How can we expect any change to happen when both parties are backed by Wall Street?

[white_wolf]

A lot of us complain about Obama and the Democrats being too right-wing and God knows they are, however we must address the root of the problem and that is corporate money in politics. Both political parties take millions of dollars from Wall St. and other corporations and no one gives you millions of dollars if they don't expect something in return. If you want to see a real workers party in America then we have to get corporate/capitalistic money out of politics. That is the only we will see a party that works for the majority of Americans and not for the elite few.

[northoftheborder]

1. This should be goal #1

[socialist_n_TN]

2. No disagreement here.............

Until the dollars are out of politics, you won't get real reform from EITHER party.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Yes, gettting corporate $$$ out of politics -

ia the only way to free the government from Wall Street. Problem is Wall Street has bought themselves a couple of political parties to make sure that never happens. :crazy:

Unless we have the same purchasing power to elect people who WILL make those needed changes we are screwed.

[villager]

4. Exactly right. Same owners, merely different "brands" for different divisions

n/t

[CrispyQ]

5. So the question is,

how do we get big money out of politics, when the very ones who benefit from it, are also the ones who can change it?

[white_wolf]

6. Honestly I can only think of a few possibilities.

One is for all leftists from Liberals/progressives all the way over to Marxists to unite behind a single party and vote in candidates that represent the working and middle class. If we all unite we can starve the 2 main parties of votes and perhaps create change that way. Once their in power they need to pass very very firm laws. Make it so that if any politician is found take corporate money than he and the CEO and board of directors are arrested and charged a fine twice as much as the bribe. Also the corporation that passed the law should have its charter revoked and the its assets distributed to its employees to help them as they find new employment. I know that sounds very harsh, but this is a serious crime that endangers our country. The only other road I can think of leads down the path of revolution and that is a very very dangerous road that should be taken only as a last resort.

[CrispyQ]

18. I would start building a new party by engaging the non-voters.

It's a HUGE pool! A good number of them don't vote because they don't see much difference between the two parties. I am quickly losing hope with the democratic party. Yes, they are not as evil as the repubs, but we are on the same course, no less. Headed toward the same damned cliff, just more slowly.

I agree completely with your comment about revolution. People speak of it glibly without any consideration of what's entailed, & more importantly, what do we put in place after wards. If we don't plan that part, the first part won't matter.

I look at money in politics, a severely compromised media & electronic voting & wonder how the hell we're going to get out of this mess.

~sigh.

[white_wolf]

22. We need to find a party that is for the workers and middle-class.

That must be our first course of action. Like I said we need to unite all Leftists from Progressives to Marxists in order to support a real party for working people.

[StarburstClock]

7. We can't, the Citizens United case made that painfully clear

The people are pawns, tools to be used for the elite's purposes, our Supreme Court made that clear.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. Both parties are also backed by large numbers of people.

70 million people voted Republican in '08. None of them were forced to.

What have you done today to change that?

The future is won one water cooler at a time.

[StarburstClock]

9. What are you doing to change anything?

I found out last week that the voting district where I vote democratic has more registered voters than its population. The country supervisor, a repuke, says it's just a clerical error. The problem is it also happen in 9 other voting districts, all majority repuke.

Now you tell me, just what should I do about that?

[Davis_X_Machina]

11. Sue.

They got lawyers, we got lawyers.

You could overturn Citizens United tomorrow, and the situation in your precinct wouldn't be changed an iota.

[white_wolf]

10. That is a problem. but it isn't the root of the problem.

The problem is that the Democrats are bought and paid for by Wall Street and other powerful corporations. Until we fix that problem, it doesn't matter which of the two main parties we elect, our corporate/capitalist masters still rule us and we have only the illusion of democracy.

[Davis_X_Machina]

12. Learned helplessness. n/t

[white_wolf]

13. No.

I'm asking for solutions on how we can get corporate money out of politics. The way things are now we only have 2 sides to one party. The Corporate party.

[Davis_X_Machina]

14. You'll get corporate money out of politics...

...by changing the laws that make it legal, which means changing the legislatures, which you have decided in advance is impossible, because of the influence of money in politics.

Learned helplessness.

[w4rma]

15. Purge DLCers. (nt)

[Davis_X_Machina]

16. Which is done at the ballot box...

...but elections don't work because of the influence of money on politics.

Learned helplessness.

[Curmudgeoness]

19. OK, we get it. Learned helplessness. So

as clearly as possible, tell us what the answer is.

[Davis_X_Machina]

21. Become a teacher. n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

23. Try again. I did that. It sucks. nt

[Curmudgeoness]

17. How can we expect any change----we can't.

Just sit down and shut up and take it.

And if you don't like that, you will have to find a party or candidates who are standing for what you expect.

[pscot]

20. Spare change?

:shrug: