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Topic: Money still doing the talking in Gottschalk's America
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QatzelOk
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15680
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posted 29 October 2008 09:36 AM
In his recent article "The American people have finally had enough," Keith Gottschalk is heartened by signs of a "seismic shift" in the political actions (and/or convictions) of a majority of Americans. Then, as a sign of this democratic surge, he writes: quote: Literally within hours, a progressive 'coalition of the willing' from all over the country buried her little known challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg in so much cash (over $1 million in a matter of days) that he probably needed the National Guard to extricate him from the money blizzard.
So for Gottschalk, the "change" in American politics can be qualified by examining the sudden change in money flow towards one particular candidate. I'm not encouraged. Money is still calling the shots in US politics, and how progressive can this be?
From: Montréal | Registered: Oct 2008
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George Victor
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 14683
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posted 01 November 2008 09:05 AM
quote: But it still means that political 'activity' is only possible with a million dollars. That still rules out the participation of 95% of the people in the US. And it still means that the outcome of political activity HAS TO enrich someone monetarily. So how big can 'the change' be with those kind of constraints?
Any idea how many donations came in from how many people just to produce that "infomercial"? "Big oaks from little acorns grow."
From: Cambridge, ON | Registered: Oct 2007
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QatzelOk
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15680
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posted 01 November 2008 09:30 AM
quote: I absolutely agree that American politics has been polluted with too much money. But I doubt that will change if one side unilaterally disarms. That would just allow the other side to dominate.
I'm not arguing that American politics has been ruined by its scale. I'm suggesting that liberal democracies - including our own - are failing because of the role of money.It buys (and controls) everything in liberal democracy, including the truth. Including the public's perception of reality. That we are so close to civil war over poverty, and extinction because of pollution, is in large part because of business ownership -- money's control over the means of public opinion management. Money moving from one place to another - no matter how this money was accumulated - is not an encouraging "change" that will remedy the lack of other currency in our society. Like morality or the common good. What happened to them? Did they get bought out in a hostile takeover?
From: Montréal | Registered: Oct 2008
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QatzelOk
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15680
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posted 01 November 2008 10:51 AM
quote: Should the opponents of Prop 8 keep their wallets and chequebooks closed?
As all the other species (and nations) on earth start to go extinct because they just don't have the money to represent themselves in all of our successful liberal democracies and their wonderful texts, gay marriage will quickly move down everyone's list of priorities.Money can not buy survival or justice. It can only create power clusters. This one issue doesn't change the dynamic of one-dollar/one-vote tyranny.
From: Montréal | Registered: Oct 2008
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