The CONSERVATIVE WAR on Democracy: The PUPPET Supreme Court

[Segami]

"It's time for progressives to wake up to the grave internal threat represented by the conservative jihad. It's time to defend democracy by passing meaningful campaign finance reform, denying the notion that corporations are persons, placing severe restrictions on corporations, and clamping down on the outrageous practices of Fox News Channel and other conservative voices.

It's time for progressives to get their act together, seize control of the message, and take the battle to conservatives. It's time for change we can believe in.




" While the January 21st Supreme Court decision in the case ofCitizens United vs. FECcan be viewed narrowly as granting corporations the right to spend unlimited funds in political contest, the 5-4 ruling is best understood as another victory by conservatives in their decades-long war on democracy.


Many Americans are unaware of this campaign. After all, the US is suffering from a savage recession while fending off attacks from murderous jihadis; meanwhile, a high level of distrust in government has many voters angry and disillusioned. Considering these grim conditions, it's understandable that most Americans remain oblivious of the biggest threat of all: the conservative crusade to turn our democracy into a plutocracy.


In 1971, conservatives responded to a call byLewis F. Powellto reassert themselves by "financing think tanks, reshaping mass media and seeking influence in universities and the judiciary." The result was a well-financed, meticulously planned offensive waged on four fronts.

<http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html>



The primary mode of attack was economic. Conservatives waged no-holds-barred class warfare. Corporation taxes were lowered, as were those of the wealthiest individuals. This increased the gulf between the richest and poorest Americans, ripped apart the social safety net, and decreased social mobility. Working families lost confidence in the future.


A second front was political. Conservatives seized control of the Republican Party and used ideological litmus tests to purge the GOP of moderates. Republican candidates were required to take a "no new taxes" pledge and to subscribe to socially conservative positions.


A third initiative generated a pervasive conservative media presence, featuring conservative personalities and information conduits, such as the Fox News Channel. Millions were spent framing an omnipresent furtive conservative message. This led to familiar general themes - "government is the problem" - and focused responses to conservative hot buttons: estate taxes were branded as "death taxes;" gay marriage was opposed on the grounds that homosexuality was "a disease" that, if encouraged, would infect young people; healthcare reform was opposed because of spurious claims it would result in government control of all health services and "death panels" seeking to euthanize the elderly.


As they pursued their objective of turning the US into a plutocracy, conservatives spread disinformation to deflect blame from their ideas and the Republican lackeys that implemented them. For example, many Americans falsely believe government caused the financial crisis, whereas it was conservative profiteers who brought down the economy.



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<http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Conservative-War-on-De-by-Bob-Burnett-100129-574.html>

[sabrina 1]

1. Good article. And we should name names

I agree that this cabal of think tanks and media and funders are a real threat to this country and they are far more influential than most people realize.

They are completely anti-democracy and many of their 'techniques' are or should not be legal.

A primary goal of their is to destroy 'liberalism' and to destroy anyone who helps the poor.

I named a couple of them in my OP on ACORN, Morton Blackwell being one of the worst, and the now dead Paul Weyrich. There are so many of them it is scary and they have come close to realizing their goal. Mainly because the left never fights back.

[Segami]

4. Someone once tried to expose the existence of a ' Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy ' and was quickly

ridiculed as delusional paranoia. They have successfully conditioned a portion of the sleeping masses to accept that such labels as ' liberalism or liberal ' is associated with other terms such as ' Communist, Terrorist, Traitor, Weakness, Retreat, Taxes, Abortion, Gays ' etc. The politics of FEAR becomes a useful hammer to wield against nimble, weak minds.

[sabrina 1]

6. I think a lot of people are just lazy and many are willfully blind.

Hillary was right, the rise of rightwing radio, television and publications filled with hate and negativity is enough to at least warn people that something is wrong, and cause them to go find out. But they don't.

We would need a huge exposee but that would require a media that agrees that these people are dangerous and politicians who don't cater to them.

They have bought politicians too and I bet it's way worse than what we know on the surface.

[mmonk]

2. Yes, it's been a decades long effort based on the Powell memo.

The lead attorney of Citizens United says he is not done yet either and plans to get rid of all campaign finance laws including disclosure. The cases he is going to try and use to accomplish this are already on the docket of this court and are coming.

[Echo In Light]

3. K&R

[agent46]

5. There is a war

I've been speculating for quite a while now that there's a war for permanent control going on within the U.S. government. I don't know who's calling the shots but whoever is is playing for keeps.

Dick Cheney comes to mind for one.

[whattheidonot]

7. against.

what the corporations are very good at and successful at is in supporting things that they are against. Their actual success at at supporting things they are for is low. When they support for something people are wary. what has to be watched carefully is what they oppose. They craft their oppose campaigns well. Corporations have destroyed the idea of community. Why? Does that make sense? is having very profitable corporations the answer? They have charities for this or that which are well meaning but do not form a foundation for the entire community. Most of the profit goes to stockholders who produce little. Corporations need competition. That is the only thing that will make them work. Without they make all the rules. profit rules. States and communities come begging for the few corporations giving away the farm in the process. keeping the peace is left to the governments with little to work with.