"Mandate for change" - a call for a civil DUbate

[BelgianMadCow]

We all have lived for years now under an oppressive, secretive, fraudulent regime.
Even with the media on a leash however, the "sheeple" have seen the light to a large enough extent to have confirmed the mandate of all the dems and threw out a bunch of repubs.
When turnout is unusually great and people vote for the opposition, this is indeed a mandate for change.

But what change should that be?

I know I want the evil ROOTED OUT this time. Of course, then I am speaking about the crop of neocon leftovers from Iran-Contra. But getting rid of them in such a way that they can never come close to power again will not solve all problems.

I for one believe corporate donations and big money influence on policy,
media consolidation and the military-industrial complex having a simply insane budget are at the heart of the matter and a big part of the status quo.
And I am sorry to say so, but I do think the above issues touch the dems too, so just having the dems in power will not cut it.

The people who want change, aka the PROGRESSIVES, who are a MAJORITY now, should really demand changes to the system as well.

Media deconsolidation, the fairness doctrine reinstated and a radically different system of campaign finance come to mind. Personally, I'd like a system that makes multiple parties viable more than what you have now. We have coalition governments all the time here and the dynamics of that are much less black & white than the two party rule in the US.

What about YOU?

on edit : and besides demanding the change from others and the system, we should also change ourselves. Consumerism and individualism live in everyone of us to some extent, and is a major enabler of "evil".

[HCE SuiGeneris]

1. Just posted this

What we got here... Updated at 8:19 AM

is a failure to communicate.

The Repuke -- and possibly more -- arm of Congress, is owned by the Corporations. The Diebold's, Haliburton's, Enron's, Pfizer's etc., that pencil-whip their lower echelon (90-95%) into subservience, in order to maximize profits... own our politicians. Why did Hilary pounce on Kerry for his faux pas? Why are whistle-blowers so scarce? Not all politicians on each side are complicit. But they all are aware of the stakes. We have a lot of work to do.

[BelgianMadCow]

3. I too think the power of corporations is obscene

to a large extent, even if they provide a job and an income to many, an even if for sure not all those employees or managers are all bad. Just look what kind of television programming advertising and the subsequent need for ratings have gotten us. The lowest common denominator.

Mind you, I am in marketing myself. It's just that there is no balance to their power. There should be a global union with equal power or something.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

5. ackk... Am a Mktg. grad... but gave up the profession;

learned a lot (maybe too much) along the way.

[Selatius]

2. The Fairness Doctrine and the abolition of the 1996 Telecom. Act and "clean elections laws."

That should break up the media monopolies, and clean elections laws should allow those who repudiate private money should allow more people who are uncompromised by the system to gain a voice.

Unfortunately, I think it will be a difficult thing to get even a Democratic government to do, but it should be done regardless, no matter how long it may take.

[BelgianMadCow]

4. That is what was so hopeful this election

that several people "uncompromised by the system" gained a voice.

I agree on the need and the difficulty of getting the telecom act abolished. I fear that now that dems are in power and will receive better exposure, it will not be dealt with, partly because some inconvenient truths touch both power parties.

As Randi says : it's the media stupid.

[BelgianMadCow]

6. Spokane's "how do we take back the Media" thread

has more on this very valid topic :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2668207

[lvx35]

7. Wow, now somebody is talking!

I hope you keep saying that! It needs to be said. The major question we are facing is what to do now. The mess we have to clean up is so much larger than any Dem congress or president can simply clean up, we are facing a crisis of unprecendented depth that is going to require fundamental changes to make clean.

[BelgianMadCow]

8. The fight has been going on, and will go on

for quite a bit. But there a certainly opportunities for fundamental changes right NOW.

You can be assured I will not stop talking. I just think that like with posts about class warfare or poverty, the DU audience is quite small.

Thanks you for the kind words.

:hi:

[BelgianMadCow]

9. For reference : Pelosi's plan

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2671895