corruption is the inevitable byproduct of our antiquated eighteenth century political machinery. But new digital technologies make it possible to upgrade that machinery so that political corruption may be cut off at the source. No lobbyist will pay for Representative Rosen's votes in Congress, knowing that his votes are owned and controlled exclusively by his constituents.
Nevada Vote Direct and Mr. Rosen's campaign are based on a fundamental trust in the sound judgment of the voters. Mr. Rosen asserts that we have been declining as a nation because we have relied exclusively on career politicians and lobbyists to make our public decisions for us. He believes that most of the disastrous decisions made by Congress have been made against the will of the majority, and for the primary benefit of a tiny minority of elite special interests. He looks forward to the correction of many problems by means of a newly empowered citizenry, when the example set by Nevada Vote Direct will be followed throughout the nation.

The response to Nevada Vote Direct and to Mr. Rosen's campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. Nevada Vote Direct collected well over twice the number of signatures required to put Mr. Rosen's name on the ballot as an independent candidate for Congress. The signers greeted the idea of citizen control with enormous enthusiasm.

Mr. Rosen plans a grass-roots campaign, using primarily the Internet and direct mail to make voters aware of Nevada Vote Direct and his unique candidacy. He sees a growing discontent with both political parties, and he says that with his election "the people of Nevada will be the big winners in November's election.”

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We are not only ready for bold ideas, but starved for them. We don't lack bold ideas, what we lack are bold leaders.
If "we" were actually ready for bold ideas, wouldn't that mean we were bold? And if "we" were bold, why would we need "bold leaders", or in fact leaders of any sort? Wouldn't that make us "bold followers"?

I would argue that America the "home of the brave" is nothing more than a cherished myth, like the child who claims he can do that skateboard trick better than the athlete he saw on the X Games. While there are plenty of bold and brave people, the vast majority are the kind that huddle by their TVs in fear.

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You say if the dollar was worth as much as 1984, you wouldn't sell as much overseas. Just what is it that the US sells overseas now, other than weapons that is?

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ALL of WE

WE the PEOPLE - take OUR Country Back

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We know the direction we want to go, clean up OUR environment / 100 % employment for all ( there sure is enough to do on OUR Earth ) living wage / Homes and Gardens for all etc. etc. add your ideas here -

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TRANSLATE This Web Site and Pass it On, Thanks

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http://www.OneGlobalCommunity.com
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The problem as I see it is that the Democratic Party must now be the "Non-Republican" party (we don't want to split the vote again do we!!?). This means the Dems are expected to please everyone, from my mom who is only slightly left of middle (and who is scared to death by a woman like Hilary Clinton- so unfeminine!), to the far left wingers who want to shoot the whole administration (what appears to be many of those who read Alternet). My mom would think the radicals are nuts and many of you would think she is delusional- how are we supposed to get anything done with this much difference between us?

Pleasing the whole spectrum is impossible, some Democratic candidates are either considered way too radical by a large moderate slice of potential Dem voters, and the rest are considered milquetoast by the lefties. No wonder those who actually have the nerve to run for office are acting like deer in the headlights.

It's not up to them, it's up to us to put aside our quest for perfection, and stop believing the propoganda the right wing puts out about our candidates (Al Gore- you didn't vote for him because he just seemed so...stiff and he was just another rich guy? Are you happy now?). The right would like nothing more than for you to be totally disgusted and vote for the Green Party- that's their dream scenario, all over again.

Let's face it, whether or not the Democrats are completely to our liking, they are better than what we have now. When we have two great choices, THEN we can afford to split hairs. Right now we just need to get these guys out! I say go the distance- support any and all Democrats who have the balls to get out there right now.

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MOST IMPORTANT GOAL in 2006 is to restore the balance of power in Congress. Most Dems are also Corporate servants .......but too late for third party talk. Above all do not fall for fighting about such things as abortion or gay rights....or religious views.....

Most older folks vote but if the younger generations would just GET 10 FRIENDS registered and make sure everyone gets to the polling place it could make a huge difference. Be prepared, know what is expected before you use the voting machines and what district to vote in. Confusing the public is part of the plan.

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Maybe McKinny was racist in her action but are we to believe the capitol police didn't recognize a United States Representative? Maybe it's racist but it's also damn sure political.

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1-16. Raise Taxes

Geez folks

How much does a 30,000 earner pay in tax? The probelm is, take an earner w/ an income of 500,000.00. Raise the minimum wage by double, between laying people off and raising prices, some get unemployed and others lose buying power for what he produces. Now, raise his taxes by 60,000 per year, he can lay off 2 more and be net zero, his income is the same, and 2 more people on the dole.

Yep, makes sense. But I suppose we can pass laws that prevent him from laying people off, prevent him from raising prices, or force him to expand even and hire more, hell why dont we just force GM to build 20 times more cars, employ everyone at 20/hour, and the government can buy the surplus cars, like they do milk and farmed goods now? I know you've read and seen all these calims a million times, but for the life of me I cannot get why people cannot see that the "rich" will, I promise they will, protect their money from taxes and cost increases how ever they have to. If you experienced a cost increase in life, do you not offset by a spending reduction? You MUST, its basic arithmetic. So the rich will lay off and raise prices and not grow their companies with risk money because the reward keeps shrinking. I'm not one of the so called rich, but I know how I handle my budget. Why would they do differently?

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Until we understand what we face we will continue to be ineffective. One must start with the foundation, at the beginning.

Until we come to the realization that all governments are merely the machinery of the priviledged few, we will continue to go in proverbial circles. Let's start with the correct premise, than we can move on to the correct actions.

http://notinhisname.blogdrive.com , refute what I have written and than I will listen to alternatives. I am tired of frivilous and fruitless activity. All fruitless activity flows from a wrong view of what is taking place in reality. Let's get real.

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Some of your "bold" ideas qualify as such, others are arcane and blunt.

Compulsory service?! Most western countires that I know of have been *dropping* compulsory service. Now, if you allowed various forms of civil service (City Year, Peace Corps, Forest Service, etc. etc.) en lieu of military (we don't need that large of a military; for many positions training somebody who's only going to be there for two years is a waste of money) then that *might* be acceptable. We've never been much for compulsory anything (e.g; voting) and that's probably a good thing.

Sunset clauses are a bit of a catch-22. Sunset clause in the DMCA or "PATRIOT" Act good (even if the damn things get blindly renewed :-/). Sunset clauses in things like CRCLA, Clean Air, etc. that are clearly a good idea but might come up for renewal in a "bad" political climate, well...

As for gun control, if you've not seen it watch Bowling for Columbine. Also, do some research on the Ulster-Scots and the United States; an interesting distinction between the USA and Canada.


Personally my Big 3 are:

true coroprate charters (mentioned in a deeper comment)

a federal election holiday

more direct participation in legislation (truly major things come up for quarterly/yearly citizen vote). Legislators should be handling the day-to-day bullshit, not making the big decisions. The current system leads to fuct platforms, single-issue voters, and two parties.

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I read the 16 ideas for improving our country. Checking companies that hire illegal immigrants sounds great. Check them once a year. Do you have any idea how many employees would be needed to put this plan into place.? At this time, the USDA does not have enough employees to check the meat producers, OSHA does not have enough employees. Here's how they handle this. They schedule companies to be checked once a year and publicize this is the time schedule. Oh, Oh we don't have enough employees nor do we have the budget to hire them. Well, the best logistics we can come up with is every 2 years or 3 years. This is what I believe will happen.

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What in the hell is so bold about a series of suggestions which were in fact law, not that long ago?

Most of what you suggested, was operating in our society before the totally corrupt Congress, abetted by the totally corrupt Supreme Court and assisted by the totally corrupt media stepped in and gave us what we have now--a totally robust fascism, where the government is indistinguishable from corporations and is being run with divine intervention.

We need to outlaw lobbying altogether! There is no earthly reason why lobbyists should have a better shot at seeing our Representatives than the people have. That is institutional bribery and must stop!

We outlaw influence from outside, at the polling places already; it takes only a slight adjustment to apply that to the Representatives which, after all, are the product of our votes.

To the above, I would add a couple---outlaw dual-citizenship as being a contradiction and unworkable. No one can have allegiance to two countries. And get rid of the Presidential Pardon which represents the last card the crooks can play.

One of the reasons we have so much corruption and thievery in government is that we provide so many loopholes and escape hatches for the crooks.

Disrespect for the law derives in part, from the conviction of the general public, that all you need to escape punishment is to be a friend (read donor) of the President.

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Thank you Mr Pizzo. I agree with all your remarks each and everyone. We need some BOLD leaders and at this time I cannot see any, especcially in the Democratic Party. Independents do not have a chance because of the "Tradition" of the two party system that we have created, and the fact that most elections are decided by who has the most money to spend. Keep writing and maybe some one who has the boldness to assume leadership will wake up and take the reigns! I for one, am of the "older" generation and I can not understand the Thievery and courrption that is rampent in our society now. God can't help us so we must help ourselves.WAKE UP AMERICA!

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why are they so dickless?

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This list of 16 ideas has certainly caused a reaction, and many of those who say the ideas don't go far enough fast enough are right, though in the current American political context, Pizzo's list might qualify as bold ideas. We are trapped in a spiral of corrupt money, of profits over people, and of watered-down or manufactured news, of people working harder and longer just to cling to the lowest rung of the economic ladder. Over the past quarter century, while the left fought among itself and lost its voice, the Right handed the nation over to big business, saying, in effect, the world is yours. Go forth and profit any way you see fit. Average working people, the vast majority of the population, here and abroad, have been the ones to suffer. The left watched the looting and pillaging from the sidelines, wrung its hands, but offered nothing; some even went right along, stepped right up to the trough and fed.

We need bold ideas, a new framework, different language, free and fair elections in our Democracy, honesty in Government, but we are at the bottom and need to start somewhere. Pizzo's basket of 16 ideas isn't a bad starting point.

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Every time conservatives want a little (more) attention, they propose amending the Constitution. Maybe it's time liberals took up the challenge. People like Jefferson and Madison wanted to place restrictions on corporations into the Constitution, but it was thought at the time that state laws were in place to deal with this, and not wanting to offend those states...well, you know where that led.

Anyway, the Network of Spiritual Progressives is proposing that we add a Social Responsibility Amendment to the Constitution that would require corporations to apply for a new charter every ten years. Part of the application would require them to demonstrate their attention to social responsibility. Unions, community groups and private citizens would be able to comment on the application. I call that bold, and I like it.

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I appreciate the courage of even writing an article about boldness. A lot of people are not bold because the fact is they are buffoons and cowards, but that is where community education and spiritual enlightenment comes in to give us the courageous intelligence we need to be bold enough to change the conditions that we can!

Peter S. Lopez
Humane-Rights-Agenda Group
Humane-Rights-Agenda Blog
Email: sacramatnve@yahoo.com

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If wishes were horses beggars would ride. The idiots calling themselves politicians listen only to those who bribe them to do their bidding. In a country where the description "banana republic" is an understatement, how can anybody expect a change in direction from the kiss-ass politics of overpaid creeps who can retire on hundreds of thousands by playing it safe. We need a revolution in politics -- an effective Green Party.

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Principles for a Democratic United States:

1-Protect the nation and its citizens through international cooperation with anti-terrorist governments; a defense system rid of corporate corruption and greed-bloat; a foreign policy that is fair in its appropriation of goods and use of labor.

2-Provide for the economic well being of children, the infirm and the elderly.

3-Provide universal aptitude-driven educational opportunities to all citizens.

4-Provide for universal health care.

5-Require and provide employment for all capable of employment with an Employees' Bill of Rights.

6-Provide adequate housing, food, clothing and necessary transport for those incapable of providing for themselves.

7-Provide for a restructuring of the Energy Complex and provide for equitable transport in the marketplace.

8- Provide for an equitable economy that will rid the nation of its deficit and foreign debt based upon an equitable tax for both corporations and individuals.

9- Provide for the enforcement of Human Rights for all people.

Favorite Gadgets Devices facilitating dissent against Imperial Rule by Corporate America, whether guised as Democatic or Republican Parties.

THE NATURE OF CAPITALISM and THE ROLE OF COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM

The nature of Capitalism is to suck from nature all its nature.

Compassionate Conservatism suggests a temperate, mitigating, albeit arbitrary return to nature by way of charity as indication of its nature.



That which in nature is left uncared for is nature taking its course; or Social Darwinism.



The great argument of Capitalism is that there is a fair playing field; that bootstraps by which all are to use in social and economic ascendancy are supplied equally to all. It further argues that each must pay their own way in order that there be true justice.



Capitalism's basic argument is that there must that a free market, competitive economy for democracy to exist and thrive.



Forgoing the base fallacy of that argument on its face, and taking it on its own terms, then let us demand that Capitalism pay its due and level the playing field as it demands of the free market domestically and fair trade internationally.



US Capitalism's debt now due:




Reparations to Native Americans for that owed due to violation of treaties and contracts since its inception.



Reparation to African Americans for the forced labor as slaves and deprivation of equal rights and opportunities from the date of the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s.



Reparations to women from the inception of the federal government until 1920 when they were granted the right to vote; and until those equal rights laws applicable were put into law by the federal government.



Reparations for the years of child labor from the inception of the federal government until the Child Labor Laws of 1938.

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This is a portion of a letter I sent to Congressman Bernie Sanders of Vermont yesterday. The complete letter is at:

http://stevemoyer.us/docs/bernie.htm

... snip ...

We must unify around the truth.

In this light I present you with the following ten questions:

1. Why have you steadfastly refused to call for impeachment hearings?

2. Why have you refused to insist on re-opening the 9-11 investigation
in light of overwhelming evidence that the official story is a fraud?

3. Why have you refused to demand investigations into how the
Republicans have stolen two elections and corrupted our democracy?

4. Why do you vote with the Democrats and accept the endorsement of
prominent Democrats but refuse to run as a Democrat?

5. Instant-runoff voting permits voters to rank candidates in order of
preference. It allows more candidates to get involved, decreases
negative campaigning, and saves money. Do you support instant-runoff
elections for all elected positions?

6. Do you support my Vermont Democracy Network initiative which
utilizes the Internet to improve our collective ability to identify
good ideas, form coalitions and embrace good leadership?

7. We have a category-5 economic hurricane coming, indicated by higher
interest rates, higher consumer costs, and a falling dollar. Will you
address the root causes of this economic crisis and tell us how we can
free ourselves from dependence on money?

8. Will you acknowledge that our democracy is strengthened when we have
more candidates to choose from because the people get to consider a
wider range of issues and perspectives?

9. Will you join me in condemning the Republican party as an evil
organization dedicated to serving the interests of the rich and the
super-rich while exploiting the passions and prejudices of poor fools?

10. Secrecy is anathema to a healthy democracy. I believe that members
of secret societies are untrustworthy with public power. Do you endorse
my proposed "Open Government" Constitutional amendment?

The Open Government Amendment


"Any citizen who has accepted membership in any social, political or
religious organization which requires a secret oath, a secret rite of
initiation, or secrecy of its structure or membership shall be
ineligible to hold an elected or appointed position."


...snip ...

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