The powerful are few but run the show for their benefit which means more wealth and less regulation of their “behavior”. Regulation is a demoncratic concept because it checks the few (usually) from excesses.

The entire right is about control, wealth creation and protection of the place of power in this society and in the world. Anything which accrues to then benefit of “the people” is inimical to the interests of power and wealth.

Corporations are not democratic. They may be one vote per share, but one individual can own more shares and hence more votes and have more control and power. The right likes THAT kind of democracy where you can acquire (buy) more free speech, more voting power, more influence because it is WEALTH based.

Until we change our economic model, or begin to put serious muscle into regulations of corporations and the beahvior of wealth, the people will NEVER have any power.

Even the representatives in government represent the wealthy classes. Sure there are the occassional limosene librals, but the idea that competiton and winning is the america way, is fundamentally corrupt.

We haven’t advanced much since the days of slavery and fuedalism, we just have more gadgets in our lives to make it appear that society has made progress. The right even is engaged in controlling the electoral process to insure that the people can’t even vote them out. This is what the USA scandal was about. Yet another fix on the control of power while maintaining the illusion of democracry.

It hasn’t. We’re just as racists as classist as we ever were, if not more. And now it’s out in the open.

I am sorry to say that I suspect that revolution is the only thing which will changed this deeply entrenched system and more and more democratic institutions and ideas are tossed aside in the interest of wealth creation (for the wealthy).

Here’s the deal:

1) Media companies are owned by very rich people, and Republican tax policy favors the very rich.

2) Media companies hate regulations, they really hate anti-trust regulations, and they especially hate the idea of a Fairness Doctrine. Ronald Reagan rammed through legislation in 1987 that killed the Fairness Doctrine and Republicans since then have gutted the FCC’s regulatory powers.

3) Starting with former Nixon Treasury Secretary William Simon’s call to arms in the 1970s, Republicans and conservatives have made concerted efforts to buy up the mainstream press and turn it conservative (see: Jack Welch, NBC — who hired Republican National Committee chair Roger Ailes to run his news division) and/or create their own media (see: Rupert Murdoch — who hired Roger Ailes to set up and run Fox News; also see: Rush Limbaugh and the shadowy backers that bankrolled his career in the early years, when it was all but given away to small rural stations in order to build up a stable of stations big enough to get the ad revenue needed to get urban stations to carry him).

Wow. Great analysis.

ls@142

ohhhh what you say…..

The fight spirit. Not her agenda. Just some fight and power from the Dems. She has not been forthcoming, and has apparently been untruthful to congress and should be held accountable for all of that, but I admire the fight spirit. Truth to power. That is what I’m talking about.

ohhhh what you say…..

juslin @ 138

lurid is a tool who wants to please her boss(?) and maintain her position and if it means violating the hatch act – ahhh so what…

She’s been given so many different names that I can’t remember her real one. Have enjoyed them all. And no, I don’t wish her to be a Dem.

I’d like to see some of her “fight spirit” in a Dem. That is what I was referring to. Her politics and ethics are so totally misdirected.

Oilfieldguy @ 107

Someone upthread asked what the position of fdl is on immigration. I think it is bigger than fdl and should encompass the progressive movement. I would like to see a position paper crafted by the progressive blogs that comes out foursquare in the corner of supporting and expanding the middle class, y’know, unions and stuff.

Atrios put a piece the other day saying that opposition to the current immigation bill was huge, and challenged congress to put forth legislation that people could support. He did not limit it to immigration.

What can we do to improve the lot of millions who faced obstacles up to and including death in their search to be American?

I’m hoping our position is exactly as outlined on the Statue of Liberty (give me your tired….)

That was me that asked what the position was. I only asked because I hated the bill that just died(I hope). I hated it for totally different reasons than Dobbs did. If I was reading correctly, it would basically assign new immigrants to a permanent underclass, while also screwing over the middle class.

lurid is a tool who wants to please her boss(?) and maintain her position and if it means violating the hatch act – ahhh so what…

The interesting thing to me is that she is the most outspoken, get in your face and fearless, of any of the other witnesses, in any of the other hearings. She feels either totally righteous or totally protected. I’m not sure which.

lurid is a tool who wants to please her boss(?) and maintain her position and if it means violating the hatch act – ahhh so what…

She’s been given so many different names that I can’t remember her real one. Have enjoyed them all. And no, I don’t wish her to be a Dem.