#OWS being raided right now
Nov. 15th, 2011 01:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flamingswordI INTERRUPT MY REGULAR BLOGGING TO TELL YOU THAT OCCUPY WALL STREET IS BEING RAIDED RIGHT NOW.
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
http://t.co/K4oqABv0
http://t.co/TpBDbnNw
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57324763/riot-police-surround-occupy-wall-street-camp/
CBS news is LYING. We have live feed of the police beating protesters, using pepper spray, there are several report of long-range sonic device usage, AND THEY"RE WHITEWASHING THE WHOLE THING.
http://anonops.blogspot.com/
There are pockets of resistance, chanting, drummers, but tweet reports say more arrest teams are coming that way.
If we were to take legislative recusal to its obvious conclusion - lawmakers unable to vote on the legislation they were lobbied for - then lobbying by corporate side-stepping of campaign finance rules would be pointless. It is an unacknowledged but clear conflict of interest to have ties to one side of a debate that a legislator is voting on. Campaign contributions or the promise of contributions for favorable legislation is bribery, though we don't like to think about our traditions as being founded on unethical behavior. So I propose a thought experiment: re-imagine the United States as a place where all politicians in a given race are allotted the same amount to use for campaigning, supported by anonymous voluntary donation. Then ask yourselves these questions:
What harm would it do to have no more corporate lobbyists?
~1,000 lobbyists are out of a job.
Without the leveraging of our economy, economic growth might slow marginally
What benefits would come of having no more lobbyists?
Less collusion, corruption, earmarks, and kickbacks
No incentive to go to war for war profiteering
A stronger EPA
Prison system reform away from for-profit incarceration (modern slavery)
Tighter regulation of dangerous industries like oil, financial derivatives, and coal
What does our society stand to gain by taking away the power of the rich to effectively silence the voices of the poor through campaign finance?
A gradual return to a more level financial playing field
A depolarization of politics and more nuanced political referendum with the voting public
The repeal of laws that lead to the 3 major financial crises of this nation through mis-appraisal of risk and hyper-competition
What would it cost our society to change this tradition?
- - - I can't think of a single reason that holds any water
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
http://t.co/K4oqABv0
http://t.co/TpBDbnNw
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57324763/riot-police-surround-occupy-wall-street-camp/
CBS news is LYING. We have live feed of the police beating protesters, using pepper spray, there are several report of long-range sonic device usage, AND THEY"RE WHITEWASHING THE WHOLE THING.
http://anonops.blogspot.com/
There are pockets of resistance, chanting, drummers, but tweet reports say more arrest teams are coming that way.
If we were to take legislative recusal to its obvious conclusion - lawmakers unable to vote on the legislation they were lobbied for - then lobbying by corporate side-stepping of campaign finance rules would be pointless. It is an unacknowledged but clear conflict of interest to have ties to one side of a debate that a legislator is voting on. Campaign contributions or the promise of contributions for favorable legislation is bribery, though we don't like to think about our traditions as being founded on unethical behavior. So I propose a thought experiment: re-imagine the United States as a place where all politicians in a given race are allotted the same amount to use for campaigning, supported by anonymous voluntary donation. Then ask yourselves these questions:
What harm would it do to have no more corporate lobbyists?
What benefits would come of having no more lobbyists?
What does our society stand to gain by taking away the power of the rich to effectively silence the voices of the poor through campaign finance?
What would it cost our society to change this tradition?
- - - I can't think of a single reason that holds any water