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PrintUncle Sam, Inc. Facing Chapter 11
News Type: Opinion — Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:27 PM EDT
Vote on records not recorded sound bites.
Vote out dead wood, insiders.
Restore the People's House.
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Under another post a commenter posed a key concern about the future of American politics and Democracy. It had a pivotal question asked with genuine sincerity. The crux of the issue was, that the turning tide of public opinion against the war, and the endless evidence of fraud, abuse and mismanagement of the Nation's affairs, was prompting the long AWOL media to begin to target the President with blame. There is no doubt he bears great responsibility for the state of the Nation, but the graver concern was that he would become a scapegoat for all the problems currently facing our Nation.
That is a legitimate problem and one which has incalculable consequences. In the process of trying to articulate a response to this critical question my response became too long and off topic. It became the article here, which I hope will inspire some of us to find a few answers, to begin asking the right questions or at least engage in meaningful debate toward that end.
In making the President a scapegoat we could find some who would feel satisfied that there was the requisite pound of flesh extracted but it would be a huge disservice to America. It would provide nothing more than a limited treatment to a single symptom of a far more serious and widespread problem for America.
The heart of the problem is Congress and that is where the solution begins. Oldfogey, whom I've upgraded to uppercase "O" in his bid for a Congressional seat, is demonstrating the answer. It is to give the people's house back to the people and to take to the streets to fight, door to door for the land we love. Word of mouth and social networking are powerful tools. Grass roots efforts are about individual spirit overcoming paid corporate agendas but they take manpower and elbow grease.
Each of us needs to become proactive in learning who our legislators are and whom they really serve. We need to educate those around us and impress upon our friends, neighbors and coworkers that freedom carries with it the responsibility to defend it by participation in the process. There is no way to choose leadership based on self-serving campaign ad in the weeks leading to an election. This is not about parties but people. There is corruption on both sides of the aisle and those who stand unquestioningly behind either side are as guilty of perpetuating the problem as those who stand by uninformed and uninvolved.
While Congress continues its endless bickering over meaningless issues our infrastructure is crumbling, our jobs are outsourced, our Federal contractors are overcharging and under performing and our freedoms are eroding and the list of problems goes on. These are not partisan problems; they are America's problems that the Congress has been unwilling to address. It is inexcusable and unnecessary to run the Nation's finances and basic upkeep in such an irresponsible manner.
The American public underestimates its power as voters and consumers. It does not take much time or effort to see how corporate outsourcing has gouged the taxpayers and enriched a handful of preferred contractors. It does not require one political ideology to understand that silencing the scientists at the FDA, EPA, NASA or any of the other agencies, which serve us, is a threat to the public safety. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that failures like the Katrina response mean that our Federal disaster response capability is flawed. It is self evident we have problems.
What will fix the problems? Who can we turn to for answers? We must look to ourselves. We the people hold the power and responsibility for the problems and the changes needed to repair our ailing Democracy. It requires the effort and discipline on behalf of the American public to turn away from bestowing our leaders, all of them, with blind faith. It requires seeing past measuring word to accounting by actions.
Our system of justice demands that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Our leadership should not operate under a parallel model, which assumes all acts have public benefit. Our system of government is crumbling from an assumption of effective until the contrary is proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. It is time for the public to see all the elected and appointed officials, not as our leaders, but as our public employees.
Where but in Congress is a worker allowed to ignore the employer's job evaluation and vote for pay increases for themselves? Where but Congress is the worker entitled to superior health benefits than the one who pays the salary? Where but Congress is an employee allowed to continue performing a sensitive job function in the face of criminal charges? Where but in Congress is an employee allowed to provide billions in contracts to friends and supporters and have any questions of wrongdoing investigated by other friends. The answer to these and more is that it exists nowhere but Congress.
In very large measure our Representatives do not work for us, they work the system. Nowhere do they work the system better than in handing funds and controls, to Federal programs and agencies headed by handpicked associates. They deliver far more lip service than public service and they have given themselves the power to redraw and redistrict to ensure that each has the required demographic to remain in power or to exclude those who threaten that power.
Congress has first and foremost protected themselves. With few exceptions they have created vast personal wealth and security from holding this power. With few exceptions they have been wasteful and negligent in upholding their oath to defend the public's trust and account for the effective application of the taxpayer funds they spend.
America has become One Nation under corporate rule with power and profits for few. If we were to hold Congress to the same standards other employees have to meet they would be paid by their ability to perform and be fired if they failed miserably.
Their health insurance would not be a lifetime of gold plated benefits, while their employer stood to lose coverage in the event of catastrophic illness. They would not be permitted to designate millions or billions in grants to companies they control and they would not be given raises for mismanaging, bungling and bankrupting the organization they are charged with safekeeping.
It is time to stop the political gamesmanship, which allows Congressional representatives, regardless of party affiliation, to distract from the real debate. This is not about which party can do the job it is about what individuals have shown the courage and dedication to deserve the job. A party cannot, nor will not serve anything, but countless deserving Patriots can and do step forward to request the honor of serving you. It is time to see who they are and give them the chance. It is time for the public to step up and hire the right individuals for the job, based on the same standards all other employer uses. If we are to make this Nation work as a Democracy we must make the Congress work for us.
That's what we pay them to do; demand our money's worth. We all share a common goal for a secure, prosperous future for America. We all hope for a brighter tomorrow for ourselves and our loved ones. We will all share the future consequences of present actions so let's share the work of finding the right people to ask the right questions and serve us in that shared aim.
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{"commentId":285713,"authorDomain":"lookdeep"}
Great stuff, Pamela. Whatever one may feel about the President, we surely all have common ground here we can share. We must demand from our congress and from ourselves that the job be done well and as intended, not in the manner that leads to fractured social structure where only a few have far too much, and the rest have not nearly what they must to survive, or do not receive compensation in accordance with their contribution. The equating of the American democratic experiment with unchecked capitalism and free markets should raise more than eyebrows. We ought not to let this illusion perpetuate so that we cannot distinguish the one from the other. Too many of us forget this. Jefferson wrote:
"The people, being the only safe depository of power, should exercise in person every function which their qualifications enable them to exercise consistently with the order and security of society... We now find them equal to the election of those who shall be invested with their executive and legislative powers, and to act themselves in the judiciary as judges in questions of fact... The range of their powers ought to be enlarged." --Thomas Jefferson to Walter Jones, 1814. ME 14:47
It is not only our duty it is our right. It is not only our right, it is our duty. We must take back the power we were invested with. In doing so, we should take heed to words of Jefferson's in warning as well:
"The qualifications for self-government in society are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Everett, 1824. ME 16:22
As we work to return that which is ours, we need to make sure that our habits and training are not just empty politics. It is important that we strive for the truth and for justice, not to win the argument for the sake of winning.
{"commentId":285713,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"lookdeep"}
- 8 votes
#1 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:49 PM EDT{"commentId":285745,"authorDomain":"lookdeep"}
He did indeed. And it's easy to find good stuff from him and toss it out there. The difficulty is in the doing and in committing ourselves to the truth of his words, not just using them to prop up our own diatribe. Your article calls for that, and we all would do well to begin thinking how we can affect change from Oldfogey's way to all the other possibilities for our participation in our own government. I've been a bit frustrated by the amount of debate for debate's sake going on lately (and I don't just mean here on Newsvine) and wrote a bit about it over on my column. It's not too popular, and that's OK, a lot of why I write here is to exercise the muscle. But my real angst these days is more over the fact that we so often seem more concerned with railing against each other and trumping in the comment wars or blogosphere, than we do at honoring one another with the truth. There is a lot of truth in your article here.
{"commentId":285745,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"lookdeep"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":285736,"authorDomain":"ageing-hippie"}
It's not only in America that politicians have been busy feathering their own nests, we have a similar problem here in the UK.
One solution I would advocate would be to pay politicians the average weekly wage of blue collar workers, and for you Americans the average health benefits. I would also like to see their allowances and travel benefits curtailed.
This is the real problem facing most western democracies, the entrenched self serving political class that seems to assume that they have a God given right to rule, I get ever more annoyed by their pious hypocrisy, half-truths, miss-directions and downright lies
Were I more articulate I would also be writing an article on the subject, but that's for another day.
{"commentId":285736,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ageing-hippie"}
- 6 votes
#2 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:10 PM EDT{"commentId":285739,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
Bravo. My feelings are this: We can all work hard to elect the right people, we can quiz them, research their histories, perhaps even make them sign a document declaring their stance on issues and guarantee in writing how they will vote on particular issues, BUT, if the system itself is broken, if the issues that make it to the forums are decided by people outside this circle of our representatives, then what? Obviously I believe this to be the case otherwise a universal health care plan for US citizens would be on the floor right now.
Can someone tell me how this actually works? Can any state representative introduce a bill and have it be voted on? And if it passes does it then become law? So tomorrow if my state rep. proposed a bill granting anyone with the name Jason Kolbenheyer free movies and popcorn for the rest of his life and it passed by majority vote, does it then become law? Please excuse my political process ignorance ;-)
{"commentId":285739,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 3 votes
#3 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:13 PM EDT{"commentId":285787,"authorDomain":"surya"}
Jason, I'm no expert on the US political system, but most of the useful stuff I know, I learned from watching West Wing ... no kidding! Buy the videos and watch very episode, you'll be more knowledgable than most of your countrymen.
Most decisions in congress are the result of the most convoluted and corrupted process of horse trading, pressure groups, lobby groups and returning favours to campaign fund contributors. Someone once said political decisions are like sausages, it's best not to see how they are made.
Not only that, but when a bill is voted on in congress, those voting on it have almost certainly never even read the final draft, and probably not read any draft in full.
Take your example of universal health care. Do you have any idea how many corporate and commercial interests would be affected by the introduction of such a scheme? Of course if a large industry is going to be affected by public policy, they will be a major election campaign contributor.
Try going to Google and searching the phrase "pharmaceutical campaign contribution".
{"commentId":285787,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"surya"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":285798,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
Yep, this is my point. The system as designed by our founding fathers is set up for fair and honest debate on issues the public finds important and it's backed by the constitution BUT all the crap that surrounds it as you say "pressure groups, lobby groups and returning favours to campaign fund contributors. ", make using the system to our advantage difficult, not impossible but difficult. If making the world a better place for all meant me giving up my weekends and attending political rallies and roundtable dicussions, I would do it, I would drag my wife and kids down, pack a lunch and make a day out of it. The problem as I see it are the very things you've identified (pressure groups, lobby groups and returning favours to campaign fund contributors. ), these things taint our representatives who may well have good intentions upon getting into office.
Money does crazy things to people. So what can we do about this?
{"commentId":285798,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":286683,"authorDomain":"Entelechy"}
Surya wrote:
Someone once said political decisions are like sausages, it's best not to see how they are made.
The "laws are like sausages" quote is from Otto von Bismarck. And he would have known, too -- for Bismarck invented the modern welfare/warfare State. Corruption is inherent in the type of state that Bismarck created. Like socialists, most people believe that resources can be allocated by a democratic process. Like capitalists, most people believe that everyone deserves to have ownership of the fruits of their labor. Combine the two and you have a ruling class that believes it has a right to property that it accquired through political manuevering.
{"commentId":286683,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"Entelechy"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":1051899,"authorDomain":"jakenuts"}
I for one would second any law granting Jason Kolbenheyer free movies, but I will go to my grave defending the right of Popcorn companies to charge a reasonable fee for their products and put food and melted butter on the tables of their hard working employees.
{"commentId":1051899,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"jakenuts"}
{"commentId":285817,"authorDomain":"surya"}
Pamela ... This is another great article. I love your passion, intelligence and articulateness.
However strongly I agree with every word you've written here, I can't help but look at the practical situation. You are imploring your countrymen to fight to take back control of one of the most complex and corporatised democracies in the world, but sadly, almost half of all voters don't have the passion or faith in the system to even cast a ballot.
The US is not even in the top 30 democracies of the world ranked by percentage of voter turnout.
I believe that many people have the passion, but they've become disillusioned ... lost faith in the system ... worn down by repeated disappointments and episodes of feeling cheated.
I feel that writing as you do here is one of the most important things that people can do, especially when the articles are as inspirational as this one. But I'd imagine that most people who read articles here are the type who will vote anyway. It's the others that need to be reached, energised and persuaded. It's almost as if another Martin Luther King is required.
And then the next challenge, after you get people to vote, is to make sure that the elections are not stolen.
In Australia recently there was the death of a man called Don Chipp. He founded a politcal party in 1977 which became a third force in Australian politics. The party aim and motto was to "Keep the bastards honest".
{"commentId":285817,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"surya"}
- 3 votes
#4 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:26 PM EDT{"commentId":285854,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
I look at a group like the "Jersery Girls", a group of 4 woman driven by grief to get to the bottom of 911, how it happened. I watched their movie today (can't post a link but there was an earlier post about it)
And from the way they paint it, they were a major force behind the creation of the 911 commission and their frustration and disappointment with the results were discouraging, however they achieved allot, they sat in the white house (I think) with Kissenger for petes sake and called him out for having conflicts of interest in being head of the commission, he was then removed.
In my opinion this is the way to go, use the public arena, outside the political circus to achieve our goals. I don't have the answers, only the questions. We need a plan. I long to be like the guy from the A-Team at the end of every episode proudly stating " I love it when a plan comes together", but first we need a plan. I'm at a loss for what this plan could be..
{"commentId":285854,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 3 votes
#5 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:18 PM EDT{"commentId":285904,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":285996,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
Thank you Pamela. I've been voting with my dollars heavily over the last year, we're vegetarians, we buy only organic food and eco-friendly products and clothing. I still need to get off the black juice but as of now I haven't found a home heating/electricity solution yet. I think people can absolutely make a difference here, by controllling the market. McDonalds wouldn't be in business if nobody was buying their products. More people need to wake up to some of the alarming things that are in their food, if not just for the sheer gross-out factor.
The internet(s) is a great communication tool. I wish all candidates, including Presidential were only allowed to have a web site and list where they stood on all issues, no more huge TV spends bashing the other guys, it's playground horse@!$%#. I've been saying lately that everyone should just do what they're good at and devote time doing that for the greater good. So if you're a hairdresser you say to a client "Did you know that they spent 100 Million on the Lewinsky scandale and only 13 million for the 911 commision, how crazy is that @!$%#?" or something like that. It would be like a superfriends outfit of normal people just doing what they do best, for the sake of humanity. Yes I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one.
When it hits the fan I want to be able to say "I did all I could", but I can't become V either. Playing by the rules is not a favorite of mine so jumping into politics seems so overwhelming to me it makes my head feel like it might explode.
Thank you for your time and insprational article.
{"commentId":285996,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":286187,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":285912,"authorDomain":"Cassandra"}
Well, I am very inspired by what Pamela has written here. Jason K., if anybody comes up with a plan,
be sure to let me know. I'd like to do something I knew would make a difference. I have been heartsick
over this administration and the way it has sold itself to the American people. What worries me the most
if that, at present, the party that can afford the top Mad Ave advertising firm is the one who wins. The
people simply believe what they see on tv. Maybe Pamela is right -- maybe going door to door and talking to our neighbors would work. But most people don't want to have their tv time interrupted by campaign
volunteers, I fear.
{"commentId":285912,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"Cassandra"}
- 4 votes
#6 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:27 PM EDT{"commentId":285917,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":286072,"authorDomain":"aine"}
I'd like to do something I knew would make a difference.
We can never know that what we do will truly make a difference, all we can do is to try and keep trying, and never losing hope or giving up.
These words that we write here... some people may think that none of this is doing anything, that it won't make any difference... but I say to you: You do not know who may be reading along, taking notes, passing along the words or the ideas behind them. Do not lose hope, it's the only thing that can conquer our fears.
I used to think that nothing I did online could make any difference at all in the realm of politics... and perhaps it hasn't. But when I heard the words I'd written coming out of a candidate's mouth during the second and third presidential debates... my jaw dropped... someone had been reading, taking notes... it may not have made a difference in the outcome of the debates or the election or even in the country... but it made a difference in me.
*soft smile*
{"commentId":286072,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":286200,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":285914,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
Yes, forgot the links and sources... Congresspedia and Porkbusters and Citizens Against Government Waste CAGW or National Taxpayers Union NTU and... For all the folks lucky enough to live in Ohio, Oldfogey's listed under the user tags, visit his columns and you'll find a way to help him out. In the interest of full disclosure I am not in Ohio, but New Yawk and have no personal stake beyond my heart in his race.
{"commentId":285914,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
- 2 votes
#7 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:27 PM EDT{"commentId":285940,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}
Very refreshing article Pamela!! This applies throughout the west, as Ageing Hippie says.
Two observations:
- It's important to start the battle with the preselections (is that what they're called in the US?) It's no good trying to find someone to vote for on election day when the vested interests have already got their candidates firmly on the ticket. That means either joining the parties and getting good candidates up, or (more in the rest of the world) putting effort behind third parties and going around the logjam.
- The media needs to be "called" on every lie. They won't publish more than a few representative letters and complaints (believe me we've seen it here in Tas where the local rag is so pro logging it's ridiculous) - but if they get enough of them, and enough subscriptions cancelled with letters saying exactly why, then they start to inject at least *some* balance as a matter of survival.
Thank you again for this article :)
{"commentId":285940,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"djehuty"}
- 2 votes
#8 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:07 PM EDT{"commentId":285954,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":285994,"authorDomain":"THE-AMERICAN-WAY"}
{"commentId":286084,"authorDomain":"ISPY"}
This is a nice article Pamela Drew. I have to say that the evidence at the moment would suggest that the USA has already crossed the economic Rubicon. The question is how hard the fall will be.?
There are people here on the Vine such as Killfile who believe that the USA will find a technological solution to its problems. In the past this has been correct. The difference now as compared to other crisis's such as Vietnam and Iran-Contra etc is there is also an environmental crisis looming and unlike before there is a time limit on the US which will mean many solutions would have to materialize within the next five years, so by 2020 at the latest for full implementation. This does not leave much time and the USA is notoriously slow when it comes to political reform.
{"commentId":286084,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ISPY"}
- 3 votes
#10 - Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:31 PM EDT{"commentId":286227,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":287902,"authorDomain":"ISPY"}
And Americans seem to be good in this area.
Time will tell but humans have adaptable and innovative natures and determined, optimistic spirits can make miracles.
while the USA has been a failure in General from a Military aspect, Americas greatness has always come from its ability to adapt and to Capitalise on those innovations. So little is actually required to put the US political system back on track this could also succeed
{"commentId":287902,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ISPY"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":287907,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":286350,"authorDomain":"mikerupert"}
I liked the article, Pamela.
{"commentId":286350,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"mikerupert"}
- 2 votes
#11 - Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:53 AM EDT{"commentId":287037,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":286416,"authorDomain":"LiberalRebel"}
What will fix the problems? Who can we turn to for answers? We must look to ourselves. We the people hold the power and responsibility for the problems and the changes needed to repair our ailing Democracy. It requires the effort and discipline on behalf of the American public to turn away from bestowing our leaders, all of them, with blind faith. It requires seeing past measuring word to accounting by actions.
I adored this part but love the article in its whole context Pamela. Damn girl!? you really are hugely articulate and extremely intelligent in your approach. I salute you highly for one not only well written and deep article. But also for something more, a fantastically good wake up call sort of page. Now to what idea that popped up over here. Why do you not send this one out to as many people as possible? To enable a chain reaction of forwarded mails with it. I mean, if you let me I will. This is what it is all about see! If people would take their time to actually read such articles as this one that you have created here they would be forced to wake up and smell the reality for what it really is. I believe in it as something more then just an essay for a place as Newsvine (even if it is damn nice in here) No. I think this has to be pushed into the Huff, Truthout, the digg and many others and amongst them even the media outlets. Let's go people. this is worth it. I believe.
{"commentId":286416,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"LiberalRebel"}
- 3 votes
#12 - Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:49 AM EDT{"commentId":286550,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":286456,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
I realize it's not this simple but: I just wish there was a simple, surefire method we could pass on to people, kinda like making it idiot proof and a no-brainer. Given the state of the Union, the distractions, the entertainment and all the other stuff that gets tossed into our hamster wheels to keep us "busy", I think the people need a solution that will give them the immediate gratification they're used to. Again the web is the platform for such system, I just need to think of the system. Asking the average American to get off their ass, turn off the tv and go door to door to spread the word ain't going to happen anytime soon and I fear that by the time they do, it could be too late. We're at a crucial point in American history I believe, if you're a believer in the shadowy groups behind the scenes you might be thinking like I am, that the end game is near. It scares the heck out of me to know that a recession or deep depression can so easily be created. It scares the heck out of me to think that if our voices become too loud, that they could strike back using a depression, it's certainly something that has happened in the past and really as a world, we do keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
Here's my plan for saving the country/world:
Abolish the Federal Reserve - Allow the US treasury to print debt free money, allowing us to pay off the debt in 5 or so years.
Create a universal health care system for all Americans.
End hunger in the US.
Pull US troops out of every country we're in.
Publicly apologize to all countries and people we've hurt in the past, the list is lengthy.
If the us wants to spread "democracy" then it's own country should be the model country, there should be no hunger, everyone should be able to have health care and the people should decide on all the issues.
"People shouldn't be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people" - V
Sadly I do feel as is our lives are like a Wachowski brothers film, we all need to unplug from the system and take back our country.
Clearly the steps for saving the world need to be much more detailed and numerous, this is my view.
It's amazing what you see when you step outside your hamster wheel, I've recently taken my kids out of public school and enrolled them in the Waldorf school, it's an amazing difference. The philosophy of this school, when it comes to the child as an individual is fantastic. And the best part is, it's completely unplugged from the government. It saddens me to think this is not available to all kids as it costs a but-load.
{"commentId":286456,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 1 vote
#13 - Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:11 AM EDT{"commentId":286563,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":287876,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}
They're good links Pamela, thanks :)
{"commentId":287876,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"djehuty"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":286628,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
Yes this is one thing the American people have going for it, the cinema! I'm really hoping America: Freedom To Fascism wakes people up. The income tax issue I think will slap people in the face, even if it's not 100% accurate (I've researched and can't really say for certain, it's so convoluted). I think if people get even a hint that there money might be being taken away from them illegally, it will spark some interest. Some filmmakers are really using the media to alert and wake people up and I think it's great. Even if you don't agree with the films 100% the point is to inspire debate and research and once that happens, we win! There is a ton of info available (thanks to the internet) people just need to look.
Thanks for the links btw, very interesting stuff..
{"commentId":286628,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 2 votes
#14 - Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:35 AM EDT{"commentId":287896,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":289254,"authorDomain":"surya"}
Pamela! Write an article about your film! I'm sure many would want to know more (as I do). I'm intrigued, tell us the whole story.
{"commentId":289254,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"surya"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":289488,"authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
Awesome Pamela I can't wait to see it!
{"commentId":289488,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"ivanidea"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":289521,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
{"commentId":289681,"authorDomain":"aine"}
Possibly three. *grin*
{"commentId":289681,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":290128,"authorDomain":"Cassandra"}
Make that four. I think the whole thing sounds very exciting!
{"commentId":290128,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"Cassandra"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":290591,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}
You might be surprised, Pamela - there are a few NVers out here ;) You could rent a stadium if you could get us all in one place...
{"commentId":290591,"threadId":"41630","contentId":"357072","authorDomain":"djehuty"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":290881,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
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