Response to an Emailed Comment

Good video, Adriohn. It makes my point--only it distinguishes between the dictionary definition of "democracy" and the common definition. Most people today--esp in the US understand democracy to be the republic that we have. The idea is simply that "we, the people, have a say". That say is controlled by Law , which defines that we have representatives (and hopes that they obey the law as opposed to simply set themselves up to rule as an Oligarchy), so, yes, that officially makes it a republic.

My point in the blurb I wrote is that we must be participants in this government. The representatives are supposed to represent "us--the people." Exactly as that video says, if we forget why our forefathers fought, we will become enslaved. Corporations can push us to Oligarchy because they prey on the ignorance of the people. Corporations fund the politicians who make and interpret the law through the judges they appoint. And that secret group rules--even though it looks like we still have a say. What we have in America today is a Congress that is supposed to represent the people, but which, in many regards mainly represents "special interest". Special means monied. They pass off as "right" or "law" or "just" that which is really only "most profitable" to those who fund their campaigns--the video talks a bit about this in Rome somewhere around 9 mins in.

The initial thread of this email stated frustration over the power of the government "taking money" for purposes of helping the economy. The assumption being that it takes it from the people. The notion I put forward is not much different than what was understood during slavery. You can ignore the needs of the hurting (only because your stuff is good at the moment) and allow one class to live on top of the ship in luxury, while the other begs for air in the bow, but it's often those who are in the bow who see the problems coming first. And they are on the ship. Just because they aren't seen, doesn't mean they don't exist. They may drown first if the ship sinks, but surely everyone will eventually drown. These times (and I argue all times, if we wish to keep a stable republic) require a certain amount of selflessness. It can't just all be about me getting mine. That's what led to this.

Everything that happened was legal. The problem is that certain "special interest" (read:investment banks) convinced the representatives of the people to make legal certain types of trading that had previously been illegal. Those derivative trades led banks to loan out $30 for every $1 in assets they possessed. In that process, hedge fund managers made upwards of and exceeding billion dollar a year salaries and people who invested with them made outrageous profits. ALL ON AIR!!! And all LEGAL. All because we were sleep and our representatives weren't watching out for us, but for "special interest". That air blew up our real estate values (because money was easy come) and blew up our stock markets (because money was easy come) and blew up our standard of living. And we got used to it. But now it is simply deflating.

My point is this: We took the ride up and we have to take the ride down. No one can assume they should come out of this without some sacrifice. But the ones who should pay most are the ones who benefitted the most. And that requires the government (representing us) taking it from them, because they sure aren't going to give it back freely. Remember Frederick Douglass on this one. I remember because I used to have a tee-shirt that had this quote on it: "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has. It never will."

T.