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reply posted on 15-5-2008 @ 04:38 PM by budski
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reply to post by EarthCitizen07
That's a major problem - the western world is full of people living beyond their means, and who's to blame for that?
The corporations who control the banks - that's why we're now heading into recession.
Corporate greed.
A perfect example of what nader was speaking about.
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reply posted on 15-5-2008 @ 05:54 PM by wheresthetruth
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...The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and
possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone....
Benito Mussolini
"What is Fascism"
Sound familiar? Can you impart the quoted text into portions of your daily life? How much loss is too much, when it comes to the ability of the
individual to parttake of the very foundation of a free nation?
I have a friend, a man I used to work for, who has always seemed intelligent and wise and one who thinks and researches before he speaks. However,
when the arena of politics comes up, he proves himself to be so boiling over loyal and trusting in the Am. Gov't that it just makes me sick to my
stomach. When it comes to Point/Counterpoint, he will find whatever information he needs to fully support his authentic claims as the way things are
and any proof otherwise is dismissed as conspiratory paranoia and asinine thought.
Have the would be dictators so beaten so many into such submission? It looks to be a dire future.
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reply posted on 15-5-2008 @ 06:30 PM by Äŧґαΐł
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Originally posted by budski
Nader calls U. S. "corporate fascism"
www.opednews.com
 Independent candidate for President Ralph Nader described the current government and economic system of the United States as "corporate
fascism" at a campaign event held in Berkeley on May 12.
"We're living in a country whose democracy is beyond the breaking point. The extent of corporate control has developed into corporate fascism,"
declared Nader.
"We don't have a capitalist economic system - it's corporate fascism. Every major tenet of capitalism is violated by corporate power," said Nader.
Only small businesses still practice capitalism, according to Nader.
Nader explained that major corporations buy politicians and write the laws through their lobbyists, thus owning the Capitol. They receive billions in
government subsidies and hand-outs, but 68 percent of corporations pay no federal income tax, according to Nader.
Corporate fascism not only rules U. S. politics and the economy, but also other aspects of life including the way people think, said Nader. "We grow
up corporate with commercialized childhoods. We get a corporate education." (visit the link for the full news article)
Nader is right. go to freedomtofascism.com for more information.
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reply posted on 15-5-2008 @ 06:35 PM by budski
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reply to post by Äŧґαΐł
Thanks for the link - I'll be sure to have a read of it.
People need to educate themselves about this before it's too late.
And it's not just the US - it's every country that is following the same path.
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reply posted on 16-5-2008 @ 09:30 AM by budski
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There's been an "anonymous ats" post here since last night and I'm really dying to read it 
I've also been having a good think about what nader said, and reviewing some of the links posted on this thread, and I'm rapidly coming to the
conclusion that he's spot on, especially as no-one has come forwards to present the case for the defense - which is somewhat surprising, unless there
IS NO defense.
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reply posted on 16-5-2008 @ 12:47 PM by Anonymous ATS
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I find it interesting that there is almost unanimous agreement with Nader - a candidate who never got more than a couple of percentage points in his
efforts to run for president - on this site.
Let me throw out a dissenting view:
Corporations are forced to lobby, peddle influence, etc as a means of regulatory self defense. The government is such a large part of the economy and
it's regulatory power is so overwhelming that companies have no choice but to play the game. If you don't play, you lose. The problem isn't "big
corporations" but rather government itself.
Big example is Microsoft back in the 90's. They were notorious for their lack of political contributions. The government went after them for
anti-trust stuff and - imagine this - they are now spending plenty of money and are lawsuit free.
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reply posted on 16-5-2008 @ 02:27 PM by onlyhurtsu
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reply to post by budski
Well, we are to blame for the greed. Our consciousness dictates what can occur in our world. So the collective consciousness still has alot of greed
in it and you will see it manifested in the elite and others.
They are a mirror teaching us what is in ourselves. THey are tring to keep us dumbed down because they know we are far more powerful than they are.
Trying to make us belive we cant do anything. It doesnt take all of us to wake up. Just enough to start the avalanche.
Hate and anger is missing the point. Dont fight negative with negative.
Forgive them...they dont know what they do and will pay for it.
The lesson of this level of evolution is about power and responsibility. That we are all responsible for the ottrocities. Almost all of us, except
the purest have a piece of murderer or greed monger in them. Have you never just wanted to bash someones skull in?
If we raise consciousness and energy on the planet enough...the ones who resist the love will get sick and suffer alot and die. Its that simple.
They wont be able to handle the high frequency of energy.
Too bad they dont realize giving up power is in their best interests. The most selfish people are the ones that serve others. A society like this is
fillled with so much energy drugs will be irrelevant, we will already be high. Jealousy will be wiped out, so we can have amazing sex with many
people more often with all our new energy. Not to mention openmindedness and creativity and kinkiness too.
Evolution is the grandest wisest most fun plan if we just allow it to happen.
It already seems energy is on the rise. The buddhist monks say that lust is increasing. I believe thats evidence energy is pouring into us and the
earth system. Get excited! Wooooo
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reply posted on 16-5-2008 @ 11:00 PM by Right to Rebel
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Originally posted by sisyphus3
Corporate industrial interests essentially co-opted and shaped the Nazi movement in Weimar germany. They wanted the full-swing production that only
war could give them, and Hitler was either an all-too-willing accomplice or a dupe.
War keeps factories going in a way that fickle consumers cannot be counted on to do.
I think one way to prevent corporate fascism would be to abandon the tactic of using anti-trust laws to try to preserve competition and instead amend
the constitution to add a procrustean bright line in terms of size or market share that if crossed by a corporation would deprive its shareholders of
the limitation of liability historically enjoyed by corporations. In other words, go ahead and get as big as you want, but if you do something bad and
you go bankrupt, your shareholders will have to make those that are damaged whole.
There might be a few corporations that would actually choose to go ahead and cross that line. Something tells me they would only be the best-behaved,
most ethical corporations on the planet.
Smaller corporations need the limitation of liability in order to get off the ground. After the corporation reaches a certain size, the limitation
feature is nothing but a free pass where none should exist.
As for corporations paying taxes: they shouldn't be taxed at all.
Only a live human being can pay a tax--all taxes come out of somebody's pocket ultimately. Which simply means that taxing estates and taxing
corporations provides a level of insulation between those taxed and the taxing authority. If you tax a corporation, perhaps it will charge more for
its products, or pay its workers less, or pay out less in dividends. At the end of the day some live human being has taken the hit. If you tax an
estate, it reduces the amount that any heir can receive. Same deal. Somebody took the hit.
I believe people should write a check for every dollar in tax that they pay. If that happened, there would be a lot more accountability placed on
elected officials, and a lot less frivolous government spending.
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reply posted on 16-5-2008 @ 11:08 PM by Right to Rebel
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If anyone wants to understand more about corporations, just go watch the movie "The Corporation" produced for Canadian public television.
It just goes to show what kind of damage our style of corporate economics does to our nation and the world.
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reply posted on 17-5-2008 @ 12:18 AM by Barbs46
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reply to post by budski
Thank you for posting the Ralph Nader piece. He's right on the mark. I've never seen anything like it and so many Americans have their heads in
the sand. There is a near universal state of denial but we are really like a bunch of rats trapped in a box.
Americans should be aware of something I've been monitoring for years which plays into Mr. Nader's comments. Watch your food sources. From big
agribusinesses like Con-agra,Cargill, Monsanto and others, what we are buying and consuming is more terrifying than what Rachel Carson warned us about
nearly fifty years ago in her book "The Silent Spring". It's neither eyes wide shut but more wide open as a slow genecide takes place through our
consumables and we haven't even seen the long-term effects of genetically engineered food products on human beings. But all of this is summed up so
well by Mr. Nader and a handful of others - corporate fascism. This is where the corporations are in conlusion with our government (our public
servants). It is a sad end to our wonderful nation, the hope of mankind, the city on the hill. (sob)
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reply posted on 17-5-2008 @ 01:41 AM by Cyberbian
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The answer is a simple grassroots movement in my opinion.
Boycott anything corporate. Buy local buy small. The fact is that the corporations are already pushing us to this state through their greed.
It may actually be too late, since we are rapidly in decline, and they are loyal only to their growth curve and profit margin.
The key would be to force a law through which now and for all time limits the growth rate of corporations. Today they require 15 or 20 percent growth
per quarter to satisfy investors. This is the basis of the incessant drive to expand. Next is to put a choke collar on executives, No executive should
get more than 100 times the income of the lowest paid employee.
This should include part time and temp employees, or we will all be part time or temp.
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reply posted on 17-5-2008 @ 10:26 AM by budski
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reply to post by Cyberbian
Anothe idea would be to end the corporate lobbying system - if I tried to bribe a policeman to get out of a traffic ticket (moot since I don't drive,
but you see my point) I'd be arrested.
Why should corporations be able to bribe politicians by "lobbying"?
The system stinks - you can do whatever you want if you're rich enough and able to bribe the right people...
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reply posted on 19-5-2008 @ 08:16 AM by sisyphus3
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Oh, I'll just point out that amending the constitution to remove limited liability from large corporations isn't an absolute necessity to get it
done ... big corporations necessarily affect interstate commerce and legislation could be passed accordingly under the authority of the commerce
clause.
It's just that a consitutional amendment would be much more durable.
Meanwhile, the idea of a bright line need not be used ... there could be a sliding scale that would give 99% protection to the companies falling into
the first percentile, size-wize, and only 1% protection to those companies in the 99th percentile. If the company was in the 50th percentile, its
shareholders would only be liable for 50% of any excess liability.
Stan Lee put the words in the mouth of Spider Man's uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility." ... shouldn't that be written into
the law?
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