Amen YellaHammer!

All Americans are affected by the problems brought on by the funding of our elections by multinational corporations and banks.

The money these huge institutions give to American candidates who run office, corrupts our government at all levels and in both parties by putting the corporations and banks in charge of the regulatory process that were meant to protect the American public, instead of the banks and corporations.

We (the American people as Republicans, Democrats and independents) need to promote a constitutional amendment banning all non governmental financing of elections.

That should be something the overwhelming majority of Americans can agree on.

This can't be done without the public coming together, put our other differences aside. The effort can't be led by politicians because their political opponents would then be funded by the corporations.

OWS and the Tea party started partly as a reaction to the corruption the current corporate election system has wrought . The reason the Banks not only were bailed out, but the reason they needed to be bailed out was because the banks have been able to rewrite the rules they do business under.

The reason we can spend trillions on wars, but only millions on cancer research, or education, or infrastructure or anything that would benefit those of us here at home, is because military contractors and oil companies (who don't want to spend their own money on security in risky nations) spend taxpayer money on electing people who will keep certain conflicts going that stand to improve their bottom lines.

Conservatives, liberals, and moderates are all being screwed by this problem.

It's about damn time! Go visit the White House where the King lives.

Sorry without lobbying money Congress will ignore you.

If you like the way America sells it elections to the highest bidder the good news is that you don't have to do anything.

All others need to find a way to let the multinational banks and corporations that have purchased this country understand that they did so without the support of the American people.

If these huge institutions want to continue doing business here they will have to stop interfering with our Democracy!

It is about time. I was wondering why they were so up in arms about Wall Street when its our government that's ruining America.

Brent-independent

The Government is ruining America because we the American people have allowed huge multinational banks and corporations to fund our elections.

Instead of politicians owing the citizens of the US for their office, they owe whomever spent the most money.

That's why the banks were able to run a pyramid scheme in the US but not Canada.

dan-4259216 - Huge round of applause from Texas. Great Posts.

I am glad to see the Occupy move go to Washington. It's about time they take this to the very halls were the root of the real problem exists. I am in favor of social program reforms, but we also MUST have corporate welfare reform is well. There is no reason why an american corporation (and I can name several) continue to receive subsidies from the government while making record profits.

These are ridiculous unsubstantiated figures. One social security which can only tax upto $106K is 40 % of revenues, corporate is 9% Excise is 3% and other is 6%. Personal income tax is 42% of the budget of which the middle class contributes most. So where you get the 10% pays 70% is hogwash.

Secondly actual value of a company is the revenue - cost to produce = years total revenues. The stock market is just some shareholders evaluation, which often is over priced and under priced and has nothing to do with the real world, it is just some stock guys guess on how the company is doing. But don't forget many many more companies are private owned without being traded on the stock market.

Also without being a rich insider it takes an enormous political coupe to oust an annoited CEO. Joe stock holder has little say. The stock market is just gambling.

Corporations are not people they can't show up with ID and vote, they are not citizens and therefore should have more say than a citizen who can fight and die for this country. I agree we need to be more efficient and manage the finances of the people better but only through transparency can this happen published allocation of ever dime. And yes I think that the wealthy ( me included ) can pay taxes on realized equity gains on par with average income tax 20- 25% so that individuals take money out of gambling and put it in real start up companies making real products, at least the incentive would be there.

We need to rebuild infrastrucure, pay a living wage and quit playing partisan politics. Ford started a revolution not by introducing the assembly line but doubling his workers wages so that they could afford the product they built. This is what drives america building things and getting paid well to do it. The really rich don't get the are chewing off there own foot. You don't need a slave paid workforce you need consumers and that way you get a small slice of a much bigger pie. Not a bigger slice of a evr smaller pie.

As usual the paid trolls are alive and doing well. They will need to come up with something more imaginative. Considering the top 10% own 90% of the wealth..it is time they pay back what they robbed from the working class using their influence and wealth to create a huge inequality of wealth. The federal taxes are not a hand out. They are to assist in protecting the common man and for social programs when needed. Those in the lowest one fifth of income (average $18,000 or lower) pay a rate of 16% on their income in taxes. All of a person's income below $110,000 is subject to the FICA tax of over 6% per paycheck...Congress needs to raise the cap to prevent those in a much higher income benefiting from Social Security while not contributing from all their income per year. Social Security benefits are based on a persons income so they receive the higher amounts. I doubt those wealthy would notice the reduction and it would go a long way in a reduction in our debt and solvency of Social Security and Medicare. I am happy to see OWS at Congress and am hoping they listen to our concerns. Pass legislation to remove the Detainee Matters in the NDAA bill,hold Wall Street accountable and pass legislation to prevent the militarization of our police or it will not matter about the NDAA bill.

Actually, Dan, we aren't a democracy. We are a democratic republic. Big difference.

BELU, your list seems a little ideological.

Kinda funny-speaks of desparation.

Some say take corporate money out of politics. I guess then you're also in favor of taking union money out of elections. A "union" is no more an individual than a "corporation". Some will argue unions represent people. The people don't need that; they can represent themselves. They have their right to vote and to contribute to the candidate of their choice.

Wow - just think, if all these occupy people voted in the last election we wouldn't have a republican congress fighting against what these people want.

Gee - I guess they should try voting this November since it will save them all this driving and camping for the next four years (but I guess that will drive down the stock price of cardboard and sharpie markers)

Vote you loonies!!!

I would go with OWS with a Ron Paul sign. About time they hooked up with the Tea Party because guess what, THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME ISSUES! The media divided them - like Fox News and Current TV.

Want change? Vote for Ron Paul. Volunteer for Ron Paul. Believe me, he'll be moving into the White House and put this country back on course.

Gloryhound-848713

Yawn. The movement of "Owed Welfare Services movement" continues to fail to understand that the top 10% pay 70%+ of the current federal taxes. The top 50% pay 98% of federal taxes, which means half of America is paying for the other halfs hand outs.

Yeah, and the rest can't afford decent housing and can't find jobs.

So, I guess, your solution is to continue the trend to reduce the tax burden on the wealthy and to continue to cut education, healthcare for the needy. Those poor people don't need education to break out, do they now.

Your solution is to let the Invisible Hand take us back to fuedal times, right?

I hear they are playing reruns of Bonanza, maybe you can catch a couple of episodes!

Wait. So all these conservatives and tea partiers whined and bitched about OWS not protesting Congress at all, or enough (when in reality, they already were), and now that they're in the spotlight, they're still sh!t talking them?

I understand some of you are quite ignorant, but the past 5 months have been overwhelmingly stupid on your part. You're either blind, or dumb. I can't figure out which. We have a true peoples' movement that has no billionaire money behind it (*cough* Koch Brothers *cough*), and you scream about how it's a "socialist movement," when 9 out of 10 of you couldn't give me a correct definition of the term.

I am sick and tired of corporations pouring money into Congress, just so they can make more money, and then stick a fork in the middle class and make them take the brunt of this country's problems. Enough is ENOUGH. It's time to end this madness, because we have the numbers and we have the power. If you tea partiers and conservatives want to remain in ignorance, we won't stop you. But the time has come where the average American says to hell with something that's going to destroy us all.

Business as usual, this is the second time unions organizers go to Congress to protest against Republicans members of congress , under the flag of OWS. This is the army that Obama has to defeat the Republicans in 2012 demonizing congress . This is the army that Trumka and Jaffa Jr. are mobilizing to help Obama in his reelection. Nothing more than Chicago politic in action.

This entire little spark of a movement has had its time and has wore out its 15 minutes of fame and filth. All the little encampments have been taken over by crackheads and vagrants with no purpose. So the only lasting impression of "Occupy" will be the filth it left behind from its little trendy moment in time. Occupy, will not even make it onto a trivial pursuit card game 10 years from now.

All the occupiers I've met were college graduates are 15 to 30-year-veterans of the work force who can't get a job, lost their job, or can't find a job, because the cronies in Congress and Wall Street f*cked up our economy, and then got bailed out, and made a PROFIT ON IT. They made a profit for destroying our system, and they push for even more and more deregulation!

You're completely talking out of your ass, or you're a paid shrill. I can't figure out which you are yet Yeldar. Calling them all "crackheads" just proves your ignorance of the issue and situation.

As I see it it is Occupy Congress because "it is the source of the problem" and the solution

is "outsourcing" which gives "outsourcing jobs" a whole new meaning.

Gee, is this all that bsnbc could find to write about? It must be a slow news day. Hell, I thought the OW losers had all finally gone home to take a bath.

Virginia...

We do not tax wealth int his country. Please see to the constitution as to what is taxable based on the constitution.

This is absolutely essential! The problems we're facing today will never be fixed until we take back our congress from the hands of big money interests. Overturning Citizen's United is the first step, however, it's not nearly enough. That would get rid of corporate money in politics, however money would still be considered speech, ergo non-profits like labor unions or the NRA, and independant billionaires like the Koch brothers or Soros, would still be able to buy legislation. We have to overturn Valeo as well as Citizen's and pass an amendent declaring civil rights and personhood be given only to human beings. After we do that, the rest is just math. The multinational corporations will no longer be able to find tax havens and cheap, human rights violating, labor overseas. Our trade system will no longer be corpupted in order to protect these companies ridiculously large profits.

Corporations and money are property, not people and expressions.

Great news! OWS has survived and is spreading - it is finally becoming Occupy America.

The 99% live, work, suffer, and succeed in all parts of our society - it is natural that the protests move to all parts of our society. The immoral and unethical have prospered long enough - it is time for Americans to reinstate American values in our society.

We have all seen the self serving ethics of Wall Street - we are all familiar with Wall Street's desire to maintain their privileged entitlements in our society. Now we can discuss the self serving entitlement culture of politicians - the lap dogs of Wall Street. Business - government - and religion are the three legs of our society. Addressing the self serving entitlement culture of religion will be more difficult.

Sarah, your so Blind. Your just a one sided person. You act like George Soros and the Liberals have nothing to do with any of what is going on in Washington.Your OLBAMEA got more money from Wall Street than ANYONE. Take the Liberal Blinders off.

Buckie,

Lol, how was that one sided? How do you even know what party I aligne myself with? Because I want money out of politics??? Since when is that liberal? How am I blind? That crosses party lines, bubba.

You obviously aren't capable of having a civil, substantive debate, otherwise why go straight for the insults? Do you have a rational question, or a position you'd like me to explain so you can understand why I feel this is necessary, or do you just take crap from your boss and spouse all day, and feel your life is futile so you take it out on strangers over the internet?

Do you have anything of intellectual substance to offer?

about time OWS decided to go to DC. where they chould have been in the 1st place. Picketing their fellow democrats and republicans who make a majority of the 1%.

you see, the rules will never change, until real people are elected to run this country, not the rich, or once elected, rich. The so called last 2 presidents did it under our noses and we let go. this to include the present tool in office. But see with both sides all equals its ok for one, not the other to keep everyone entertained. Pelosi maybe a b!tvh but she did a great job and still does on your minds, for her to be relected..... if you vote nowadays, your a fool if your guy made it or not.

in otherwords, like every president since Carter maybe even Ford nah Ford i think gave it an honest shot. Has been voted in as Mr popularity more and more. Now Look at how this last president spent his 1st 3 years as a symbol of this nations history. Still running for re-election, its nothing but the same old smoke up the a$$ as it has been since day 1. lavish trips, and free ones. tons of photo ops.. sorry if i or any honest person were elected i think the 1st task at hand would not take 3 years to get a start on. his 1st task was employment, it turned to gitmo another failure. HCR failure. on it goes.

For those of you that want to change Congress get behind this:

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best
quotes about the debt ceiling:

1. No Tenure / No
Pension.

2. Congress (past, present & future)
participates in Social
Security.

3. Congress can purchase
their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans
do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay
raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or
3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system
and
participates in the same health care system as the American
people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they
impose on the
American people.

7. All
contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void
effective
1/1/12. The American people did not make this
contract with
Congressmen/women.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

Nikki - and how about the two Jesters or Jokers (McConnell, Boehner, Cantor, etc, etc, etc). That's where the real problem is in Washington - the protectors of the elitists. Give them directions to their homes in Georgetown.

I'll wait to form an opinion about this. Let's see who they "target" in Congress....the new TEA- members elected in 2010....OR the "Old Guard Insider Traders" lead by Pelosi ......or BOTH....

And let's also see how the Media covers it.

It's about time they started focusing on DC - that's where the real problem is. Unfortunately, if a "nationwide" movement can only muster a few thousand protesters, I don't think they will have much political clout. It was hard enough for the TP to get anything done, and they put over a million on the ground in one of their DC marches.

Well Ron, the thing is, they had to wait long enough to go to DC so that (in their own minds) it would look like it was THEIR idea. They've left US with the cleaning bills for their filth, now let's see how our oblivious leaders like it on the front doors of THEIR kingdom.

It's about time they directed that energy in the right direction, that being congress. I even see some hope based on this article that they may even be forming some actual direction regarding what they want. While I am not a big supporter of the message they are putting out there since it is still uber liberal and ignores 1/2 the realities we face in favor of addressing one small part of the problem, I do commend them for standing up for what they think is right. I think they need to broaden their veiwpoint but that comes with maturity and as this article states this is still a very young movement.

I may not agree with them on what they want or how they go about it but I do wish them well and congratuate them on finally finding the real target.

The problems we're facing today will never be fixed until we take back our congress from the hands of big money interests.

Will never happen. Never. The First Amendment is too strong, as it should be. The simple solution to the problem we've created is to limit the power of the Federal Government. The Federal Government was never intended to have the reach that it does now, not even close. We've entrusted people we barely know to run every aspect of our lives. Bring the power back to the State, it is only at the State and local levels that people have real influence over what happens in government. I know all of my state representatives, I know what kind of people they are and I know that the only reason they run for office is because they genuinely care about what the people they represent actually want. Our Federal representatives are essentially the opposite, hell, most of them spend little time in the state they supposedly represent. You see them come election time and then they're off again serving their own interests in our names. This is a problem that we've created by allowing the Federal government to overreach it authority.

Gloryhound-848713 says "Yawn. The movement of "Owed Welfare Services movement" Wow you sure are a witty one. perhaps you can point us all to any statement made by anyone in the OWS moment that wants welfare services. Its you and your ilk that are the problem, you're all just a bunch of greedy SOB's that think the middle class are a bunch of welfare want a be out to get your money. When the facts are that we only want make a living wage, one where you can get a yearly salary increase that at least covers the inflation rate. I've worked for the same company for 10 years and when you factor in inflation I actually make less than when I stated. So take you witty crap and go play in traffic.

Yawn. The movement of "Owed Welfare Services movement" continues to fail to understand that the top 10% pay 70%+ of the current federal taxes. The top 50% pay 98% of federal taxes, which means half of America is paying for the other halfs hand outs.

Gloryhound - Needs to quit yawning and wake up and smell the facts. Look at the taxable income between the income brackets. The top 10% has increased their income over the past thirty years while driving the income of the middle and lower class down. It is in direct proportion to the income levels. And the wealthiest and their republican robots want to cut taxes even more. While they profit from outsourcing jobs to a communist country (China) and lowering the tax base from the working class even more. And then having people make inaccurate posts in their defense.

If OWS wanted to make a point it should aggresively take over a company through stock purchases and then make the company set wages how it wants and see how long the company stays a float and what kinds of profits it brings to them as investors. Otherwise all they are is a bunch of want something for nothing welfare lifers.

I think if people would look into the issues that OWS is protesting instead of looking to the Heritage foundation and Rush Limbaugh for posting points. You might understand exactly what the reality is. Such as jobs being outsourced, people taking out mortgages that get packaged into CDOs and sold on the world market, so a group in Hong Kong could be holding an American Citizen's mortgage without their knowledge or approval. And corporations who profited from subsidies and tax breaks so they could research, develop, and implement production lines for products that they profited handsomely from at the expense of US tax payers over the years, and then turned around and moved the jobs and operations to communist china because they are greedy. Well I say pay back the subsidies and tax breaks with interest or we impose tariffs to subsidize replacement companies and burn their patents. But I think what bothers me the most are all of the ill informed Viners that agreed with you.

what exactly is 'a living wage'? if you don't apply yourself and/or don't have a skill set to earn a good salary, is there an expectation you should get paid a certain amount anyway? or is this a case where employees of big companies should get paid more, and the ceo get paid less to spread the wealth? i get tired of hearing people repeat buzzwords and phrases bc it makes them feel smart, when they have no idea what it means in practice. like 'working family'. i work. i have a family. i make more than other people bc i own a business. but i don't qualify under your 'working family' standards. why? what qualifies as a 'living wage' and a 'working family'?

http://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-collapse-michael-snyder-2012-1

BackCountry,

I beg to differ, I think it can and will happen. Our Constitution has been amended before, and it took limited time. If the will of the people is strong enough it will happen.

I agree with the 1st Amendment, but as I said, it apply to human beings only. Sentient beings, who produce expression through speech and press. Money can be a microphone, it can not, however be the words you speak into the microphone. Otherwise, anyone who has more money than you do, has more rights.

While I can agree that the federal government can be nipped, tucked, and streamlined, it must remain the source of greatest power in our nation. Without that being true, we lose our "Republic" and the 14th Amendment ends up in jeopardy. There is a Supremacy Clause for a reason, as there was a reason for us not maintaining the Articles of Confederation.

It doesn't matter where the power is more located, be it states or federal, if the power is allowed to be bought, those doing the buying will always have more say.

YELDARB-JMb. Why do you attach filth to your comments regarding OWS?

Let's see. Every year on the mall, on July 4th, TONS of filth are left over on ther grounds from celebrating our independence from those pesky Brits.

New Years Eve. What happens all over the country, I guess especially New York City. TRASH! Tons and tons of it. Left behind by revelers celebrating the start of a new year...every year.

Even with you voting system, every year almost, TRASH littering the roadways and home fronts.

But I guess that that kind of trash is OK with you, as it is "good trash". I hope that one day, you will think of this current trash as trash left by those that helped you keep your uppity nose in the air.

YELDARB-JMb. Why do you attach filth to your comments regarding OWS?

@ skeeter-339704 - Because that's all he's got. Facts elude him. He posted the following.

So the only lasting impression of "Occupy" will be the filth it left behind from its little trendy moment in time.

But the right has left their mark that will last for a long time. We are living with the disaster they created.

I believe they are still looking for the WMDs.

The event has raised questions about whether Occupy is becoming politicized, especially with an event focused on politicians.

Is that a JOKE??? I thought OWS always WAS political!

The only WMD's I've ever seen proof of, are Weapons of Mass Delusion, or the wedge issues and scare tactics our politicians put out every election cycle. Exhibit A, "class warfare". Exhibit B, "gay agenda". Exhibit C, "all Muslims are terrorists"...

I could keep going, but I'm sure everyone gets it. Whatever distracts the "masses" from the "Heads I win, tails you lose" system created by the unholy alliance of Washington and Wall St, I guess.

to " a somebody"

Won't work. Congrees= organized crime. They don't care what anyone thinks. We keep listening to the money and they keep winning.

Class warfare is defined by, when the Government gives special treatment and or favorable treatment to one segment of the population over the rest based on income, race, religion and or class status....That in hand gives an unfair advantage to one and not the other.

Trickle Down economics is prime example of class warfare committed by this Government as a whole!

Just stop and think, there must have been areason why corporate taxes were at 50% and above in past years. It makes me cringe when i hear the very people who stand to benefit from fairness in the system decide to stand against it. Surely all of you who do are among the 10%, if not how smart are you

@ltp -- A 'living wage', simply put, are wages that allow a worker to at least maintain their position in the economy. Working harder or working more in order to maintain their position in the economy means that they are underpaid.

Inflation can be driven by either of two factors - increasing wages (wealth) or increasing speculation (money).

Wealth is created by combining labor and resources to creating something of greater value. Increasing wages from that activity generates new wealth. Inflation caused by increasing wages at least allows workers to maintain their position in the economy - their wages go up with inflation.

Inflation caused by speculation (debt, commodity trading, etc.) is not related to creating something of greater value. Speculation simply alters the value (price) of something that has already been created - or - gambles on the ability to alter value of wealth that will be created in the future. Speculation does not create wealth - speculation alters the value of wealth. Speculative inflation decreases the value of wealth - which means that work is devalued. A worker loses position in the economy because their labor has been devalued by speculative inflation.

No, everyone is not the same and some are limited in their skills and ability to work. Yes, that may impose limits on where they can position themselves in the economy. But losing economic position while they are working according to their ability is NOT a measure of a healthy economy or society.

Our economy is not rewarding people that 'follow the rules' - work hard - better themselves. Our economy is rewarding those that do not practice moral and ethical conduct in our economy.

Ron-1861300, #1.39- I don't believe the TP has ever properly embraced and employed the "principles" of "Direct Democracy". (It's a real thing). No party affiliation. The TP seemed to have consorted with Republicans, early on, to become "contaminated", taken over and actually used by them. Roll the tapes. John Boehner, Mike Pence, Tom Price, Ms Fox from North Carolina and many more, etc...., and it certainly seemed to me, deceptively acting as the whistling/"water's ready" spout on the tea kettle, supposedly for them, the TP. Maybe the Republicans taught the TP to do nothing really more than just "spout", ineffectively and ram-rod The People; whereas Occupy has steadfastly adhered to and employed the principles of Direct Democracy. (Certainly the best they've been able to when not being vioalated, trampled and abused by Police, City Halls, Mayors, etc)

Just to begin, quickly here, corporate personhood as a principle is 1) a legal impossibility, as it can't possibly be shown to rise to a standard of the law and 2) failing the argument of previous 1, it's unConstitutional, as it serves only to take over, conquer and "obliterate" Direct Democracy....a.k.a....."The Foundation of this very Country, itself". ETC, ETC, ETC.....for another time....and post, for me. Thanks for reading, if you did.

93 Senators are GLOBALIST LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES!

If the Mainstream Media is Supporting a candidate thru lots of exposure you better believe that candiadte is the puppet. Vote Ron Paul then vote all the rest of these part time stallers out of office.

Vote all of sitting represenatives out. No more party lines vote them all out.

Defence bill w/ authorization to kill Americans w/o charges was signed by 93 Senators and only 7 opposed. 93 Globalist anti constitutional Senators. This bill destroyed the Constitution not protected it!

@ Dgibb

It wont work if people dont get behind it, we already know that Congress=organized crime and that most of the posters here are lobbyists, which is why there arent 150+ approvals on the post. The fact is that this needs to be spread and demanded by the People. The People that want CHANGE must demand for it to happen!

Like they say...."those who forget history are bound to repeat it. There was a story about some guys who dumped Tea in the Boston Harbor over their anger with then King George II and the British India Tea Company who were profitting off the Colonists hard work, toil and labor by taking their $$$ and spending it on their personal pleasures.

Thing is, they knew how dangerous governments and corporations who do their bidding were, and in the first attempt in history they formed the very first Federal Republic of it's kind, which is wholly OPPOSITE OF A DEMOCRACY as our fouding fathers despised such a government (read up on Socrates). First, they BOUND the Federal Government up tight with the US Constitution (see Articles 1 to VI and Bill of Right; and then the States under Amendment X BOUND up Corporations through very strict Corporate Charters at the will of the People they served.

Originally Jefferson wanted a provision in the Bill of Rights that limited banks and corporations powers, but the other framers believed the States were in a better position to do this---see back then owners could not own stock in another company, could not contribute to any political cause/candidate, were fully responsible for all personal and corporate debts/crimes, and had to re-apply annually or bi-annually (depending on the State) which would be rejected if it was no longer serving in the best interest of the People or public.

Up through the Civil War the Federal Courts and People were able to reign in Corporations because back then Congress no legislative authority over corporations outside of the Full Faith and Credit part of the US Constitution as they were under the sole discression of the STATES, not the Federal Government! As usual, the People were beaten down through years of war and too busy putting their lives back together, at which time corporate owners were able side-step State laws and began to buy the Judges and Politicians to do their bidding. Basically, we're right back to the very reason the damned Tea was dumbed in the friggin harbor!

Our founding fathers truly didn't have a lot of faith in the People or the governement they gave us---a Federal Republic where the Federal was broken down into three distinct and seperate branches to check each other while doing SOME WORK they were authorized to do for ALL Sovereign States (Articles I - VI), Plus what the Federal and States could NOT DO (Amendments 1 to 10), so the majority could not rule the minority! This was intended to LIMIT all the non-government crap (like corporations) that now pervades our governments today.

FYI---A Democracy is a large group of people headed by a small group of elitists who have certain ideas about what their society should act/be like (think Democrats and Republicans) and must rely on the non-experts [regular people] to do their bidding in which case the majority always overrules the minority. This is why the deomocratic experiment failed in Greece BTW, because the elitists were able to persuade the every day folks (farmers, shepards, mill workers, etc). to follow them lockstep into war which which turned out very badly for them.....gee, wonder why that happens to us so often?

I liken the OWS crowd to the true Boston Tea Party members. Time the Kings (Congress) and Tea Companies (Corporations, Banks and Wall Street) to be brought back down again...well at least for little while anyway. BIG Sigh.

Mystery,

Not aligning a movement with any political party is a more "pure" way to go, but it's also not very effective at bringing about actual change. Personally, I'll take the less pure approach and try to get something done.

To :Midnight man.

I think you are an idiot. Please show proof that corporate taxes were at 50%. I can't find it, so prove your imbecile comments.

It's fiscal morons like gloryhound that fuel the Capitalist fire. Supply and demand and the purchasing power of the middle class will ALWAYS out-perform top down philosophy...go read an ECON 101 book you freakin Oligarch! This country is sick and tired of your worn out Capitalist BS! Your kind are HISTORY!!!

Gotta love how I must have really struck a cord considering the personal attacks pointed back in my direction. Gotta love the "Owed Welfare Services" movement if for nothing more than their ability to call people names and curses. Also how they collapse any comment they don't like even when nothing in it was inflamatory. Yet I wonder if I made the same personal attacks at them that they do me how long it would be till I was banned due to the code of honor.

People say the "owed welfare services" movement doesn't want hand outs, how about wanting the college loans they got that don't meet what current employers are looking for that now they want to have forgiven. How is that fair to the people that have paid off their college loans? How about the "I want a job, but not that one" mentality of the movement. Jobs exist, some require specialized training, others are minimum wage jobs. No where has it been gauranteed that you will be given a job or that if you do get a job it will pay what you want it to pay.

Does anyone here look at the world stage and realize that the bottom 5% in this country live better than the bottom 50% of people in an overwhelming number of other countries.

Get a job. Work hard and prove you are an asset not only to your boss, but other bosses as well. If your worth is true you will get a raise or someone else will make you a better offer for the services you offer. Sorry, but companies don't exist to hire people. They exist to make a profit. Even if what you provide is equal to your wages it doesn't make any sense to keep you employed, since the business is going to make the same amount either way.

Hate me all you want, but any business that makes it a practice to hire more people when the return on those extra employees will be insignificant if anything does not tend to stay around very long. If I make my employer 150%+ of his anual investment in me I'll probably get a raise. If I am barely making over my cost to the employer then I shouldn't expect a raise and just be thankful to still have a job. If I make less for the company than my cost to the company I should realize I may need to look for a different career and be ready to accept less in pay.

Hey, Ron-1861300- Thanks for replying to reply. I know there's another "reply" to you from me but I don't know exactly what it is, right now. Maybe a question. Somewhere along the lines of whether or not you're saying that being offered fresh pure water as your daily drinking source, you'd knowingly choose contaminated? because it's only slightly contaminated? because sticking with contaminated will bring about an effective change to non-contaminated? Something like that? (:

Without cohesive and consistent goals and demands, realistic demands, this is like spitting in the wind. To those who are against corporations having any say in elections, I say great...and... lets get rid of union influence as well. Let's get rid of special interests of all stripes, remember that a 'special' interest is only in the game to satisfy itself.

The Federal Government is entirely too big and too powerful. Mandates from the federal level impact negatively on states. Remember the term "United States of America?" That doesn't translate into massive control of all states by a bloated bureaucracy, funded by the Federal Reserve.

I hope they include the Federal Reserve in their march, that is one huge and massive gorilla in the room and it really needs to be examined and curbed.

93 Senators are GLOBALIST LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES!

That is an interesting post. Considering that out of the 7 who voted against it 3 were Republican, 3 were Democrats, and one (Bernie Sanders) is an Independent. That means all of the others who voted in favor of The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 are either Republican or Democrat with the exception of Lieberman who is an Independent.

Vote Ron Paul then vote all the rest of these part time stallers out of office.

That is an interesting comment as well, because Ron Paul never voted on National Defense Authorization Act. If it is that important (Which it is) then Paul should have voted against it instead of being absent. And I like Paul. But I think anyone who didn't vote against this bill should be out of politics and hang it up.

...Otherwise, anyone who has more money than you do, has more rights

This is patently false. People with more money may have an easier time getting their message out but the idea that that somehow equates to "more rights" makes no sense. Money in politics buys the ability to put out the message but that money is meaningless if that message falls on deaf ears. It is time for the people of this country to stop looking towards the government to solve their every complaint. We call them corrupt but then expect them to fix the system in our favor as if that somehow makes sense. If people start thinking for themselves and looking for facts instead of lapping up the rhetoric then political contributions wouldhave little impact on elections. This is just another example of people asking their government to take action because they are too lazy to think for themselves. Please don't let rich people poison our minds because we aren't smart enough to see the poison for what it is.

While I can agree that the federal government can be nipped, tucked, and streamlined,...

Nipped and tucked?!? You must be kidding. You sound like Obama making a big deal out of his plan to close the Commerce dept which would cut approx 1,000 Federal jobs. No mention of the fact that he has added 120,000 Federal jobs since he took office. The size of the Federal government grows by leaps and bounds and now extends into every aspect of our lives. We don't need a scalpel we need a chainsaw. When you're morbidly obese a little nip and tuck isn't going to make you look like a model.

It doesn't matter where the power is more located, be it states or federal, if the power is allowed to be bought, those doing the buying will always have more say.

It is much more difficult to "buy" local and state officials and much more difficult for those who do get bought to stay in power. Corruption at the state and local level is a pittance when compared to what happens at the Federal level. In state and local elections your individual vote has a 1000 times the value as it does in a Federal election.

Gotta love Gloryhound and his allegiance and acceptance of the top down Corporate model that has decimated the American economy since the Reagan years. If he only understood that with a "healthy" middle class working core...everyone wins. You just can't reason with those Hell bent on a successful Oligarchy.

Ranman, Gillanator, and Skeeter. Please re-read my tiny post once again, and then, using all that college ability I am hearing about, tell me where you see that I have called all/any of the Occupiers, "crackheads". I stated the encampments have been taken over by crackheads and vagrants.....and that is still a fact.

Where and why do I attach the word "filth" to the occupiers??? Because that is their only legacy. They have trashed up our public areas not only with the usual debris that comes from parades and celebrations, but the disgusting human waste products that comes from disgusting people of low moral and civil values. Stupid is as stupid does F.G.

So since I am so mixed up, please tell me exactly what it really is that any of the occupiers have accomplished. Please real and tangible items only.

Ranman, Gillanator, and Skeeter. Please re-read my tiny post once again, and then, using all that college ability I am hearing about, tell me where you see that I have called all/any of the Occupiers, "crackheads"

Show me where I stated you had?

Please real and tangible items only.

Tangible -capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial.

You must be a right winger. Only something that can be touch is of value to you? I would recommend you not use the internet then. Maybe you want to require that I can only give an accomplishment on the third Tuesday of the month. Or perhaps you would like to restrict the person posting to those who joined NV on a specific year? That is a ridiculous request.

Yeldarb27, "For Real" and "Tangibly", they've accomplished keeping you from just ignoring that they're there. Trying to defame, dismiss or discredit their existence or message is another story. :)

BackCountry,

People with more money may have an easier time getting their message out but the idea that that somehow equates to "more rights" makes no sense

It makes perfect sense, if as SCOTUS ruled in Valeo v Buckley, money equals speech.

Money in politics buys the ability to put out the message but that money is meaningless if that message falls on deaf ears

The money ensures that the ears of the politicians are anything, but deaf.

If people start thinking for themselves and looking for facts instead of lapping up the rhetoric then political contributions wouldhave little impact on elections

Except for the fact that the majority of the time, he who spends the most on his campaign, wins his campaign. Ergo, it doesn't matter if we're all lapping the rhetoric up like crazy, the politician will still be endebted to the corporation, non-profit, or individual who donated the greatest amount.

This is just another example of people asking their government to take action because they are too lazy to think for themselves

You lost me on this one. How does a desire for a Constitutional Amendment banning money from politics equate being lazy and wanting the government to take action, or not thinking for myself? I do think for myself, I think that our system is bunk and bought and paid for. And it is the government's job to listen to the people and take action dependant on their wishes.

It is much more difficult to "buy" local and state officials and much more difficult for those who do get bought to stay in power.

Sorry, I'm from Detroit. Do you know what's gone done in Detroit lately??? Trust me, when I say that it is definitly very possible and very easy to buy local officials.

We call them corrupt but then expect them to fix the system in our favor as if that somehow makes sense

No mention of the fact that he has added 120,000 Federal jobs since he took office.

I suggest you take your own advice. Everyone's screaming about Obama creating jobs, and than when he does and the Federal government grow, they start screaming about government that's too big. If you don't want the government to grow, than don't complain about Obama's lack of a jobs plan, that's the only way as POTUS, he can create any.

And please don't even start on that "less regulation, less taxes" crap-o-la. We've had that for 30 years, and look where it's led us.

In state and local elections your individual vote has a 1000 times the value as it does in a Federal election.

Did you know that 90% of all statistics or assertive claims are pulled directly out of the butt of the person making the statement?

'Less regulations, less taxes crapola'

The problem isn't less regulations, it's less stupid regulations. I know that intelligence and governance have become oxy-morons when used in the same sentence, but there are some truly idiotic regulations at state, federal and local levels, regulations created to favor one group over another (in Texas new interior designers must take a course, pay for licensing and get a permit to do business, existing interior designers are, of course, exempt) and as to taxes, there are hundreds of taxes and fees on everything. Think not? Go look at your phone bill or utility bill.

As to Obama or the government creating jobs, please. They can create more bureacracy, more government but true jobs creation, it is not their job to create jobs.

The REAL Truth: the American electorate has been corrupted.

Admit it: We the People vote for the candidate with the best "organization" and "communications", which is code for showmanship. Incidentally, showmanship costs money, which unions, corporations and special interest organizations (AARP, etc) strategically contribute in return to having their "interests" looked after.

The same methodology to sell products based on how things make us feel when we use them is being used to "sell" candidates. We become 'buyers' of politics rather than students and stewards of it. We too are bought and corrupted.

Things will ONLY change when we the People quit voting for people based on style, looks, sweet talk and pretty commercials (oooo-aaah!). Again, voters must go on substance rather than smear campaigns, one-liners and catchy phrases.

Money is the conduit, not the speech. That's why the addage "Don't shoot the messenger"; because the messenger, like money, is the conduit not "the speech"(message).

The money ensures that the ears of the politicians are anything, but deaf.

I thought we were talking about campaign contributions. Politicians taking money for other reasons is already illegal. The only way to take the money out of the equation is to eliminate ALL of it, from anyone and everyone with Federally funded elections. Good luck with that because while everyone is in favor of taking the money away from the other guy they all believe that the money they donate should be allowed. The idea that we can pick and choose who is worthy of being able to give money is impossible because no one will ever agree who is worthy and who is not.

...equate being lazy and wanting the government to take action, or not thinking for myself? I do think for myself,...

Then all of that money spent to buy an election is wasted on you. If you think for yourself and don't buy into the rhetoric then no amount of money spent will have an impact on the decision you make in the voting booth. If everyone was like you then money in politics wouldn't even be an issue. Do we need a Constitutional Amendment for something that shouldn't be an issue?

I suggest you take your own advice. Everyone'sscreaming aboutObama creating jobs, and than when he does and the Federal government grow, they start screaming aboutgovernment that's too big. If you don't want the government to grow, than don't complain about Obama's lack of a jobs plan, that's the only way as POTUS, he can create any.

(smashing head repeatedly against desk) It is not the "job" of the government to create jobs!!!! Think about it for a second, if we are going to continue spending we need to increase revenue. More jobs means more people paying taxes means more money the government has to operate with. But if those jobs are paid for using tax money then you end up with a net loss. The POTUS can "create" jobs by making it easier for businesses to create those jobs. Yes LESS regulation and LESS taxes.

The idea that anyone wants NO regulation is a straw man used to change the subject. I know a guy who just spent 3 months and thousands of dollars installing equipment he didn't need and waiting for the city to repeatedly inspect it so that he could sell the bread he bakes off-site. 2k all totalled up just for a 3-tub sink that he literally can't use. Doesn't need it for the business and the same regulation that says he has to have it forbids him from washing his hands in it. It's death by a thousand cuts but people accept it because every so often someone gets away with something.

Did you know that 90% of all statistics or assertive claims are pulled directly out of the butt of the person making the statement?

And did you know that when someone makes a statement like "a 1000 times the value" common sense says they're not attempting to making an "assertive claim" or give a factual statistic.

Steve wrote:

Wow - just think, if all these occupy people voted in the last election we wouldn't have a republican congress fighting against what these people want.

So, we can go back to the good old days of 2009? If the OWS message boils down to "Vote Democratic in 2012", there will be some extremely disappointed folks out there.

So, we can go back to the good old days of 2009?

Brought to you by the good ole days of 2008.

OCCUPIERS, Would someone just please print them a T-shirt and lets get on with real life.

They know nothings, they do nothing, they accomplish nothing. Great goals and agendas they have NOT.

Maybe if they keep up their current notoriety, they might and just might I say, make it to "pet Rock" status, but they will never make it to "Cabbage Patch doll" status.

(smashing head repeatedly against desk) It is not the "job" of the government to create jobs!!!! Think about it for a second, if we are going to continue spending we need to increase revenue. More jobs means more people paying taxes means more money the government has to operate with. But if those jobs are paid for using tax money then you end up with a net loss. The POTUS can "create" jobs by making it easier for businesses to create those jobs. Yes LESS regulation and LESS taxes.

Keep smashing head against desk. Maybe you'll get it someday. You are repeating the same old tired song and dance that the right has been selling to America for the past thirty years. Take a look sometime and you will see that tax rates have been going down for the past three decades and jobs have been disappearing while the US was giving what was being asked for. Lower taxes, subsidies, concessions, and less regulations. The results could be found in 2008, the worst economic crisis since the great depression. And your solution is to repeat what resulted in failure. How right wing of you.

BackCountry,

The only way to take the money out of the equation is to eliminate ALL of it, from anyone and everyone with Federally funded elections

Exactly. Hence the numerous Constitutional Amendments being written, by numerous groups of people to ban it. All of it. Writing it off as too hard, is just making excuses. This is really nothing but a giant loop hole in bribary laws. Corporations, non-profits, and billionaires contribute to the campaigns, which in turn all but ensures the politicians are elected, and than endebted to them. Do you honestly believe that this doesn't get factored into legislative decisions.

It is not the "job" of the government to create jobs!!!!

We can argue this all day long, seeing as that's a matter of opinion, however, that wasn't my point. My point is that the right complains about Obama growing government, while also complaining he hasn't created any jobs. He can't do one, without the other, so which would you have???

Simply saying, "we're not going to regulate anything", doesn't equate to job creation.

Income and wealth disparity are at the greatest levels since 1929. Corporations are recording record profits, yet where are the jobs? This isn't class warfare, this is class cooperation. The bottom 99% overwhelmingly has done our part. We've paid a greater percentage of our income in taxes, we vote, we follow the laws, we go to school... The upper 1% now refuses to cooperate with us. They pay less in taxes while they continue to get super rich, forclose on our homes, cease to provide jobs, buy our democrasy, and then when the dookie hits the fan, they take our money to save themselves.

Banking Crisis prior to The Great Depression -

• The Panic of 1819, 1832, 1836,
• The Depression of 1837-1843
• The Panic of 1857
• The Depression of 1869-1871
• The Panic of 1893
• The Panic of 1901
• The Panic of 1907
• The Great Depression

The first regulatory statute enacted was the ICC of 1887 and The Sherman Act of 1890. However, these were not very effective. Lawyers, auditors, and brokers worked for the companies they were supposed to be regulating (ahem that's the self regulation you all want) not the potential investors. The federal laws were still inadequate. And state laws are ineffective to regulate commerce that crosses state lines, there goes your "states rights" argument.

So, you can see that prior to any regulation, we still had at least 6 major banking crisis in about 50 years. Now let's take a look at what's been going down this passed decade or so...

• CDO's (consolidated debt obligations) are enormous bonds comprised of mortgages, asset backed securities, credit loans, all rolled into one. They come with big pay outs. I mean BIIIGGGG pay outs.
• CDO's are sold to the richest buyers, like state pension managers, who only invest in bonds that receive AAA ratings from a state backed organization.
• AAA's are given out dependant on the average overall credit rating of each person who's debt is tied up in the CDO. But hold on, investment banks intentionally mixed super high risk loans with super low risk loans, to get that nice medium level, steady feeling needed for an AAA rating, HOWEVER, those super low risk loans didn't provide any protection should those super high risk loans fail. So they had the same overall credit rating as the CDO's comprised of the middle of the ground debts, but none of the steadiness of middle of the ground debtors. And yes, they did this intentionally, because it's easy to find people with bad credit who want to buy crap they don't really need in order to keep up with the Jones's.

Than, we mix into this the political/legal side of things...

• The SCOTUS Valeo decision that claims money is speech and allows for Wall St. to begin to buy deregulation.
• The repeal of Glass-Steagal
• FSMA that allows for a bank to be a traditional bank, investment bank, and insurance company all in one. This means, your bank can use your money as collateral against high risk investments, with no supervision, and insure itself with tax payer money.
• CFMA that deregulated deriviatives, and allows for "swaps". Basically, this means that the "too big to fail banks" created by FSMA are just tossing the debts back and forth, hoping not to be caught with them when the bubble bursts.

All of this added together means, no capital requirements, no transparency, no stoppage of manipulation/fraud. Our market has now gone from having aligned interests with the public, where banks invest in the most innovative and productive manufacturers, who are forced by the free market to higher standards, to the banks having their interests lay in dolling out as much debt to citizens as possible, regardless of the liklihood of that debt being paid back. Afterall, they're protected with tax payer money, and the Fed can always print more to cover up what's actually taking place.

Mean while, we have a tax code, that has so many corporate loop holes an elephant could square dance through it, and zero penalties for shipping manufacturing overseas, to places that labor wise we can never compete with. Unless of course, by "less regulation" you mean a return to sweatshops and slave labor?

Keep smashing head against desk. Maybe you'll get it someday.

Is that how your puppet-masters got you to buy into their con? Repeatedly smashed your head against something until you lost the ability or desire to think for yourself? Your ridiculous assertion that less regulation is a mandate of the Republican Party is proof beyond doubt that you are nothing more than a mindless drone. The Republicans LOVED regulation during the 8 years Bush had the WH, he added more new regulations through his first 3 years than Obama has. “How very right of you”, ROTFLMAO!! How very ignorant of YOU! Repeating the rhetoric du jour just like a good little parrot.30 years of less regulation?!?! How fcking stupid do you have to be to buy into that utter garbage? Each new administration adds tons of new regs. The Federal Register is over 80,000 pages long and the Code of Federal Regulations has topped 150,000 and has grown each and every year.

Lower taxes, subsidies, concessions, and less regulations.

Nowhere will you or have you seen me say a single word in favor of subsidies or concessions and the idea that those things are somehow limited to the right side of the isle is just more proof that you are utterly clueless. We need fewer taxes but the only way that works is to have the government STOP the spending and STOP the crony capitalism, giving all of their buddies the best deals. I assume you’ve had your head shoved up your @ss for the last 3 years since, again, you seem to believe it is only the right that does these things.

The real problem we have in this country is people just like YOU, be they on the right or the left. So eager to bow down to your own masters and so eager to blame all of the ills on the “other side” that you don’t realize you’re just a different flavor of the thing you hate on.

@Sarah-3043284

You’re well spoken and articulate but I’m not sure you have as firm a grasp on things as you believe. First off, “self-regulation” is not people writing the regulations that will affect them. It’s letting the market regulate itself without someone putting some arbitrary rule down on a piece of paper. For example, when a business screws up they go out of business and a new business crops up hopefully aware of the mistakes the first one made. If not then they go under also and get replaced by a third. In the free market you give people what they want fairly or they stop doing business with you and go under. In that way the market "self regulates". The problem is that people end up getting screwed over before the crooks go under. An unfortunate consequence of capitalism is that some people lose. But the alternative is to create a system that ends up holding everyone down in order to prevent a few people from bottoming out.

I’m also confused by what exactly your position is. Two days ago in another thread you said- “Anyone who's calling these people losers has a fundemental misunderstanding of what Capitalism is and how our financial system actually operates. We haven't had a Capitalist system in this country for about 30 years. Our current market isn't free.” But then yesterday you say this- “And please don't even start on that "less regulation, less taxes" crap-o-la. We've had that for 30 years, and look where it's led us.” So you think we haven’t had a free market for 30 years but you also think we’ve had less regulation for 30 years??? Regulation is what kills the free market. Governments picking winners and losers; government deciding which industries should be propped up with subsidies and which industries should be controlled by regulation.

Simply saying, "we're not going to regulate anything", doesn't equate to job creation.

Actually what I said was-"The idea that anyone wants NO regulation is a straw man used to change the subject.” The only people who talk about "not regulating anything" are the liberals making a BS argument in favor of regulating everything. I've never heard a single sane person suggest that there should be NO regulations. I'm a libertarian but even I understand that there has to be some regulation. There is no profit in protecting the environment for example so there is no incentive in a capitalistic, free market system to do so. Regulation is required. The problem is the amount of regulation and the fact that the people writing them do so in their own self-interest. We've added 98 BILLION dollars (that's annually) worth of new regulations over the past 11 years (60 under Bush and 38 so-far under Obama), where do you think that money comes from? Imagine if businesses in the US had just half of that money back in their pockets each year. The libs will tell you the rich fat cats would just stick it in their pockets but you don't get rich by hoarding money away. You get rich by investing in and growing your business. Being able to hire more employees means you can make more money but if you don't have the money to do so or the regulatory cost of hiring that employee ($10,585 per year, per employee for a small business according to the SBO) eats up any potential gain then obviously you're not going to expand.

BackCountry,

It’s letting the market regulate itself without someone putting some arbitrary rule down on a piece of paper. For example, when a business screws up they go out of business and a new business crops up hopefully aware of the mistakes the first one made. If not then they go under also and get replaced by a third

I understand that, but how do we let banks fail after allowing them to get so huge, that their failure could bankrupt the entire world. Wouldn't proactive regulations, such as Glass-Stegall, which limited bank size, ensure that those who provide poor service CAN go out of business?

So you think we haven’t had a free market for 30 years but you also think we’ve had less regulation for 30 years???

I don't think they're mutually exclusive. Capitalism is what happens when you find the appropriate balance. It, as anything else on the planet, needs to be both protected and subjected. Purely letting "Capitalism" rule, as we've slowly been letting happen over the past 30 years, hasn't freed up the market, it's raped it and rigged it. Like I said above...

All of this added together means, no capital requirements, no transparency, no stoppage of manipulation/fraud. Our market has now gone from having aligned interests with the public, where banks invest in the most innovative and productive manufacturers, who are forced by the free market to higher standards, to the banks having their interests lay in dolling out as much debt to citizens as possible, regardless of the liklihood of that debt being paid back. Afterall, they're protected with tax payer money, and the Fed can always print more to cover up what's actually taking place.

Had we kept in place, Glass-Stegall or the proactive lessons learned from the Great Depression, 2008 wouldn't have happened.

The problem is the amount of regulation and the fact that the people writing them do so in their own self-interest.

I absolutely agree. That self-interest being rooted in political financing, Valeo and Citizen's United.

The only people who talk about "not regulating anything" are the liberals making a BS argument in favor of regulating everything

True, just as all we from the right being, "less taxes, less regulations".

The libs will tell you the rich fat cats would just stick it in their pockets but you don't get rich by hoarding money away.

Not all libs, I'm a lib, and I would tell you they stick 1/4 in off shore accounts, 1/4 in multi-national corporations, 1/4 in their pockets, and give 1/4 to their buddies in Washington.

By the way, you might want to check out Rocky Anderson for President. If he's on the ballot in MI, I may be voting for him.

Wouldn't proactive regulations, such as Glass-Stegall, which limited bank size, ensure that those who provide poor service CAN go out of business?

Repealing Glass-Steagal was an obvious mistake given the current state of affairs but, first off, these so-called “too big to fail” banks didn’t get that big in just 9 years, and secondly, the best way to prevent banks from getting too big to fail is to allow them to fail. The FDIC insures people for 100k per account so the idea that people would have been put into the poor house is fallacious. Now we have a situation where the people responsible for the mess have no incentive to change their ways. They can keep making risky decisions because they know they will be bailed out if their risks don’t pay off. Regulations like Glass-Steagal are the equivalent of putting a patch on a bald tire. If you remove the patch the tire deflates but the patch doesn’t address the real problem. What we really need is to change the tire, get rid of the Fed entirely. Allow banks to take all of the risk they want. As long as their customers are aware of the risk why shouldn’t they be allowed to? If they make a mistake they fail and are replaced by a bank that learns from the mistakes of their predecessors. The banks that f-up don’t last long, the banks that do it right survive, that is how the free market self regulates.

Purely letting "Capitalism" rule, as we've slowly been letting happen over the past 30 years, hasn't freed up the market, it's raped it and rigged it. Like I said above...

I really don’t see where anyone gets the notion that capitalism has been allowed to rule anything. We haven’t had a true capitalistic system in this country for decades. You can’t grind capitalism down to a mere shell of what it could be and then blame it for the mess. It’s the central planners we keep electing that have screwed up capitalism and it is the screwed up system they’ve created that has led to this mess. You can’t blame capitalism for the problems when the system we have isn’t true capitalism any more.

Not all libs, I'm a lib, and I would tell you they stick 1/4 in off shore accounts, 1/4 in multi-national corporations, 1/4 in their pockets, and give 1/4 to their buddies in Washington.

Not that I see much of a difference between those things and putting it in their pockets but...You think Bill Gates became a billionaire doing that? How about Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, etc. You can’t make money without spending it; if you have less money to spend you have less potential to make more. Forget about the big boys and look at small business, the true engine of the economy. Today, as I mentioned, a small business owner has 10.5K in regulatory expenses per year, per employee. Just 6 years ago it was approx 7.5k. So imagine you own a business with 20 employees, those employees cost you 60 thousand dollars more today than they did just 6 short years ago. That’s enough money to pay the wages of two more people. How much are those 60 employees going to cost you in another 6 years? Your guess would be as good as mine because the reality is no one knows. They’ll be writing new regs for Obamacare alone for the next decade, what will they cost? No one knows. Are you going to expand and hire more people considering the extra cost you’ve had in the last 6 years and the fact that you have no idea how much more you’ll have to spend on the employees you have now in the years to come?

You can cherry pick regs like Glass-Steagal and use them as an argument for regulation, but the vast majority of regulation has an overall negative effect. No one considers the unintended consequences and no one considers that the vast majority of regs serve a special interest. They just scream and holler about the one or two regs that should have been left on the books and use it as an excuse to add thousands (literally) of pages of new, mostly self serving regulations each and every year crippling our economy along with our freedoms in the process. This is what the vast majority of regulation looks like-http://www.businessinsider.com/ridiculous-regulations-big-government-2010-11?slop=1# I dare you to defend any of them.

Gill wrote:

Take a look sometime and you will see that tax rates have been going down for the past three decades and jobs have been disappearing...

A correlation does not imply cause and effect. If I understand correctly, temperatures have risen slightly too. Would you argue that rising temperatures influenced the disappearance of jobs?

Sarah wrote:

Simply saying, "we're not going to regulate anything", doesn't equate to job creation.

Who said that?

I'm really confused now. With congress already taking up space in Washington, doing nothing, with no agenda, no morals, no sanitation, and no accountability or brains....would someone please inform me how we will notice the difference between them and the occupy crowd? The only thing either group is capable of or has ever produced is human feces. Makes me so damn proud.

Maint

Watch for the police to show up in full riot gear , followed by the national guard . This time congress , the fat cats of wall street and all the pacs , special interest groups Will pull out all the stops !!!! OWS has gone to the heart of the problem this time . From here on out it will look and feel like the 60's all over again with congress at the epicenter of it all . Sure hope we can win our government back and take all of the money out of the election process .

bob

They've had that message for decades, and just don't care.

You want to know why we can't stop the corruption in Washington? Because we keep electing people to Washington.

The cure for corruption, governmental bloat, and the oligarchy that really runs this country is:

A Constitutional Convention. It's way over due.

Well Finally! The OWS movement is going after the root of the problem; our congress that is pre-purchased before they ever get to Washington. You can't have corruption without someone willing to be corrupted. What we have in Congress these days all walk around with a "For Sale" sign on their back.

The real problem IS Washington and the sleazebags like Senator Jack S. Phogbound from Dogpatch that we keep sending there over and over again. We do it because, as they say in Lil' Abner, "Thar's no Jack S like our Jack S." (Jackass). So, in actuality, we the voters are to blame.

Like Pogo said almost 50 years ago:

"We have met the enemy and he is us!"

That's right, show were your brains are. Congress has to call a Constitutional convention or you have to get 34 state legislatures to call one and then get 39 states to agree to whatever a convention comes up with. There aren't 34 totally blue or totally red states, let alone 39 that can agree on anything. Decades of spending, not enforcing laws and re-electing the same bozos cannot be fixed with a simple convention. Not re-electing the bozos would be a good start. By the way all of the seats in the Senate and House are up for grabs. Try putting someone who will follow the constitution already in place. A new Constitution only means new laws to do an end run around.

Hey Indigo! July 4th 2012 in Philadelphia. The commencement of the Third Continental Congress. Noon at Washington Square Park.

See you there?

Been working on organizing this for years really.

=)

We've got a few pushing for a return to the Constitution, Dr. Ron Paul and his son, Rand Paul are exemplary models of doing the right thing, such as :

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/01/rand-paul-returns-k-in-office-budget-to-treasury-110637.html

Freshman Sen. Rand Paul is making good on his promise to cut federal spending. The Kentucky Republican and tea-party favorite said Thursday he’s returning $500,000 to the U.S. Treasury — money from his operating budget that his office never spent.

Now if we could just get the rest of Congress and the Senators to do the same, it'd be a good start!!!

Latest-Obama will OK shale deflagration because SOROS has stock in a COMPANY which needs some business.When will the White House quit subsidizing his supporters with your and my money? OCCUPY the WHITE HOUSE against CORPORATE Subsidizes who Obama owes favors to. OCCUPY against Congress getting RICH from INSIDER TRADING.

Well said, Chris. The best thing the people could do is keep voting out incumbents, regardless of political platform, until they realize that they need to focus on the task at hand instead of pandering to their political parties and corporate sponsors.

What all 10 of you, More people go to little league or pop warner footbal games than participate in these protests, Telling yourself you are a movement does not make it true.

Voting out the incumbents didn't work last time. Politicians are corrupt before they even make it on the ballot. Voters do have a responsibility, yes. But when everyone on the ballot is corrupt, how can the voters be blamed?

Lovely, we voted out the incumbents once. I mean every 2 or 4 years until they get the message that if they don't adhere to the people, if they continue to bicker like children, if they keep stalling policy decisions, if they don't cut the pork, the people will vote them out regardless of their political affiliation. Honestly, the problem isn't about republic or democrat. It's about learning how to compromise to benefit the people (all people, not one side or the other). We should be electing politicians based on their ability to compromise, not on their ability to "win" agenda items for their party.

Fundamental change and reform in D.C. isn't going to happen overnight, no matter how much we need or want instant gratification. It's going to take multiple surgeries to get to the root of it, so to speak.

If you want to show government your pissed, and you think that the only way to show displeasure in them is to vote, you have been given the opportunity to make your voice heard, loud and clear.

Of course, those that vote straight party lines will be too stubborn to see this, but I give you Ron Paul. Dr. Paul at least, will show you how rediculous our system currently is, and how your elected thugs don't actually "represent" you.

But most of you are too afraid to admit just how bad things are, and won't vote for him. Heh, and you call him crazy. I tripple dog dare you to show some guts and vote for Mr. Paul, so you can see exactly how much "your" government works for you.

Remember KENT..!! Stay close to cover..!!

If politicians are sooo corrupt, why do we keep voting for them? If we know better why don't we do better- and then have the nerve to complain about it?!

If you don't want corrupt politicians, quit voting for corrupt politicians and discounting third party or low name-id candidates because they don't have that 'pizzazz'. We want pizzazz and we sure get it. Lotsa show, not much to show for it.

If voting could really change things it would be illegal..

The elections are held to have someone to blame, and to keep the masses appeased..

@ProfessorNRK:

Will there be an actual review and revision of the Constitution that will go before the people, and will the people then tell, not ask, but tell their elected officials that these are to be the new laws of the land, and they are to see them implemented and enforced or they may vacate their offices in favor of those who will? If so, then yes, most definately will be there.

We don't need to rewrite the constitution, we just need to make it known that ALL OF those in office HAVE to follow the guidelines in our current Constitution.

Short answer yes!

Citizens have the right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It's a right protected by that Constitution thingy the far right claims to care so much about. Corporations are not people. They are comprised of citizens who are already accorded the rights protected by the Constitution. Since those citizens' rights are already guaranteed by the Constitution, they are not entitled to "double coverage" simply because they are employed by a corporation.

Unions, while undoubtedly suffering from corruption in some instances, are formations of the many on behalf of the many. And good call flbikerchick!

Given the state of things, I would think the framers may have reconstituted themselves and are spinning around in their graves...

While Jefferson could be overly dramatic at times, I think he nailed this one...

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." -Jefferson

Yes, I know The Fed is quasi-private, but given that it seems to have the ability to keep Congress (supposed, i.e. "us") in the dark about its activities... it may not be so "quasi" after all.

Unions are comprised of citizens who are already accorded the rights protected by the Constitution. Why is representation politically OK for unions but not for corporations?

Also, Citizens United did not give "personhood" to a corporation. It allowed corporations to contribute monies to a PAC. If they were given personhood, the corporations could directly contribute to an individual candidate. Stop the lie about the Supreme Court recognizing corporations as if they were people.

Personally, I don't think unions should be able to influence elections any more than corporations. It's supposed to be a government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people. I'd love to see political contributions limited solely to capped individual contributions, no PACS, no lobbies. Unions should exist solely to facilitate collective bargaining between employees and management, not as political entities.

I'd also like to see all political parties abolished, term limits for every elected position AND Supreme Court justices, and corporate/union lobbying outlawed. Citizens' lobbies, that is, groups that promote and work to prevent infringement of the rights of individual citizens, are to me the only legitimate kind of lobbying. In a perfect world, a person's sexual orientation or skin color would be no more or less important than their height or the color of their eyes, but we all know the world isn't perfect.

Unions, while undoubtedly suffering from corruption in some instances, are formations of the many on behalf of the many

And those "many" each have their own individual voice. Unions are no different than corporations when it comes to politics. They take money from the people under them and give it to the politician of their own choosing regardless of the wishes of the people they claim to represent.

Citizens have the right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Yes, this is correct.

However, that does not include "squatting for indefinite periods of time" or "disrupting the right of way" or "shutting down ports" or "breaking the law".

Our government is more concerned with helping big money and corporate fat cats than the people of this country because of one simple thing greed.. The Obama health care nightmare just puts more money into the hands of insurance companies and medical corporations.. It does nothing to fix the over priced nightmare we have now.. For the benefit of the people the government could research new medicines using our vast resource of unemployed college graduates.. The taxpayers pay a ton of money already to corporations that manufacture the pills and they rape us with the cost when we are sick.. I will cry crocodile tears for these fat cats that make billions off of human suffering when they are unemployed.. Laws preventing insane law suits that drive up insurance costs, paying $100 for a $1 item where the lawyer profits from a victims misery is not benefiting the people..

Alowing big oil to styful electric technology in batteries and cars along with driving up the price of renewable energy like home solar and wind is no benifit to the people.. There are pattents in Washington that could free us from this energy death grip but between their inabulity to be used and the willfull crushing of anything that interfears with oil profits we are under their thumb.. In Ohio they allowed the electric companies to be deregulated in the guise of saving people money.. Sure we now save about 25 cents a month on the cost of electric generation but we pay a deregulation fee an inflated transmission line fee and now have to pay for insurance to cover meter and service drop repairs.. So our pennies we save has turned into about $25 more a month in fees, good job to our elected officials.. Bet they own stock in the power line companies..

Pissing away trillions of dollars on failed foreign policies of handing out aid to countries that would stab us in the back is another.. Corporate welfare and the insanity of giving money to the corrupt financial criminals that raped the working mans 401k retirement.. Along with what the politicians did to the Social Security fund, borrowing money they do not want to return.. They now say that that the once self funded institution is something that is a revocable privilege is a case of fraud to be sure..

Give America back to the people and stop corporate controlled government..

However, that does not include "squatting for indefinite periods of time" or "disrupting the right of way" or "shutting down ports" or "breaking the law".

Or dumping tea in Boston Harbor? Or sitting at a whites only counter in a Woolworth's? Or riding at the front of the bus?

Unions are a good thing to a point but some have become like a cancer that gobbles up what ever it can with no concern for the host.. How many jobs do you think have been lost to cheep labor in foreign countries because of insane demands by unions.. The postal union and state workers unions are the poster child of a dysfunctional system.. Pay scales, benefits, retirement pay and loopholes are obscene and far above the average person they are supposed to serve.. I think it is a 10 billion dollar load just for retirement benefits alone per year for the post office which earns less than 3 billion a year and I call that insane...

And what is it with the President and pulling the race card any time someone disagrees with him.. I am ashamed of his behavior, he is supposed to represent all the people and some times forgets this..

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

(Noelle - Seattle Occupier)

And to think we rebelled for a tax on tea but are now burdened with way more than that.. Violence and broken laws just play into the hands of our politicians.. This has nothing to do with being Black, White or any other race it has to do with being American and having American values and fighting greed..

@flbikerchick

Or dumping tea in Boston Harbor? Or sitting at a whites only counter in a Woolworth's? Or riding at the front of the bus?

What a lame rebuttal. These were all specific acts directed as a protest against those specific things. The tea was a protest on the taxation of tea. Sitting at the whites only counter was a protest against a whites only counter. Sitting at the front of the bus was a protest against being forced to sit in the back of the bus. The idea that someone can break any law as long as they have some legitimate gripe is beyond asinine. These people aren't protesting not being allowed to use a park. Squatting in a park and pissing all over the rights of other people in the process is not the same thing as your examples and to suggest such a thing is an insult to those who risked going to jail or worse for those causes.

Not a real fan of OWs because of who sponsors this from the shady, background recesses...aka the Soros faction...

Can you provide a legitimate link to support your statement, or are you just talking out your backside?

You have it right! It's about time OWS targets the real enemy.

The only real solution to the problem is to vote out the people who are continually causing the problem. They dont care if you protest, as long as you dont vote them out of office, they dont care what you do because it wont affect them.

Unless we get the rules changed and all the back door $$$$ taken out of politics the song will remain the same.. Money/power corrupts and our system shows it very well these days.. Blatant stock deals and lobbyists buy them by the highest bidder.. Any half sensible person can offer fixes for things that seem out of reach for the elected idiots.. I hope the vocal dissent continues and achieves improvements in accountability..

how about getting an education instead of waiting for a handout?

Education?? You are a genius, tell that to all the unemployed and underemployed graduates out there and you might get lucky and have them beat you to death.. They were sold that bill of goods by the politicians that all you need is an education.. They are sitting on big tuition debt and watching jobs go to China and India and so on..

Jay Arr - I agree fully with the exception of adding "liberalism" to WS and conservatism. We are taught to believe that we have two parties with two divergent sets of ideologies, but the only difference in our lawmakers is how they go about keeping the public distracted by trumped up differences. Each party makes up one of the two wings on the body of the fire breathing dragon that is torching this great country.

Keyboard tough-guys lol.

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

The welfare state, the sense of entitlement and plain laziness are the trouble.

Yes, Steven, especially our wealthy, entitled congress and the rest of the government (many of whom haven't worked an honest day in their lives but were born with a silver spoon in their mouths). Their sense of entitlement and laziness is just astounding. Instead of trying to find a solution to our problems, they just keep kicking the can down the road. At least Occupy protesters are DOING something.

I find it funny that people who criticize the "welfare state," will be the first in the unemployment line when they lose their jobs.

Ranman87

Their EMPLOYER paid for the Unemployment Insurance that they receive. Welfare is NOT connected Unemployment Insurance payments.

What a worthless post.

Many of these yahoos have been looking for jobs and that's why they are angry. Some of these yahoos have jobs and they're angry. Other yahoos are aware that they're lucky and they're -still- angry on behalf of those who are unemployed.

Have you ever noticed that the people who tell OWS protestors to "get a job" are the same ones who whine about how bad unemployment is in the very next breath? Sorry, kiddies, you can't have it both ways.

Did you even read the article? Many of the protesters are social security recipients, which means they have already put in their time with their nose to the grindstone. I am also one of them, and a Vietnam Vet, but I lost my job when the company downsized at the height of the recession.

Consider that many of them have not CHOSEN to give up work to protest, but are protesting against the corrupt system that cost them their jobs.

I am proud of you american vet!!! great comment! Obomob and the liberal democrats

have ruined this country with it's liberal socialist agenda brainwashing kids and young

adults with this big government nanny state jealous of those who work and make money!

it's not only blacks and illegals it's now in the white culture! if this attitude isn't stop now

the US is ruined! these protesters look like a mix of old hippies finally getting themselves

in the mainstream liberal media with young people who don't understand life is not easy

and nothing is free and socialism and big government just leads to less freedom and

nobody ever got rich unless your in the special group [big unions, GE, GMC, Soylandra,

Pelosi, Green Companies, Wall Street, Healthcare AARP etc..] Obombo's buddies that

are getting rich off his liberal programs! FREEDOM not FREEDUMB!!!

one word "bigot"

Good- Oh yes you are right, none of these problems even existed, while Bush was President, and isn't it amazing that WE the lazy Liberals, have managed to turn this country socialist by passing, SS, medicare and medicaid, since none of these programs were in affect before 2008. And the big Unions that scare you so much... Wow, buddy turn off the faux noise, it is rotting what little brain matter you have left! LMAO!

GoodvsEvil - you do know there are other channels to watch other than FOX. Talk about "brainwashing" and bigoted!

Btw - "Obombo" - at best you sound like a third grader. You should be in school shouldn't you?

Goodvsevil, You hit the Nail right on the head.

Goodvsevil, Yes there are other s to listen to LIKE ,MSNBC,hehehehe, CNN, hehehehe, NBC, heheheheh,

ABC, hehehehe,CBS, hehehehe Talk about Brain Washing PEG.

Lets see we have EDE, Maddow, Libermann, Or Chris ( My leg Tingels) Matthews)

Talk about Brain Eashing Peg.

How would you know buckieboy, just from trolling and reading the answers that don't suite you? I'm pretty sure that you've never taken the time to actually watch any of those news outlets.

This "yahoo" is retired thank you, with a new hobby of expressing my outrage at 30+ years of republican"trickle down" and union-busting policy. Look forward to seeing the trickledown frown more and more often as the election nears. I am the author of the image, please feel free to copy the avatar and wave it in the repubs faces.

Another..."Its Obama's fault" you should blame him and not the corrupt congress/Wall Street...duh.

They already have. Remember the 2008 election. They occupied it then.

The corporatocracy's worst fear may be coming true:

www.teapartyforobama.com/about-us/

If the real Tea Party (the original one, not the co-opted collection of nuts infiltrated by the GOP) and OWS get together, the orchestrators of Citizens United will be on their knees.

I was taught "work rich, get rich" or "think poor and stay poor."

If you wake up in the morning, no matter what your standing is, and think I am poor and I will always be poor.....you have already beaten yourself.

I have been broke....but I have never been poor.

Dont forget ED Schultz psmnbc big fat lying liberal had a socialist rally that drew these

types of people and communist and anti-american groups [they flew their flags proud]

left a mess with trash and violence behind in the park but where was the media on that?

Obombo and his psmnbc and other big union groups are associated with radical and

communists groups they even use the same logos and signs! I think the tea party had

the right idea smaller government but these protesters seem to be misguided thinking

capitialism is wrong and government has to be bigger which is the problem!

Duh, watch much faux news? Man, get some new ideas, you sound like a broken record, repeating the same talking points over and over no matter how much they've been disproved...

Will they be raping, using drugs and defecating in the Congressional hallways?

dirt, first make sure you can idenitfy which "class" did the raping, using drugs and defication in the halls of Congress.

The irony is that, as jobs have moved into China, the standard of living has increased, and corporations are having to pay more to attract better workers, the best of whom are still only 25% as productive as the average American worker. Their plan is coming back to bite them in the wallet, and I love it! As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

jacktaraz. But if we had those jobs back, we wouldn't have to go and sell those T-Notes, our economy would be working overtime. But that might make sense.

Plus they have no regulations on emission and the dumping toxins . They are paying a price for letting our corporate dumpsters into their countries. Have you seen pictures of Bejin skyline. Looks like So. Cal. in the late 50's and early 60's.

Political greed is not really the problem- it's power that's influenced by those with power. They don't keep donations. They just use it to get elected.

The whole dialogue is misdirected based on the fallacy of greed. It pulls at heartstrings and riles up a crowd but it doesn't address the real problems with our systems.

The real issue is power. Politicians need money to get re-elected, hence to retain power. Unions or other organizations can threaten to use their influence to sway votes for or against a candidate. That's power used to corrupt power- sort of. If it were the American with Disabilities group would we look at it the same way?

It's not about greed- it's about power that can be unduly influenced.

(Politicians are NOT getting rich from donations- that's illegal. They're getting richer because they get power BUT their wealth is not the crux of our problems.)

Maybe Occupy should have asked permission from the politicians that the multinational corporations bought. That way Occupy could seem legitimate, and everything would remain the same.

Money is the One True God that all Americans worship.

Interfere with the One True God and you lose credibility.

interfering with the flow commerce

Interfering with the flow of commerce as a form of protest... Hmm, now what does that remind me of? Oh yeah, the Founders dumping tea into Boston Harbor in protest against a non-representational government. What do they call that? It was the Boston Something Party, I can't quite remember.

TruthUC......Fortget about it. The administration obviously doesn't see the need for any improvements in our infrastructure. Or any job that requires a shovel. Hell, let's make shovels so were ready!

and what exactly are you supporting?

what is your cause?

It's not that difficult to find out but we're not going to do your research for you. Make an effort.

chumbkt,

ModerateIndy is protesting the need to have huge amounts of money to have representation in congress.

Hence the sign that read 'I have this sign because I can't afford a politician.'

When we let multinational banks and corporations fund our elections we Americans get what we pay for. Nothing.

Spot On !!

Such blindness .... sigh.

Yawn..........

Right wing or left wing, I have only this to say...

They are both just wings of the same bird or prey......

Frightfully accurate...

Notice how these conservatives never have a rebuttal? It's always something like "YAWN!" or "Such blindness!," when in reality, they're the blind ones.

Well, it's not like they actually read that whole thing. They probably never made it past the first six or seven words before scrolling down and hitting Reply.

That's only 12...what are the other 2?

i'd say the entire govt has pushed all that. i don't like one party any more than the other. they are all about themselves first, and party second. the people and the country are far, far down the list.

you are kookoo for cocopuffs, you know that, right?

btw...

nobody reads them walls of text you post, do us a favor, just post cliff notes.

I forgot. The right-wing thrive on the ignorance of their followers using "Bumper Sticker" slogans to rally the brain stems of their base. Edification is not an option for the dumbed down Tea Party folks, I forgot.

chumbkt-you seem to whine just for the sake of whining. Every post is like that. Go back upstairs, your mom is calling you.

Hey vampire boy ..., my mother has been dead for twenty five years. You cannot dispute the post so you resort to denigating the poster. You are a fool.

I guess that one wasn't meant for me. Sorry.

pdaohio.org,

Thank you for this post. Though some of this could fit the Democratic party, all of the points fit the Republicans. Think back to the run up to the Iraq war. Anyone who disagreed with the bilge fed to us by Bush and Cheney were called un-American and unpatriotic. Flash forward to 2008 and gee, it finally sank in to the many Americans that we had been had by Bush and the Republican Party about the manufactured reasons for going to that war. When we look back, who benefited most from going to war in Iraq? Haliburton and Blackwater, two no-bid contractor cronies of Dick Cheney's. That would cover points #9 and #13 very well.

We, in Wisconsin, are fighting the battle of our lives in trying to get Gov. Walker recalled. Not because we expect to have everything handed to us, as many Republicans purport, but to have someone in the Governor's office that puts all of the people of Wisconsin first instead of corporate interests and rewarding his cronies. It is time to get rid of this Koch Brother schill and that is exactly what he is.

As many have stated, it is time to get big money out of the equation when it comes to elections. I would like to see an equal amount of money (a reasonable amount by taxpayer funding) spent for the Democrat, Republican, and Independent candidate. Make the news outlets donate an hour or two a month, for a year before an election, to debate the issues facing all Americans with no character assassinations allowed. A rule implemented that no lobbies are allowed access to our elected officials. Maybe then, the American people would have fair, honest, and equal representation instead of the farce we have now in Congress, the Senate, and House of Representatives.

btw...

nobody reads them walls of text you post, do us a favor, just post cliff notes.

Maybe you'd do better on Twitter. All those posts are limited to 140 characters, much more your speed.

The Executive Branch is where the real problems start. The revolving door between corporate and government is right there. The White House is where the OWS should have gone first. The people who are looting and choking our country all work there. The rest of us can vote out the political class to fix the damage caused by Congress.

first change that should be made is there should be term limits.

We need to be careful with this idea. The good side is it keeps the bad influence from getting a strong hold on the process. The bad side is something that has become a recent issue here in my state that has had term limits for the past decade and that is the good people who get elected only have two terms to make a positive impact for the good of the state as a whole without special interest getting in and ruining the process of legislating. We all know how fast the system moves. So as Nation we need to caution what we demand without looking at the full picture. I do however agree with the fact that the system needs to be reformed in some cases. Obama didn't have a clue what he was up against, as anyone else we send to Washington. It's a monster, that we can all agree with.

These Super Pacs are really frightening. Special interests, big corporations and the top 1% can afford to load them up with money, and no one knows who's doing the donating, or shall I say, writing checks so their special interests will be top of the agenda when their candidate gets elected. They then have their candidates, all the way to the Presidency in their back pockets. The people they help elect with their enormous donations are now OWNED by the Super Pac.

The rest of us, the minions that are called middle class, the other 99% just don't stand a chance to get real representation in government. I think it almost makes our vote useless. The super pacs can afford to spew lies and twisted truths to manipulate their candidate into being perceived as the best, or to flat out lie about an opponent to the point where the average citizen begins to think it's the truth. The Supreme Court really screwed America when they allowed Super Pacs to exist.

This is a time where America is on the cusp of radical change. We The People will lose any hope of having our vote influence government, unless we ALL get out and vote. We need to have record breaking voter turnout this time round, and from now on, and get the career politicians OUT of office, and get representation we can trust and believe in.

Our only hope, as the 99% is to GET OUT AND VOTE. This time round it's more critical than ever that we do so.

They make it impossible for us to earn,

Really? How?

Just a reminder, 50% of the people in this country don't pay taxes.

Wrong Dirt. That's FEDERAL taxes. A majority still pay state taxes.

Between sales tax, payroll tax and state income tax, everyone pays taxes. People even have to pay tax on unemployment.

Ranman, If you don't work , than you pay no taxes, State, Federal, or SS. If your on Welfare than all you do is Benefit but don't pay into it. Everything is FREE, FOOD, UTILITIES, EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE,HOUSING,

We gave businesses a reason to leave by making it difficult to do business in this country, now we need to give them a reason to come back.

We gave businesses a reason to leave by making it difficult to do business in this country, now we need to give them a reason to come back.

See #18.1 above. BTW, do you call giving large corporations tax breaks for moving their operations overseas "making it difficult" for them to do business? Sounds more like an incentive to NOT do business in this country to me.

fl - they don't get large tax breaks for leaving this country. They don't pay taxes on earnings in another country and never repatriated to this country because of the high tax rate. Even Chuck Schumer wants to end high taxation of companies who repatriate their profits. Because of thei high taxes on corporations, a company would pay the tax of the country where the money was earned AND taxes in the US where nothing was earned. Seems like double taxation to me.

We the American people need to amend the constitution to ban non governmental funding of elections.

Only then can the voices of the American people matter.

In a democracy we the people are the only ones who can demand change!

Our elected officials MUST listen to the multinational banks and corporations because of the way we fund our elections.

Once we change that, all else will follow.