Our government is now merely the enforcement arm of powerful corporations.

[Vinnie From Indy]

I just got a self-congratulatory email from Sen. Evan Bayh. He was lauding his work on the recent credit card bill that is supposed to protect me from the criminal enterprises known as national banks. Funny thing is that less than ten minutes after reading his email, I opened up my credit card statement and saw my 8% credit card is now a 29.99% credit card. They have retroactively assigned a 30% interest to debt already incurred.

Gee, thanks Evan you piece of fucking shit! Oh yeah! Evan's wife earns HUGE dollars at Wellpoint (national health insurer) as a board member. I think last year it was over 300k for 15 or so meetings. Any bets which way Evan Bayh will vote on national healthcare?

America is broken!

[w4rma]

1. I bet Bayh "forgot" to mention that his work on the credit card bill was to water it down. (nt)

[MindPilot]

2. I just got two emails, one claiming victory over the credit card companies

the other calling the bill " A Sham Without Usury Protection"

From moveon.org:
"Dear MoveOn member,
You spoke out for credit card reform, and we won a major victory! President Obama is signing the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights.

Retroactively raising interest rates for no reason? Not anymore. Charging you late fees when they're late in processing your payment? Illegal. Giving cards to college students who have no ability to pay for them? Not without a parent's approval.1

Congress passed the bill overwhelmingly, despite opposition from Wall Street. Now, it's critical that we thank our representatives in Washington for standing strong—it shows them that voters will support them if they keep taking on the big banks."


From The Pen:
"The Credit Card Bill S. 627 Is A Sham Without Usury Protection

The headline today read "Reform may mean good card users pay more", even as the Senate passed their totally phony credit card bill, S.
627. The one thing that actually mattered, an amendment to limit interest rates to a very generous 15 percent was killed. With the government bailing out some of these same companies, and giving them money for zero interest, how greedy can they possibly get? Oh, but they had no problem tagging on a totally unrelated Wild Bill Hickok in our national parks provision."

[Hannah Bell]

4. the carry in the parks was in the credit card bill? jeez.

i'm really curious about who pushed for carry in the parks, & why.

especially in this time of deep recession, when i expect there are folks seeing "living in the woods" as a serious option.

[endarkenment]

6. moveon lost its brains

stripping usury protection out of this bill was an act of craven corruption. The resulting bill is a fig leaf. We, the people of this republic are totally fucked.

[omega minimo]

15. moveon lost its credibility

after going silent after the second stolen Bush election, after a preelection plethora of house parties.

:thumbsdown:

[Raksha]

25. I attended one of those post-election house parties in 2004.

Election fraud was the biggest issue for those who attended (they took a poll) and yet the Move-On people didn't want to talk about it. They wanted to...you know, "Move On" to 2008. I haven't been to a Move-On house party since, although I'm still on their e-mail list.

[AllentownJake]

28. Moveon is a disapointment now

[progressoid]

3. Correction.

Our government has been the enforcement arm of powerful corporations for years.

For too many years.

K/R

[onethatcares]

8. amen to that, and all you have to do is

look at the whiskey rebellion, the invasion of the Dominican Republic, the Phillipine insurrection and the settling of the United States to see that.

Peace

[TahitiNut]

12. It ain't just bananas anymore.

:shrug:

[aldo]

5. And Obama's their bitch eom

nt

[omega minimo]

13. oh come on "aldo"

:evilfrown: feel better now?

[librechik]

7. I'd say, "thanks for the payback on the bailout--but shouldn't other people get some too?

heh--they'd so spank my ass.

[closeupready]

9. Yep.

n/t

[Vidar]

10. K&R.

[autorank]

11. 100% Agree k*r It's The Money Party in action

"The Money Party is a small group of enterprises and individuals who have most of the money in this country. They use that money to make more money. Controlling who gets elected to public office is the key to more money for them and less for us. As 2008 approaches, The Money Party is working hard to maintain its perfect record.

"It is not about Republicans versus Democrats. Right now, the Republicans do a better job taking money than the Democrats. But The Money Party is an equal opportunity employer. They have no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests. Democrats are as welcome as Republicans to this party. It’s all good when you’re on the take and the take is legal." http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00549.htm

[steven johnson]

14. Lincoln: "corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow"

Here is a sobering quote by Abe Lincoln:
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."
-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864

http://www.ratical.org/corporations/Lincoln.html

[leftstreet]

16. Capitalism Rocks!

[Raksha]

29. Nope...CAPITALISM SUCKS!!!

Pass it on!

[jeanpalmer]

17. Agree

These politicians are nothing more than crooks. Bribe takers. Our system is broken, and it's so obvious. It cries out for a remedy. It's hard to believe that they are unaware of it. Will Obama or the Democrats propose a solution?

These people are engaging in acts that in my state are classified as felonies. I've lost all faith in government because of it. And I don't think it can be reformed. It's like trying to get rid of the mafia once they have their fangs into you. Impossible.

[pleah]

18. K&R

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. K&R

[havocmom]

20. Yep, under cheney/bush

Now being carefully retro-fitted to be We The People, but it is gonna take time and a LOT of work to make that revision back to the intent of the Founders.

[jgraz]

21. Whaddya mean "now"?

[Karenina]

22. Is "NOW???" Read Smedley Butler. n/t

[rationalcalgarian]

33. Agreed!

Just read "War is a Racket". Too bad more people didn't read this in the '30's, not just in the US but around the world! But it's never too late. For those who haven't read it yet: get it, read it, and pass it on to those you love or, better yet, to those chickenhawks of your acquaintance. Get the word out!

[Individualist]

23. Nothing will change as long as neocons and DLC trade control of government.

[hfojvt]

24. supposedly the big corporations are not happy with what passed

You get half a glass of water and that's not good enough so you say that the government is in collusion with the corporations to deny you water.

Would you really be happy paying 15%? I wouldn't. Also, I believe what just happened to you, will no longer be legal once that legislation takes effect. 1) They could not raise your rate unless you were 60 days late on a payment, and 2) they would need to give you 45 days notice before they raise your rate.

[bluesmail]

26. Evan Bayh, the D after his name is misleadingly dishonest. eom

[mitchum]

27. The 2 party system provides the electorate the illusion of choice

[Triana]

30. "America is broken"

You got that right.

[democrank]

31. K & R

[Enthusiast]

32. "Our government is now merely the enforcement arm of powerful corporations."

Noticed that, too, did ya? Between the banks, the military industrial complex and the insurance industry we are FUCKED.

[Grinchie]

34. Stop supporting the Corporations

It's a simple statement to make, but the reality of "Stop Supporting the Corporations" is to find your own ways of providing for your needs, instead of relying on them for everything you need to exist. Additionally, you have to categorize the services you require for day to day existence carefully, such as food, water and housing.

Where not mandated by legal obligation, we have dropped all insurance coverage, since the Insurance companies are bankrupted, and were just as depply involved as the major failed banks were in the CDS fiasco. We no longer support the Cable Companies and their vile media providers. We do not support any year long contractual obligations to Communications companies. We never keep more than 5 gallons of gasoline in our cars unless we are going to use it right away.

We buy ancient antique tools that have lasted half a century, and enabled our grandparents to produce things without Electric Drills, Generators, or other power equipment. We buy saws and other instrements that can be resharpened and reused with stones and files, instead of being discarded do to manufacturing defects such as incorrect, chinese steel, or improper hardening techniques.

We have cost effective potable water storage that will last 6 months. We grow much of our own food, and we have a biodiversity that would make most arboretum's envious.

The most amazing thing about moving away from the rat race is that it is truly a free life. Focusing on what it take to be happy, industrious, and looking forward to every day of existance is incredibly rewarding. The skills and tools required to make a comfortable life anywhere can be carried on your back and in your head, and most people are so specialized into their own little rat race pigeonhole that they cannot function on their own.

[Hanse]

35. The credit card bill was a major victory for the consumers.

It puts major restrictions on credit card companies.

Any honest person who really cares about the issue should be proud of this bill.