IMHO, this might be the most important Supreme Court ruling ever made by our government.
I still can't believe this thing passed without talk of a revolution.
of course we also overturned the Voter's rights act this year so...

i'm fairly sure the majority of america has no idea the Pandora's box that we have opened.
every time i think about the nightmare scenarios in our future as a result of this decision my head explodes. :shakehead:

discuss.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:18:42 AM
IMHO, this might be the most important Supreme Court ruling ever made by our government.
I still can't believe this thing passed without talk of a revolution.
of course we also overturned the Voter's rights act this year so...

i'm fairly sure the majority of america has no idea the Pandora's box that we have opened.
every time i think about the nightmare scenarios in our future as a result of this decision my head explodes. :shakehead:

discuss.

Most Americans are dumb.  Its sad...

Terry

Quote from: twatts on March 27, 2014, 01:32:14 AM

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:18:42 AM
IMHO, this might be the most important Supreme Court ruling ever made by our government.
I still can't believe this thing passed without talk of a revolution.
of course we also overturned the Voter's rights act this year so...

i'm fairly sure the majority of america has no idea the Pandora's box that we have opened.
every time i think about the nightmare scenarios in our future as a result of this decision my head explodes. :shakehead:

discuss.

Most Americans are dumb.  Its sad...

Terry

yes and yes.

personally i cant wait to have to get my food stamps approved by Walmart and then be able to choose between coke or pepsi for president. :roll:

Seriously though, the  current hobby lobby case is looking like it might even pass. which is insane.
i thought maybe after the Arizona nonsense maybe people were taking some notice how ridiculous this precedent was in practical application, but apparently not.
&
the 2012 election was just the tip of the iceberg in relation to how CU effects campaign contributions.
its only going to get worse, much worse.
you should see the bananas million dollar BS local campaigns backed by corps. we are getting here in my conservative state.
its disgusting.

if you still believe elected officials are actual representatives and not purely corporate pawns then you are fooling yourself.

its amazing that 20 years ago i thought playing sci-fi RPGs about post apocalyptic earth ran by corporations  was fantasy, yet now goldman Sachs is stockpiling uranium.

It's sad.  And it's likely to get worse...

We need to be moving towards public financing, yet we're pushing it further in the wrong direction.

Quote from: ytowndan on March 27, 2014, 02:17:07 AM
It's sad.  And it's likely to get worse...

We need to be moving towards public financing, yet we're pushing it further in the wrong direction.

exactly.
CU is just a foundation.
it really is spinning out of control in such a short time frame that it is going to be too late to do anything about before the general public actually realize what is happening.


one of the worst parts is  that corporations arent only being given rights as individuals and using money as free speach, but then they can avoid penalties and prosecutions that individuals cannot.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 02:33:59 AM
one of the worst parts is  that corporations arent only being given rights as individuals and using money as free speach, but then they can avoid penalties and prosecutions that individuals cannot.

Yeah, that's a lovely irony isn't it. When corporations break the law usually no individuals get held criminally liable. The company may pay a penalty that amounts to a tiny fraction of a percentage of its assets. (Contrast that to an individual who could go bankrupt merely hiring an attorney to defend against some petty shit.) Of course that simply gets passed on to the consumer in the end -- company's gotta still make its money. Or maybe the entire U.S. taxpaying public gets together to bail companies out for their malfeasance. No biggie.

Quote from: twatts on March 27, 2014, 01:32:14 AM

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:18:42 AM
IMHO, this might be the most important Supreme Court ruling ever made by our government.
I still can't believe this thing passed without talk of a revolution.
of course we also overturned the Voter's rights act this year so...

i'm fairly sure the majority of america has no idea the Pandora's box that we have opened.
every time i think about the nightmare scenarios in our future as a result of this decision my head explodes. :shakehead:

discuss.

Most Americans are dumb.  Its sad...

Can you explain it to me? I guess I'm one of the dumb ones.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:44:24 AM
personally i cant wait to have to get my food stamps approved by Walmart and then be able to choose between coke or pepsi for president. :roll:

Walmart (along with McD's) is the biggest welfare queen in the country. If they were approving your food stamps, you'd be getting a raise.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:57:35 AM
the 2012 election was just the tip of the iceberg in relation to how CU effects campaign contributions.

Remind me who won that one again?

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:57:35 AM
its amazing that 20 years ago i thought playing sci-fi RPGs about post apocalyptic earth ran by corporations  was fantasy, yet now goldman Sachs is stockpiling uranium.

If it makes you feel any better, Goldman is selling their uranium trading desk, which they only had to manipulate the price of the commodity anyway. But with the heightened scrutiny on financial cos. following countless manipulation scandals (LIBOR, energy, foreign exchange rates, basically the lifeblood of the financial system), they thought it best to get out lest they get a slap on the wrist.

Quote from: ytowndan on March 27, 2014, 02:17:07 AM
It's sad.  And it's likely to get worse...

We need to be moving towards public financing, yet we're pushing it further in the wrong direction.

I still don't understand why you think public financing would make any bit of difference. Politicians aren't influenced by donations as much as they are by lobbyists, and publicly financed campaigns would do nothing to address this. Donors get appointed ambassadorships, they don't have nearly as much influence on policy as you seem to believe they do.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 02:33:59 AM
one of the worst parts is  that corporations arent only being given rights as individuals and using money as free speach...

Corporate donations since CU are virtually nonexistent. The explosion in donations has come from individuals. And watching Sheldon Adelson dump $100M into various losing candidates over the course of the 2012 campaign should bring a smile to the face of even the most avowed CU hater.

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 02:33:59 AM
...but then they can avoid penalties and prosecutions that individuals cannot.

I could not agree more.

oh man, i knew this was gonna get jimbo all riled up and out of semi-retirement.

Serenity now

Quote from: runawayjimbo on March 27, 2014, 10:52:39 PM

Quote from: twatts on March 27, 2014, 01:32:14 AM

Quote from: VA $l!m on March 27, 2014, 01:18:42 AM
IMHO, this might be the most important Supreme Court ruling ever made by our government.
I still can't believe this thing passed without talk of a revolution.
of course we also overturned the Voter's rights act this year so...

i'm fairly sure the majority of america has no idea the Pandora's box that we have opened.
every time i think about the nightmare scenarios in our future as a result of this decision my head explodes. :shakehead:

discuss.

Most Americans are dumb.  Its sad...

Can you explain it to me? I guess I'm one of the dumb ones.

Duh, I don't know...  I'm right along there with you...  It just sounded really bad...

Terry

Quote from: runawayjimbo on March 27, 2014, 11:13:55 PM
Serenity now

i think someone didnt get their decoder ring in the mail.
:|

Quote from: runawayjimbo on March 27, 2014, 10:52:39 PM

Quote from: ytowndan on March 27, 2014, 02:17:07 AM
It's sad.  And it's likely to get worse...

We need to be moving towards public financing, yet we're pushing it further in the wrong direction.

I still don't understand why you think public financing would make any bit of difference. Politicians aren't influenced by donations as much as they are by lobbyists, and publicly financed campaigns would do nothing to address this. Donors get appointed ambassadorships, they don't have nearly as much influence on policy as you seem to believe they do.

They absolutely do.  The lobbying/advocacy groups are funded by the same millionaires, billionaires, and corporations who fund the campaigns to begin with.  That's where their power comes from.  The PACs get you in office and, once you're there, their lobbying arm will provide you with "model bills" to submit to committee.  If you tell a lobbyist to go fuck himself, or vote the "wrong" way on a bill, you just guaranteed yourself a primary challenge from a puppet with the same bottomless war chest that used to be on your side.  With public financing, the donors and their lobbying groups will no longer have the carrot or the stick.

ETA:  BTW... Wouldn't it be great if Nancy Pelosi, Al Franken, and Elizibeth Warren didn't have to email you 100 times a week to ask for three bucks?   :wink: