Did We, the People, lose Our Government to They, the Corporations?

[kentuck]

And who would have ever thought that we could lose our government in such a short span of time?

Are They, the Corporations, the same as We, the People?

Because We, the People, are the Government.

They, the Corporations, see Government as the enemy. We see the government as our ally.

They see Government in a very limited way. It is there to protect us from enemies and not much more. We see Government as there to solve problems that individuals cannot solve alone. Whether it be a vaccination for a deadly disease or protection from bad food, bad air, or bad water. We want the government to be involved and we are prepared to pay for that Government.

They have a different idea. They want the government to get her nose out of their business. They believe their lives will be better without any government. They are ready to drown it in a bathtub. Which side do you see winning this battle - We or They?

[katsy]

1. They have all the power.

They have all the money.

Government is protecting their money and feeding their power.

Why should government listen to we, the people, when we; 1. can't afford representation or 2. don't want to participate in the corruption of politics.

They took the money. They own the police and government.

Do you think they will give it up because of a change of heart? A sudden surge of empathy? No. Nothing will change short of a violent uprising. That is my opinion not an incitement to violence. This cycle of corruption, greed and violent uprisings have been repeated a number of times throughout history. That isn't because the "we, the serfs" want violence.

They have won this round.

[kentuck]

4. I would say that once a government is no longer for we, the people...

It is time to get rid of that government. Not only should we stop paying taxing for the programs that we like, we should also stop paying for the programs that they like. The first program that should not get one red cent of taxes from the people is the military. Let them protect their own interests overseas and at home. We should dissolve such a government. We have a right to demand certain protections from our government or it is of no use to us.

[katsy]

7. Agree and I would follow you in a heartbeat.

Now what? How many good serfs do you think have the appetite to change their fates?

[kentuck]

10. We shall have no wine before its time...

It's a long process.

It takes a long time to educate the people unless they are suffering at the hands of government.

They understand that food stamps and unemployment are necessary to meet the basic needs of citizens. Once they do away with those programs, people will be ready to do away with them.

[DJ13]

2. ...... in such a short span of time?

We lost it a long time back, its just that they are now arrogant and no longer see anything (or anyone, including Obama) who can stop them.

[woo me with science]

3. Not "they the people." "They, the corporations."

Elizabeth Warren:

“No, Mitt, corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they love, they cry, they dance, they live and they die. Learn the difference.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002789965

[kentuck]

5. I like your description better.

I will edit my post to reflect, they, the corporations.

[woo me with science]

9. It's a good post, except I take issue with their wanting no government.

The "small government" goal is a lie that corporate Republicans tell to their base to keep the loyalty of traditional conservatives, just as corporate/Third Way Democrats hope to keep their base believing that they still care about unions and public education and opposing austerity, despite repeated actions to the contrary.

Corporatists purchase governments to transform them, not to get rid of them. They twist and abuse governmental power to assault our civil rights, create authoritarian states, and and transfer wealth from the many to the few. The parts of government they will slash will be the regulations, the safety nets, and the assurances of privacy and civil rights. But they are busy writing new legislation to surveil us, punish dissent, put down our protests, loot our bank accounts in a million new and creative ways, and cement their power.

Under Bush, government did not become smaller. It exploded as the protector of the growing corporate empire, war machine, and police state.

Corporatists don't want small government. They want corporate government.

[kentuck]

11. I cannot disagree...

Well said.

[ananda]

6. Yes.

nt

[ProfessionalLeftist]

8. Yes. We lost it. And they already won. n/t

[Make7]

12. Who Will Tell The People?

 
[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0.4615em; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #bfbfbf;"][font style="font-size:1.23em;"]Who Will Tell The People? : The Betrayal Of American Democracy[/font]
[font style="font-size:0.85em;"]
Publication Date: June 1, 1993

[/font][div style="margin-left:1.5em;"]Who Will Tell the People is a passionate, eye-opening challenge to American democracy. Here is a tough-minded exploration of why we're in trouble, starting with the basic issues of who gets heard, who gets ignored, and why. Greider shows us the realities of power in Washington today, uncovering the hidden relationships that link politicians with corporations and the rich, and that subvert the needs of ordinary citizens.[font style="font-size:0.77em;"]

http://www.amazon.com/Who-Will-Tell-The-People/dp/0671867407/
 

[Baitball Blogger]

13. to the corporations and the Plutocracies who usurp our rights every day.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Yes.

[NS2012]

15. We did it to ourselves.

How many of us drove a car today?

The Koch Bros thank you.

Oh, and if you drove your car to Wal-Mart then Wal-Mart thanks you too.

[Raine]

16. Yes they won, we lost and most of

the people never saw it coming.

[Laelth]

17. "We the People" (meaning all of us) have never controlled our government.

Ours has always been a government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich (and it has always behaved as such).

Occasionally in our history, our wealthy "stakeholders" have seen fit to do some good things for "We the People" as a whole, but these have been relatively rare events.

Or, so I argue here: http://laelth.blogspot.com/2011/01/turning-american-ship-of-state.html

-Laelth