tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7287418096544149672.post1174396597586739159..comments2022-04-26T20:46:46.128-07:00Comments on Elizabeth and Maeve: We the People: Are We in Charge?Elizabeth Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307027953779753978noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7287418096544149672.post-19912146801439243612010-08-05T09:57:42.595-07:002010-08-05T09:57:42.595-07:00In response to the same Krugman op-ed, I wrote a p...In response to the same Krugman op-ed, I wrote a piece entitled, "To the Barricades!"<br /><br />Really, until there is enough outrage, and someone or some organization that can focus it, and drive it towards large-scale change, things are only going to get worse. Why, because, 'they' are not listening. Krugman's point was they didn't care.<br /><br />Indeed, if the Citizens United decision is not neutralized by a constitutional amendment (small chance of that, but a useful focus for action) or by more limited Congressional action (just blocked, of course, by Republican filibuster), then the corporate takeover of our government can intensify.<br /><br />When corporations rule, people do not count, but when corporations can spend unlimited money on elections, then the only possibility of countering them is a militant, activist movement that mobilizes huge numbers, and can leverage that mobilization into electoral numbers over 50%.<br /><br />Given corporate control of most information most people receive, the above is a very tall order.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05942539860342568543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7287418096544149672.post-67826318425282402092010-08-05T00:07:10.060-07:002010-08-05T00:07:10.060-07:00"But I can hope that that out of this collect..."But I can hope that that out of this collective crucible, in which our conventional structures and systems appear to be failing, compassion for each other and our common plight and cause may rise."<br /><br />I hope so too. I have to say that I feel like a lot of my generation is passive, because it feels like we grew up watching nothing but fighting, and nothing that ever made sense came out of it--not even some of the no-brainer issues were taken care of. <br /><br />It is hard to want to fight, when you genuinely believe you are useless to the cause--learned helplessness, anyone? I think that's why a lot of us were so inspired by Obama's election, because we had, even if just the illusion, of being able to make change happen, without having to resort to violence. Let's face it, nobody wants to spend the energy to get bloody, and history tells us that is the only surefire way to make change happen.Brooke https://www.blogger.com/profile/16569793565975815862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7287418096544149672.post-9498294741867320162010-08-03T18:16:10.164-07:002010-08-03T18:16:10.164-07:00Maeve here: In the first century CE when I lived R...Maeve here: In the first century CE when I lived Rome had changed from a Republic to an empire. I lived in its outposts. There was a lot of wheeling, dealing, manipulating and betrayal. Eliz and I are in the midst of it on volume IV. We are coming to the last battle, the last one that I witnessed anyway. No answers in my story, only questions.Elizabeth Cunninghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14307027953779753978noreply@blogger.com