Assuming we survive Bush & Co, how do prevent it from happening again?

[Cyrano]

Yeah, our democracy was doing just dandy. We threw out Richard Nixon, we survived Reagan, and we even made it through "The Blow Job Impeachment." But what we missed while all this was happening, was that the conservatives were busy building an infrastructure from the ground up, designed to run democracy into the ground.

Even if we can take back the house and senate this year, and the presidency in 2008, that will only be the beginning. The fascist coalition they've built between big business, religious fanaticism, the MSM, voting machine manufacturers, and dangerous, wealthy, power-mad robber barons, must be dismantled and never again permitted to come together.

The problem is, how do we dismantle their machine without killing what democracy is supposed to stand for? I believe there are two steps that can be taken to help inoculate us against another epidemic of insanity. First and foremost, we need public financing of elections. Second, we need to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine which, in effect, made the FCC an honest overseer of fair and balanced coverage in the media (not the Fox version).

But first things first. We must regain control of our government. If not, democracy in America will be permanently extinct.

[thinkingwoman]

1. Election reform.

Election reform. Election reform.

Bush was not elected either time. He has nothing to do with the American soul or conscience or apathy or anything else like that.

They cheated. It's very simple.

Election reform.

[MH1]

6. Yes and no.

A whole bunch of people voted for Bush both times.

Did fraud give him the election? YES - Definitely in 2000, almost definitely in 2004.

BUT it is incorrect to say that "He has nothing to do with the American soul or conscience or apathy or anything else like that." Let's not hide from the reality that a WHOLE LOT of people actually thought the right answer was to vote for Bush. And another WHOLE LOT of people thought the right answer was not to vote at all.

[thinkingwoman]

18. It doesn't matter how many people voted for him

if more people voted for someone else.

So what if idiots were fooled by organized propaganda? That doesn't reflect didley on the soul of America as a whole. Why doesn't it? Because America as a whole did NOT fall for the propaganda.

I'll repeat that for people who are having trouble getting it:

America as a whole did NOT fall for the propaganda.


As for people not voting. Hey, that's what Democracy looks like. Freedom is messy and ugly sometimes.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Make Bush's ascent and fall a required college class.

Study and analyze what was going on in this country, that allowed it to happen. And, yes, there were similarities with Germany in Hitler's time.

[madokie]

3. The breakup of the huge media conglomerates,

paper ballots hand counted. With an informed populace and paper ballots we have no problems

[Ufomammut]

4. It won't happen at the ballot box

Stop and think about this: we wouldn't be where we're at without broad, vast institutional criminality, treason and cover up - with no signs of slowing. The entire infrastructure has been reshaped in keeping with what our gov has been striving toward for many years, the "National Security State." The domestic and foreign policy has been completely reshaped, the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive warring strategy. On and on.

The only hope freedom has is perhaps media reform ...if somehow someone figures out a way to get the *facts* in front of the people - large masses of people - so that they'll realize how they've been systematically fucked over for so long, and done so through propaganda and unfortunately of their own volition. Afterall, everything is a battle for "hearts and minds."

[Cyrano]

10. I too believe it will be extremely difficult to

make it happen at the ballot box. But somehow, we must. The only other alternative would be a second American revolution, which would merely be an elegant way of committing suicide. Outside of the ballot box, I don't see any way of curing the epidemic of insanity that has taken over our country.

[0007]

5. Corporations and the lobbyist must be tamed, for it is this money

that is controlling MSM and elections. They are screwing the Unions and the Families of the United States of America.

[Speed8098]

7. Lock up the criminals

There is ample evidence that will ensure the conviction of all involved in 9/11 as well as the war in Iraq.
The only way to prevent another Manchurian like candidate like * is to lock up those who perpetrated the crimes we've had to deal with for the last 5 years.

*, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rove, et al need to be on worldwide television with handcuffs on behind their backs. They need to be convicted of the war crimes they are responsible for.

[Cyrano]

12. And others will take their place. There's never a shortage of fascists.

[Minnesota Libra]

8. To do this permanently will require Constitutional ammendments...........

....and the total overhaul of HomeLand Security.

[NoGOP]

9. The United Nations needs to step up........

to the plate. They never should have allowed the mess in Iraq to happen. They should have imposed sanctions against Bush and Co. as soon as the 1st piece of equipment hit the sand. We also need to look at who we are sending to the House and Senate. Unfortunately a lot of Democrats voted for the war against our objections. One of the few I can remember with a National voice who exhibited enough courage to always be against it was Dr. Dean.

[rock]

11. In a Democracy

There is always opportunity for those that want to undermine it for gain.

[Cyrano]

15. Which is why

(I forgot who said it), "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

[sellitman]

13. We are already screwed.

The Supreme Court is now stacked in their favor for how many years?

[Cyrano]

16. Supreme Court justices can be impeached.

[sellitman]

19. For what?

Being conservative? We may not like their politics but being Conservative still isn't a crime.

[Cyrano]

23. "... being Conservative still isn't a crime." Neither is a blow job.

Well, it might be in Kansas or South Dakota.

But on a more serious note, conflict of interest could be considered a crime. For example, Scalia going hunting with Cheney and then refusing to recuse himself from a case involving Cheney. I guess we'd need a lawyer's opinion on this.

Nonetheless, considering the overall records of Scalia and Thomas, there very well might be impeachable offenses there, but I'm not certain.

[teryang]

14. Ban electronic voting machines - paper ballots only

Electronic voting is absurd on its face.

[Frank Cannon]

17. Reinstate the fairness doctrine and restore media ownership limits

Any other fix won't do shit if the right-wing Wurlitzer continues playing 24 hours a day.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

20. Media reform. No corporate ownership. Period.

No lobbying. Period.

[Independent_Liberal]

21. Impeach and prosecute them! It's the only way.

It's the only way to stop the Bushes from coming back. They must be held accountable.

[rhett o rick]

22. Sounds good, but how do you get the crooks to impeach themselves? nt

[rhett o rick]

24. The first problem to solve is how do we get control of the government

back? The corp elite have complete control of the government including many high ranking democrats. How do you change the lobby laws or the election laws while they have control of the government.
I think there are parallels between our founding fathers trying to break free of the tyrant King George and we the people trying to break free of the new King George. We the people, have not been effective at even slowing down his quest for complete power. How do you work within the system, when they have complete control of the system. What is to stop the new King from being King for life? Congress won't stop him, the SCOTUS won't stop him. The elite neocons own the media propaganda machines and the voting machines. First things first, how the hell are we going to impeach anybody or change the laws.