This is How a Republic Falls

[James Delinis]

This Is How A Republic Falls
James Delinis
November 6, 2007

I sat on the steps of the Supreme Court on a hot, humid day in Washington D.C. this past summer, staring in disbelief at the protest developing around me. The most putrid character participating had to be the tax-exempt televangelist who had arrived in a new-model Mercedes blasting the godless liberals who "have brought ruin to our great country, murdering our babies, inviting God’s terrible judgement." I took a look at the hate-filled faces of the people gathering in anger and volume, and I thought: This is how a Republic falls.

Americans like to think of Washington D.C. as a city that does not represent the "heartland" of America, but in reality it exemplifies exactly what America is, and what it has become. Washington is a city whose geography invites corruption: the eastern boroughs are filled with office buildings that are hard to see from the main roads making it the ideal place for business of a sordid nature to be conducted. Congressmen gather with the lobbyists of defence firms, oil companies, investment banking operations, and media organizations to discuss exactly in what orifice these Congressmen will be willing to take the shaft in exchange for campaign dollars. In return, these cartels have extorted billions more dollars of taxpayer funds from the public coffers, or have killed the progress of legislation meant to reform a system that has long ago surpassed the corrupt and has now entered the obscene. This is how a Republic falls.

As Matt Taibbi recently wrote, the United States is a massive militarized oligarchy patrolling half the world on borrowed money. Most of the country is dead broke but voting for candidates who campaign on keeping those uppity women in the kitchen, gays in the closet, and Arabs in Guantanamo. Once elected, these people serve their real masters by voting to massively subsidize an American war machine that long ago bought and paid for the federal political system, promising to continue massive tax loopholes that let millions of financial industry types avoid paying any taxes at all, and working to spread disinformation to kill the development of any alternatives to the multi-trillion dollar oil industry. For any candidate to get elected into any federal office, he has to swear by these machines or risk himself be targeted by these forces. Mounting any campaign for a Congressional or Senatorial district requires millions of dollars that can only be raised by cozying up to the aforementioned industries, or risk being destroyed by million dollar ad campaigns. This is how a Republic falls.

The numbers are staggering: $800 billion a year for the defence budget, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. $9 trillion dollars in debt, mostly to foreign investors. Personal consumers, normal individuals, corporations and families, borrowing almost $1 trillion a year to buy consumer goods that they desperately need to keep up an appearance of affluence. A population that tells pollsters that illegal immigration is their most important concern, yet an open border with Mexico remains, for an open border is needed by the Captains of Industry to recruit cheap labour and keep wages down. This is how a Republic falls
.
All of these problems can be fixed, for they are problems of legislation and habit, and these can be surmounted by a population that is determined for reform. That will not happen, because the corruption is in the bone marrow now, spreading to the vital organs even if it remains undetected on the surface by a country that remembers brighter days that they once experienced. Days when they were strong, and proud, and honourable, and free. The days before an entire generation of sociopaths rose to seize control over the levers of power in the most important country that the world has ever known.

This tragedy has to come to a climax, eventually. It may begin with international investors demanding higher interest on the massive loans currently keeping the United States afloat triggering a run on the banks and a collapse of the dollar. Two things will then happen: either the people will turn to genuine reformers who pledge the hard but necessary work to rebuild the country into what it was always meant to be, or a clever political leader will manipulate the fears of the people, manipulate their anger at what has transpired, and turn what was a beautiful Republic into a despotic Empire, with terrible consequences for the entire world. These are the days that we are living in, this is the fate of the Rome of our time. This is how a Republic falls

[Va Lefty]

1. K & R

Welcome to DU

[James Delinis]

4. ty

Thank you.

[CanonRay]

47. Awesome, I wish I'd written this.

[MiniMe]

2. I thought it was like this

[awoke_in_2003]

60. That penguin on the right

is clearly a XXXX supporter. :)

[stevedeshazer]

3. Recommended.

Very well said.

I hope a great many DUers read this.

[stevedeshazer]

5. .

-.- .. -.-. -.- . -.. / .- --. .- .. -. / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / .-. . -.-. --- -- -- . -. -..

[aka-chmeee]

25. -... ..- - --..-- .-- .... -.-- -- --- .-. ... . ..--.. -. -

edited to change cw to morse

[gula]

6. K&R

[kohodog]

7. Grow your gardens.

Then you will have something to share. Wall Street doesn't understand that you can't eat money. Can't wait to pick up Taibbi's book tomorrow. James, do you really think these problems can be fixed? Good post.

[Skittles]

16. you're speaking, of course, to those lucky enough to HAVE gardens n/t

[xxqqqzme]

48. a back yard will do...

an apartment balcony w/ potted plants will do.

There are two things needed for what is coming (maybe not tomorrow or next year or 5 years from now but the day is coming) and you will need:

1. a place to grow food
2. a gun

[RaleighNCDUer]

49. My apartment has no balconies, or even window ledges for flowerboxes.

I'd have to grow inside with grow lights, which would only invite the cops to bust in looking for a weed operation.

[xxqqqzme]

77. Any community gardens

where you are?

[RaleighNCDUer]

85. None that I'm aware of.

In fact, the previous building mgr allow a couple residents to start a little vegetable garden, but when we changed managers they had it plowed under and seeded with grass. I think they were afraid of it drawing homeless people who'd swipe fresh veggies.

It was a nice little garden, too.

[xxqqqzme]

87. see if there is an Arbor group where you are

or ask around at nurseries or even someone w/ a well kept yard, if you're interested at all.

[dweller]

8. Posts like this once appeared on the front page of DU

I heartily recommend
1-this thread
2-that it appears on the front page also

:hi: welcome to DU James D.
dp

[James Delinis]

9. ...

Thanks! =) Is there a way I can show it to someone who might place it on le front page?

[bleever]

78. It needs to be in your Journal

to be selected for the front page.

And if it gets recs, the power-that-be will be aware of it.

Welcome to DU.

[FlyingSquirrel]

12. front page here too

[Tesha]

20. But now we're too busy debating whether we should annoint...

Failure H, Failure B, or Failure J. Ahh well, that's part
of how a country falls as well.

Tesha

[Andrea]

32. Sadly

You are correct.

We need the political will and courage to aspire to something (someone) better.

[Jakes Progress]

59. Yep. We ignore the hole in the

roof and the collapsed foundation while we spend all our time talking about what kind of faucet handles to put on the sink in the guest bathroom.

[Jakes Progress]

61. Yes, We ignore the hole in the roof

and the collapsing foundation while we argue over what kind of faucet handle to put on the sink in the guest bathroom.

[Seabiscuit]

39. And this one made the front page. Welcome to DU!

K&R!

[Canuckistanian]

10. K&R

Darn good writing.

Welcome to the DU!
:toast: :hi:

[dawgman]

11. it is sad that

those who lived sustainably and within their means will likely suffer the same fate as those who adopted the Wilma Flintstone ideology of "Charge it." By that I mean that we all will be left holding largely worthless money and debt while the empire crumbles around us.

Say good bye because USA seems to be done.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

13. Great Piece

...that articulates what most of us are feeling.

Welcome and please keep writing. :hi:

[James Delinis]

14. .

B-)

[SpiralHawk]

15. The K and the R

[eShirl]

18. ooo great kick "emoticon" ! .... (k&r also)

I want those shoes...

[ms liberty]

17. K&R. n/t

[Echo In Light]

19. National $ecurity $tate ruse

[Tyler Durden]

21. I'd shake your hand but this is the internet.

Up until lately, I used to try and write as if we still submitted articles for the front page. Sad you missed that era: I had the honor of being on the front several times, and this should have had that same chance. Excellent piece.

And I am in complete agreement. I believe that we have reached the tipping point, and if we go any farther, the only solution will be to "Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out."

[annabanana]

22. Welcome to DU, James.

It doesn't take a feverish imagination to draw the lines necessary to the dystopia you've described. But it DOES take a talented pen to draw the picture so clearly.

[Ishoutandscream2]

23. Another kick and recommended. You hit it out of the park, James

It's frightening, but very true. Meanwhile, the masses turn on the tv for their bread and circuses.

Very well done, sir, and welcome to our humble abode.

[democrank]

24. Welcome to DU, JD.

Since I have to go out today, I`ve been rooting around in my junk drawer looking for a flag pin. Got so exhausted I sat down to scan DU and there you were. A giant, red, white and blue BRAVO!



~PEACE~

[1trackmindGOP]

26. What a terrible shame we have lost all principles

We will deserve it if we choose to be distracted by stupid issues, political tricks and media games this year, this election. I have always considered our nation to have supreme values, rational and intelligent citizens and were usually duped by the fact they were to some extent naive and wanted to be optimistic even when it was almost to obvious that the facts did not justify the view point. We elected Bush twice, the first time was understandable, the second time really made you wonder how people could be so blind and manipulated so easily with swiftboat lies and other useless non sense. I can overlook this one and chalk it up as the constituents being just a bit slow in accepting the facts and truth that have always been all to obvious to me.

Now for this election, if you choose to continue to fall for politics of distraction, overlook the character of some nominees while falling for a triangulated political attack on the one candidate that is most promising in bringing in changes that our nation desperately needs to restore its honor and potential, if you would choose to support a candidate that has changed positions with the wind, depending on what is politically expedient to garner fools votes, if you refuse to look at the candidates ties to lobbyist and special interests that has been the root to most of the problems we have today then clearly the blame rest upon your shoulders....You deserve what has happened to you and what will happen going forward, you have betrayed your children's future, and their children's future, you will go down in history along the likes of George Bush...because you bare equal blame for not tending to the best interest of our country...a Patriot you are not.

I pray you have the courage and fortitude to do what is truly right...this time.

[libodem]

27. excellent essay

[natrat]

28. the head of the gao quit in protest saying the gov is near bankruptcy

we have a problem

[understandinglife]

29. Our choice is simple: make history, or merely repeat it ....

Peace,
Bob

[natrat]

30. The Great Depression of the 2010s

Economics is not rocket science. Neither is power.



Depressions are monetary phenomena caused by central bank issuance of excessive credit. In 1913, the newly created US central bank, the Federal Reserve, began issuing credit-based money in the US. Within ten years, the central bank flow of credit ignited the 1920s US stock market bubble; and shortly thereafter, following the collapse of the bubble in 1929, the world entered its first Great Depression in 1933.



Investment banks are the undoing of central banking. While all banks, central, commercial and investment, view credit as the opportunity to exploit society’s growth and productivity, investment bank exploitation of growth and productivity exposes society to extreme risks—for investment banks use society’s savings to make their volatile and speculative bets.



The speculative risks undertaken by investment banks is done by leveraging the savings of society; and, when investment bank bets are sufficiently large enough and the bets go bad—as they inevitably do as the luck of investment bankers is due more to their proximity to credit than to their ability to foresee the future—it is society that will bear the brunt of the pain in the loss of its savings......

http://news.goldseek.com/GoldSeek/1209999600.php

[riverdeep]

31. Nice article.

The only exception or qualifier I might have is:

"Days when they were strong, and proud, and honourable, and free. The days before an entire generation of sociopaths rose to seize control over the levers of power in the most important country that the world has ever known."

It's all relative. The ones in now are beyond hubris, sociopathic to the extreme, but this nation has a mythology, like most nations do, that tries to paint itself in the most favorable light. One of the reasons we are here is because of the ineffectualness of getting rid of the past sociopathy when we had a chance. They learned, from things like Iran-Contra, that they can get away with it. Which, unfortunately, we are once again repeating.

[undergroundpanther]

57. We should have gotten rid of it

before we formed civilized states,people wise to what a menace to humanity sociopaths are shouldn't have pretended they could reform these monsters or punish them into behaving,they should have just killed them all,wiped out the sociopath trait from existence before they learned how to manipulate whole nations,and before they spread the sociopaths through the generations by hiding it in the places of power or means of production or the 'moral' refuges, Kill the alpha, the so called 'big men' who bully others and rob them of their right to live, to love to be,through fiefdoms,families, royalty and dynasties,military , corporations and church. I wish we could detect them than wipe them the fuck out like the disease in human suits they are . Because apparently nature is sociopath itself,Nature don't give as shit who is ruined by such evil. But we can refuse it we can say no more tolerance for sociopaths and we can wipe them out of existence.

Now there are too many sociopaths to do that if we were tribal in smaller groups it may be easier but sadly we have the Stanford prison experiment effect to deal with too,and by standing.. so it will be very hard to reverse this mess. The sociopaths are not all serial killers some are socialized and live among us causing emotional trauma and abuse where ever they are,and there are many who pretend and many who stand by.

[Andrea]

69. Interesting point about them learning they can get away with it.

I guess it probably started with Jerry Ford pardoning Nixon. Then they just kept pushing their luck a little more all the time. Now we have Bush/Cheney in power and impeachment is "off the table".

Actually, I wonder if they learned they can get away with it or they taught us to let them get away with it. Either way, we have tumbled all the way down the slippery slope.

[N4457S]

74. They DID Get Away With It...

...and they're gonna get away with it again if Democrats don't find a way to carry southern states in the Electoral College.

There's no way Barack Obama will carry Ohio, Pennsylvania or anything southern in the Fall. Absolutely no way.

But I think Gore could have, this time around. He should have run.

My wife thinks Wall Street is going to shitcan the economy right after Christmas. Things are already turning decidedly sour in many markets and there's no sign of moderation at all with regard to the real estate mess. Million dollar homes (which normally get snatched up in an instant) in the Bay Area are just sitting there like logs because the banks won't finance them...and the people who insure the mortgages won't insure them because they know the likelihood of a further drop in value is virtually guaranteed at this stage of the game.

We're just getting started. The real fun comes later this year.

[Andrea]

81. You are right

No way he'll carry most of the swing states. I'm in OH, he certainly won't carry here. People here are sick and tired of being under employed and broke. He doesn't speak to these people. His negatives are just as high as Hillary's, if not higher. Gore could have. Check this out: www.TheAlGoreSolution.com

What does your wife think Wall Street will do? And why then? It sounds like she thinks they will do it deliberately, so I'm wondering why and what their end game is. Can you fill me in more?

[Baby Snooks]

33. Rome is burning...

Wonderful piece made more wonderful by the lack of the usual "us versus them" vitriole all of us fall victim to. We are all us. We have merely been pitted against each other. By design.

As he left office, Eisenhower warned us all of the dangerous path he saw this country possibly taking when he warned us about the "military-industrial complex" that of course was the foundation for oligarchy and is the foundation on which a false empire was built which is falling and taking the actual empire with it.

Eisenhower was a common person despite his military career as was Ronald Reagan, if you overlook the need of Nancy Reagan to be anything but common, and both shared a real belief in the common people and their dreams and the concept of shared prosperity which Kennedy also believed in.

Both Eisenhower and Reagan, however, were blinded somehow by those around them. In both cases, a Bush whose focus was establishment of oligarchy and whose focus was best seen, and still is, through their "intelligence agency" which we know of as the CIA today which was and still is nothing more than a propaganda machine which allowed the creation of the war machine central to the concept of the "military-industrial complex" and the oligarchy. And between Eisenhower and Reagan the foundation was firmly laid by the enemy. The enemy within.

Kennedy was not blinded by it and of course was assassinated in order to ensure that we remained on the path and to ensure that the foundation laid. Which it was. By LBJ who more than any other president firmly established the foundation of "war for profit" with Halliburton and its war in Vietnam. And it was Halliburton's war. Halliburton became the war machine. And Halliburton is once again the war machine. Every president since Kennedy, even Jimmy Carter albeit unwittingly, has served the "military-industrial complex" and the oligarchy. But LBJ seems, upon reflection, to have been not only deliberate in his decisions but some might say even conspiratorial. He tossed crumbs to minorities while handing the cake to Halliburton. And then sent quite a few minorities off to fight Halliburton's war before they even managed to enjoy the crumbs.

Reagan mistakenly believed "neo-conservatism" which despite some who believe it was concerned only with foreign policy in fact was concerned with domestic policy, particuarly deregulation, served the common man by presenting unrestricted opportunity for all Americans. The shining city on the hill. There for everyone willing to climb up the hill.

Divide and conquer. We have been divided now economically as well. The shining city on the hill is only for a few. The rest are relegated to the slums below. There to serve those in the shining city on the hill.

An economy divided falls just as the house does. And so we are falling.

Rome is burning. The empire is falling. And the Empress sits there entranced by the Emperor and his fiddle.

The problem with Nancy Pelosi is she lives in the shining city on the hill. And along with the rest of Congress who also live in the shining city on the hill, she simply does not care about anything but preserving the city for herself and will only toss what crumbs are available to the rest of us below.

That really is the problem with both John McCain and Hillary Clinton. They are no longer common people and so have no idea what life is like below. The immensely wealthy simply ignore those below. And toss crumbs. Which is what both have consistently tossed while in the Senate. While giving the cake to themselves.

The difference between them and Barack Obama is that he still knows what it is to be tossed crumbs when you deserve the cake.

Benjamin Franklin predicted our greed and the corruption it feeds would destroy us. He apparently was quite prescient.

Rome is burning. And no one seems to want to notice the smoke.

[Broadslidin]

38. Senator Prescott Bush was President Eisenhower's Favorite Golf Partner.

Over numerous cocktails in a plush golf club private room,

Setting the stage for U.S. :patriot: corporations goin'
after those Commie heathen bastards
in Southeast asia.

[Baby Snooks]

54. As I said...

Eisenhower was blinded as was Reagan. He issued a warning to us all about the "military-industrial complex" without realizing he was actually warning us about his favorite golf partner.

Someone recently described the Bush family as the ultimate Trojan Horse.

That probably is a good analogy. From Samuel Bush to Prescott Bush to George HW Bush and George W Bush. What you see ain't what you get.

[Andrea]

34. K & R

You have great insight into our current dilemma and the possible outcome. Great writing. Thank you.

[bhikkhu]

35. K&R

[TBF]

36. Outstanding post - recommended reading.

[gateley]

37. Thank you. K&R. nt

[ooglymoogly]

40. KR for a great post.....GE controls the GE

along with a few identical others.

[grantcart]

41. and that is why of all of the qualities I see in Senator Obama his decision

not to move his family to DC is one of the most significiant - symbolically and for practical reasons.

Outstanding post

[Shoelace]

42. thanks for a great article

and please do hang out here often!

There are no "genuine reformers who pledge the hard but necessary work to rebuild the country" left anymore. They can't get in the door without corporate blessings. Kucinich for instance.

[SlingBlade]

43. Wow and Sad

Good post Sir, Thanks

[Greyhound]

44. Very good, K & R.

One hopeful thing I would point out regarding the coming economic disaster, the international investors are not keeping the US afloat, they are keeping the fractional reserve, central banking model afloat, and we are free to abandon it any time we wish, all it will take is education and the will.
:kick: & R

[Andrea]

70. your post is intriguing

Could you elaborate, please? I don't know much about the international monetary situation. Thanks.

[Greyhound]

83. What we generally think of when discussing the economy is not the economy,

but rather the national currency, trade markets, and the financial industry.

The economy is the production and trade of goods and services, which is independent of the financial industry (banks, insurance, Wall Street, and the like). Currency is simply the convenient medium of exchange so you don't have to build 35% of a house to get a car, or trade a pig for 1000lbs. of apples, etc.

The founders of the nation were, of course, intimately familiar with the European banking cartel and reserved the power "To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States." to the congress in Article 1 section 8 of The Constitution. This is an entire library of discussion and debate on this topic so I'll leave it to you to investigate and make your own decision as to their intent. The fact that Congress never effectively used this power, IMO, in no way mitigates the fact that it was/is within their purview to do so.

My POV stems from the fact that we had just gone to great lengths and risked more than most people can imagine to escape domination by the European powers. These men (and women, although far too few played a direct role in the creation of this new nation) were smart and thoroughly understood the implications of controlling the money supply, and specifically reserved that power to the people's representatives, thus excluding the European banking system and their owners.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild flatly stated, "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes her laws."

James Madison said, "History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling the money and its issuance."

Henry Ford said, "It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning."

The point is that the coup of 2000 was only the latest in a long campaign of usurpations conducted by the ruling class against The American People. Almost no one you meet understands how our economy really works. If they think of it at all, they most commonly believe that it is something similar to the model espoused by Jimmy Stewart's pleading with the citizens of Bedford Falls not to withdraw their money from his S&L (It's a Wonderful Life). I personally believe that we are purposely kept ignorant of financial matters because if it became common knowledge people would, as Henry suggested, rebel against this blatantly corrupt Ponzi scheme.

So, we (Congress) have the power and existing option to abolish The Federal Reserve (which is neither, BTW) and establish a new, interest free, currency any time we wish to. Of course, there would (currently) be huge, global, consequences to doing this and it is absolutely the worst nightmare of the People That Matter, as their "fortunes" and power base are inextricably tied to the fractional reserve central banking system, and they would largely disappear.

This barely scratches the surface of this topic, but I would like to know what you think.
:kick:

[Andrea]

84. Very, very interesting

Thanks for taking the time to explain this.

"The fact that Congress never effectively used this power, IMO, in no way mitigates the fact that it was/is within their purview to do so." I think Congress has used at least part of this power: mints were established, laws against counterfeiting passed and enforced, and established the federal reserve to regulate the value thereof. So does this mean that the real question, as far as interpretation, is whether they reserve the right to do all this additional times, coining new money and following through the steps with that?

"So, we (Congress) have the power and existing option to abolish The Federal Reserve (which is neither, BTW) and establish a new, interest free, currency any time we wish to. Of course, there would (currently) be huge, global, consequences to doing this and it is absolutely the worst nightmare of the People That Matter, as their "fortunes" and power base are inextricably tied to the fractional reserve central banking system, and they would largely disappear." Several questions come to mind for me from this section. 1) If a new currency was established, that wouldn't necessarily lead to the obsolescence of the dollar, would it? Since money is basically what people agree it to be, various entities (especially those involved with trading large quantities of currency) could continue to use the dollar if they wished, much like it is used in some foreign countries in preference to their own money. 2) How can a new currency be created which is interest free? Isn't interest something that people can determine on their own? I can borrow $5 from you and agree to pay you back $6 next week, without the Congress having any say in it. Doesn't interest serve a useful purpose? If I want to open a new bakery and I need money for ovens, interest motivates someone to lend the money to me. (Of course I realize that interest is a very negative influence in many cases, I just don't think it is a concept we want to completely throw out.) 3) If our government established a new currency and refused to honor debts in the dollar, wouldn't that in effect mean the country was declaring bankruptcy? Just as with individuals, I think this could have both bad and good effects, but I am curious as to how this would play out. I also think it would be hypocritical, since we refuse to forgive the debts of small, impoverished countries that really need that albatross off their necks.

What do I think? I think this deserves further study. If all three branches of government were in agreement that Article 1 Section 8 would be interpreted this way (regardless of whether they thought that was the actual meaning) this could happen. The implications would be far reaching - people that had bought savings bonds and t-bills thinking they were very safe investments would end up with worthless paper. Perhaps this would be so good for the economy that it would more than compensate them for it. If the government would no longer honor debts in the old currency, what about individuals? Could I tell Citibank to pound sand because my credit card debt was in worthless currency? This would ripple through the entire country and quite possibly result in massive numbers of companies going under. At the same time, it seems like lifting the burden of all this debt off ourselves and our children, would lead to a blossoming economy in some ways, but it would be very tricky to handle the downside.

[truedelphi]

45. The military industrial complex has also bought and paid for M$M

Thus most of the stations prefer Hillary to Barack, and McCain to either of them.

IT's not a new phenomena - I remember back in 1980 when Time MAgazine would send you a year's subscription PLUS a digital clock/radio for $ 9.99

And then you'd see the Advertisement -- "Time Cares and We are There" ad, with Reagan looking Presidential and then while using a canoe oar, Carter fighting off the mad rabbit.

Can I have a little oligarichy-oriented propaganda with that digital clock/radio, PLEASE??

[James Delinis]

51. Great Post.

Great post.

I laugh when I hear people debating whether the media is 'liberal' or 'conservative' - a debate that originated with the right. The media is <i>corporate</i>.

[truedelphi]

53. Thank you and welcome to DU!!

And by the way these style brackets will give you italic []

Rather than <>

[katty]

46. we are in early climax now-the Republic is nearing free fall already

Obama nor Hillary can save it. Obama, at least, will provide some level of sanity, but anyone entering the golden cage of the WH is utterly screwed - the 'Brutus' of this corrupt, inept systems awaits them.

[Blue_Tires]

50. ttt

[EFerrari]

52. Well done.

:kick:

[0rganism]

55. shades of SWIII

Chancellor Palpatine {speaking to the Senate}: In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.
{applause}

Padmé {aside to Bail Organa}: So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.
---
Yeah, thanks a lot for proposing those special powers back in Episode II, Jar Jar.

[cascadiance]

62. You beat me to it was thinking about that line too! Perhaps Natalie Portman will lead us later!

>Padmé {aside to Bail Organa}: So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.

Looks like Natalie Portman is considering going into politics after she "gets too old for acting", which might not happen before I die with her probably looking "forever young!"... Five to ten years? Fat chance they'll be stopping before then!

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=110840&in_page_id=7

If she's not Padme in the Senate and the Senate is too corrupt to deal with here there, maybe she can be the next rendition of V too!

[James Delinis]

75. Mmm

That episode hasn't begun yet. That is what I am fearing - that someone sitting in the house or senate right now, or in some group like PNAC - will look at the vast and what's scary is still barely unused powers by this new monster Executive branch and create a plot to end this Republic and replace it with Empire.

My next essay is on Barack Obama and 2012.

[Quantess]

56. Welcome to DU!

[The_Commonist]

58. Wow! K & R

We have to do it ourselves.

I believe we have to crash the system in order to build a new one.
I believe we must, all of us, stop borrowing their money to buy useless crap that we don't need, and then paying it back to them with interest. We have to crash the system.

We don't need a violent revolution, we need a consumer's evolution. I believe we need to privatize socialism. People need to live within their (increasingly meager) means and stop the insanity of feeding the beast with every dollar that we spend. Just about everyone in this country feels entitled to be wealthy, beautiful, loved and sitting at the top of the pile. But it just ain't so. I'm not rich, and I'm pretty funny-looking. As are most of us. I'll never sit at the top of the pile. I've gotten used to it!

My handle here is The_Commonist, because I believe we need to create a new system to replace consumer capitalism. I call it Commonizm. You can call it what you want. It starts with the belief that "The Commons" are for us all to use and to preserve, and that the privatization movement that is championed by the right will only benefit the very few, and that it's dangerous for the mass of humanity. I believe that the scales have tipped towards privatization, and that we need to get TOGETHER to make up for what government is not equipped to do anymore. There really is no going back to the kind of liberal democracy that we used to have, so I believe we need to crash the system and start over again.

Next time, we ALL have to be responsible for the choices that we make. We all have to realize, for example, that buying a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts puts profit into the pockets of the Carlyle Group, and that they use that profit to keep the war machine going. None of us has the luxury anymore of not knowing how we feed the beast, or the beast will consume us. It's difficult but necessary.

I say... let the Republic fail. It's time for a do-over. Maybe we can get it right the next time, if we actually try! There will be pain, to be sure. There is plenty of pain now and the pain we are experiencing are contractions. Growing pains won't be as bad, if we do it ourselves and if we do it right!

[tomp]

66. how about this: 10 million people surround the white house...

...and refuse to leave until President Gore and Vice President Kerry are installed and the entire Bush administration is in jail. Not violent and absolutely just. The kind of fresh start that could signal a new direction.

[Andrea]

72. I'd love to see that. n/t

[NM Independent]

63. Until the rest of the country gets out of denial...

nothing will ever change. It will just go slowly (or not so slowly) down the tubes.

GREAT post, btw.

[sellitman]

64. This is how it fell.

Past tense.

[babydollhead]

65. great! thank you!

[Stalwart]

67. Things That Can't Go on Forever

Don't

[BlueJazz]

68. Excellent

[Duval]

71. Superior essay. Thanks so much!

I had to stop sending messages to my son a couple of years ago, as he wasn't "into politics". However, he certainly will get the thread to this post.

[rndmprsn]

73. K&R

[bread_and_roses]

76. Did you hear Kevin Phillips on "Democracy Now" today?

If not, they always have a rough transcript up a few minutes after the broadcast. Even rough, it will scare the hell out you - or at least, it did me, and I've followed his work some and followed these same issues for years. Still, to hear it summarized...

[SunDrop23]

79. Excellent post...I think the US reached its apex and is on the way downhill.

We saw the British empire collapse and now I think we are seeing the US empire collapse. What a shame because this did not have to happen. We could have controlled our own destiny.

[TexasProgresive]

80. How is a minister tax exempt

All the priests and pastors I know have to pay income tax on their salaries. I imagine the high dollar televangelists are liable to pay taxes also. It's the church that's tax exempt not the staff.

[riderinthestorm]

82. Welcome to DU! K & R! nt

[Brigid]

86. Excellent.

Very haunting and well thought out. Too bad I saw this too late to K & R.