The one BIG overriding issue in this election

[dfgrbac]

Fellow Democrats and progressives, we all have our own political issues that are at the top of our election priorities. But how many of you are aware that there is one BIG issue that is affecting ALL of our other issues? This issue has impacted everything we do, and has placed on the back burner most of our urgent social and infrastructure issues. And this has been the dominant issue through much of the 20th century right up until now - in spite of the fact that most of us Americans have been completely unaware of it! The issue is the Military Corporate Empire we have become! How many of you have deep regrets for the huge amounts of our tax dollars going to the military? I certainly have! We all know that we have better uses for this money.

The former commanding general of the U.S Marine Corps, General Smedley Butler, blew the whistle on the imperial racket in his book, and by doing so became a permanent nonfigure in our history. General Butler said: "I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for big business, for Wall Street and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico safe for American oil interests in 1914. Made in Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. The best Al Capone had was three districts. I operated on three continents."

And that was the early 20th century! It has gotten steadily worse since then! In an interview with Marc Cooper that was transcribed and printed in his book DREAMING WAR, Gore Vidal (the distinguished author and forced historian) had this to say:

"Americans have no idea of the extent of their government's mischief. The number of military strikes we have made unprovoked, against other countries, since 1947-48 is more than 250. These are major strikes everywhere from Panama to Iran. And it isn't even a complete list. It doesn't include places like Chile, as that was a CIA operation. I was listing only military attacks."

Vidal was in Guatemala in 1946. He was there when CIA action against their government was taken because the only local industry run by the American company United Fruit was threatened with higher taxes and a forced wage increase for the workers. This event started Vidal on his truth seeking mission which accounts for many of his books.

Are you still wondering what has caused the increasing waves of terrorism against us; this reaction has been building up for a long time!

This is the core of what I hope American citizens will begin realizing. I was ignorant of all this myself until after 9/11 happened. The explanations in the media fell flat for me - they didn't make sense. So, I started seeking out information from other sources.

The alternate media news program Democracy Now, with Amy Goodman, had a story on not too long ago about Father Roy Bourgeois' fight to close the military School of The Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. Father Roy, a Roman Catholic Priest, experienced attacks from the Empire himself and barely escaped with his life. At the end of the show, one Latin American lady who lost her husband in an attack said, "Why is the United States sending these people down here to kill us?"

For those unaware of the kind of country we are living in, DREAMING WAR, by Gore Vidal, is an excellent start - although, it is disheartening and depressing to discover these things if you love your country, and I do! Our corporate media keeps us well insulated from all this.

Fellow Democrats, what I am about to say is amazing to me, but there are only three Democratic Presidential candidates who openly recognize the need to stop this Empire; they are, Carol Moseley Braun, Al Sharpton, and Dennis Kucinich. With the money pouring in from the corporate coffers into political campaigns, it's no wonder most politicians don't want to rock the boat! Bottom line, it's not just the Bush Administration, or just the Republicans; our whole system is corrupted by corporate power! As the noted author and social justice activist from India Arundhati Roy said, "We are trying to resist the Empire around the world, but only you Americans have the keys to the Palace!"

[MuseRider]

1. There are many reasons

I support Dennis Kucinich but this is the main reason. Thanks for the book recommend, I will have to read that one.

[dfgrbac]

3. I am glad to hear that!

I imagine other Kucinich supporters do so for the same main reason. Who else is going to stop them?

There are so many reasons to support Dennis Kucinich!

[newyawker99]

13. Hi dfgrbac!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[polpilot]

4. Kucinich is GREAT on this issue. Food not bombs. Shelter not amputees.

Dean '04...

[polpilot]

2. While other 'civilized' countries use money to improve life we're sending

$$$ to The Carlyle Group (Poppy) and other 'Masters of Death' to incinerate flesh.

Dean '04...Stop It!!!

[brainshrub]

5. I think the big issue

will be who can unnecessarily underline stuff. In this way we will know what is really important. Because, God knows, it is important to put emphasis on everything you can otherwise people will miss the point.

[dfgrbac]

6. Gee, I thought the underlines would help!

You don't use underlines?

Are is it that you just don't agree with the post?

[Bombtrack]

7. Edwards is the candidate that most encompasses those sentiments

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/corporate-responsibility.asp

John Edwards' Plan To Return America's Values To Corporate America
The vast majority of businesses and business leaders still believe in America’s values. But too many executives have forgotten those values. That is why John Edwards has proposed a Worker and Shareholder Bill of Rights.

At Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom, a handful of managers enriched themselves while working people lost everything. CEO salaries have increased even as ordinary working people have seen their paychecks decline.

At American Airlines, a CEO was demanding that pilots and flight attendants see their pensions cut at the very moment he was putting away $41 million to protect executive pensions against bankruptcy.

John Edwards believes we must restore corporate responsibility to restore confidence in our economy.


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John Edwards has proposed a Worker and Shareholder Bill of Rights to:
Take on insiders to restore honest accounting.
Rein in outrageous CEO pay.
Empower owners to hold managers accountable for results.
Restore pension parity to help regular workers.
Shut down tax gimmicks.

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Related Links:
Read Edwards' Speech On Corporate Responsibility (7/7/2003)

Fact Sheet On Corporate Responsibility (7/7/2003)


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Take On Insiders To Restore Honest Accounting

Expense Stock Options
Stock options are a key tool, but they are not free. The failure to account for options played an important role in scandals like Enron. In 1994, Congress blocked a plan to require expensing of options. Edwards believes expensing of options should be required.

Better Disclose Pension Costs
Current rules allow companies to claim large earnings on their pension funds, even if those funds are losing billions. This can keep investors and employees in the dark about the health of companies and pensions.

Edwards calls for new rules to give investors and workers accurate, clear information about pension costs.


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Rein In Outrageous Executive Pay

Eliminate Tax Breaks
Building on current law, Edwards will require that tax deductions for high executive pay be available only when that pay truly leads to productivity gains and sound growth over the long haul.

Pass a CEO Right-to-Know Law
Edwards believes companies should be required to tell shareholders and workers in plain English what they pay top executives and how that pay compares with the pay of ordinary workers.


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Empower Owners To Hold Managers Accountable

Empower Shareholders
Edwards will allow shareholders to nominate board members without waging a costly proxy fight.

Stand Up for Investors
Mutual funds and pension funds have a duty to protect their investors' interest, but many funds have stood idly by while misconduct occurred. Edwards will strengthen enforcement of this obligation and will also require pension plans to disclose how they cast their proxy votes.

Put the "Public" Back Into IPOs
Some Wall Street bankers have been able to game initial public offerings, selling underpriced shares to friends and potential clients. Edwards will limit sales to insiders and their families.


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Restore Pension Parity To Help Regular Workers

Restore Pension Parity
At a time when CEOs are enhancing their own pensions and cutting their workers' pensions, Edwards will strengthen the principle of fairness in current pension law. He will eliminate all tax breaks for executive pensions that are disproportionately large compared to rank-and-file pensions.

Protect Older Workers
Companies are converting pensions from guaranteed monthly payments to "cash balance" plans that accumulate earnings. These conversions can cut older workers' pensions by as much as 50 percent. Edwards will protect the oldest and longest-tenured workers from pension cuts due to conversions.

End "Golden Getaways"
Executives shouldn't be walking away with millions while companies are going bankrupt. Edwards introduced legislation to keep executives from safeguarding their own pensions in bankruptcy-proof trust funds.

Eliminate Pension-Based Tax Abuses
Edwards will enforce tax laws that require executive pensions to remain outside the beneficiaries' control and at risk of loss in order to avoid immediate taxation.


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Shut Down Corporate Tax Abuses

Fully Disclose Book-Tax Disparities
Edwards will require corporations to disclose the profits they report to the IRS and explain why they differ from profits reported on balance sheets. This disclosure will make it far harder for companies to hide income in undisclosed shelters.

Close the "Janitors' Insurance" Loophole
Today, corporations buy insurance on rank-and-file employees and get huge tax breaks—even though the employees and their families never see the benefits. Edwards will close this abusive tax loophole.

Close the Bermuda Loophole
Edwards will not allow U.S. companies to avoid taxes by setting up foreign "headquarters" that are little more than mailboxes.

Stop Sham Tax Transactions
Edwards will remove tax benefits gained from transactions that have no genuine business purpose other than tax avoidance or evasion.

Crack Down on Abusive Tax Lawyering
Today, some tax lawyers make millions through flimsy letters telling clients how to shelter their income. Edwards will stop these abuses.

Increase Penalties for Abuses
Abuse must have consequences. Edwards believes that we need stricter penalties for taxpayers who fail to properly disclose tax shelter transactions and underpay their taxes due to an abusive tax shelter.

[dfgrbac]

9. What about military (Empire) spending?

I didn't see any mention of that.

[many a good man]

8. Noone is powerful enough to stop the American military, except...

the American people. An Arab friend of mine mentioned this to me once on the eve of war. All the armies of the world combined cannot stop our military. But the American people can. Without a single bullet, grenade, rocket or bomb we can stop cold the greatest military force ever seen on the planet. Think about that.

Of course we spend about as much on our military as the rest of the world COMBINED. I wonder how many Americans are aware of that. When they see their taxes go up do they consider that half of it is going for our military machine? When they see crumbling schools, homeless vets, hungry children do they think about it?

The cold war is over. Lets not let them turn the war on terror into another excuse to squander our nations' treasure. Military muscle is not what's needed to defend ourselves against the threats of the 21st century.

But its preposterous to think we can start a political debate on the merits of downsizing the defense budget. It would be suicide. Instead we have to debate tactics in fighting the non-state threats that have changed the way the game is played. Keep the money for "defense", but allocate it to job creating programs that enhance our safety. First responders. Hospitals. Medicine. Education. Energy independence. International institutions.

Lets work to redirect that money to where it helps us instead of destroying both us and the world.

[dfgrbac]

10. Thank you for recognizing the military budget is too high!

But how can you say it would be "suicide" to downsize it?

Before our recent attack on Iraq, no one was threatening us militarily. Still no one is threatening us militarily. Terrorists are not a military threat; they are a different kind of threat!

But if we stop pushing the rest of the world around, terrorism will taper off. With our responsible actions for creating peace in the world, terrorism will disappear!

The thing we need to keep strong is our security at home, customs and food inspectors, police , fire, EMS crews, and so on - as another poster said.

[many a good man]

11. Political Suicide

Any Democratic candidate that proposes reducing the defense budget will be attacked mercilessly for endangering our security and supporting terrorists. To think otherwise is hopelessly naive. That is why we must pursue a subtle shift in strategy if we ever hope to have a chance of turning things around.

There has been fifty-five years of relentless fear-mongering, chest-thumping and propaganda to condition Americans to support the military-industrial complex. There is an enormous sum of money at stake, and the power and influence that goes along with it. We can't turn that off like a faucet.

We have to be smart about this. The smartest thing we can do is play up the myth of American idealism and honor in the world. Return America to its cherished place among nations. Take the lead in international cooperation, justice and freedom. Work to reduce proliferation of arms, support self-determination. In short, work for the opposite of everything the current administration is doing. Turn fear and frustration into a sense of purpose and goodness. This is the only way we can realistically achieve the results we are striving for.

[OneBlueSky]

12. the elephant in the living room that no one will acknowledge . . .

Ending Ccorporate Ggovernance (and its corollary, Eending Ccorporate Personhood) . . . click below for a quick introduction to the issue . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=773912