The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy may or may not exist, but it is very effective in any case. However, the word "Vast" is a misnomer. The "Conspiracy" part is really a relatively small portion of Americans who have the money and the power - the Republican/Conservative power structure.

Taking limits off of corporation funding is the last cog in the wheel to fall in place. This was accomplished by perverting the justice system with politics, including the Supreme Court.

The "Vast" really refers to the very large chunk of America that tend to have a conservative bent. The conspiracy is to lie, deceive, and manipulate these people into voting for Republicans when doing so is completely against their own self-interests.

The success of the deception is the result of these very power brokers owning or controlling much of the media - the means through which information is disseminated to the masses. The deception is also enabled by the fact that there are no "truth in advertising" regulations for political ads, and by the mainstream media thinking that "fair and balanced" means making both parties look equally honest and truthful. Broadcasting statements or speeches that are full of lies, without fact-checking and debunking the lies, is tantamount to creating the lies. Shame on you media!

I find this article to be filled with alarm and scaring people into the non truth. There is no mention of the corporate power of the labor unions and their enforced followers, their members who have no choice but to pay... Cry out for democracy do not leave out the worst offenders the unions.

Corruption is U.S..

The ruling class hates unions because they have a political infrastructure that can push back. Their members vote. Life before unions was pretty bleak in the industrial world. If you are near DC go to the rally on October 2 and show support and go to the one on October 30. Do something.

I vote against anyone or anything backed by the Chamber of Commerce. I do not patronize businesses with connections to the chamber.

Taking to the streets is difficult but not impossible. You will be hosed, gassed and shot with rubber bullets but if you hang in long enough you win. We can also vote. This time truly you vote for the better of two bad candidates but you vote. Republicans must be sent a message. Remember Citizen's United gave corporations unbelievable power but not the vote. You vote. Use it.

Talk to people everywhere, raise consciousness, stop listening to corporate news, read foreign papers, pay attention. Waiting for a hero to solve the problems isn't going to work. Watch oout for trolls on liberal websites telling you not to vote. You must get out and work fo rthe changes we need. We must convince people that they too are human beings and have rights. Our rights have been labeled 'entitlements' so we are afraid to ask for them. You have a right to a good standard of living, jobs, health care and leisure time. You too are people. I read about GMO salmon and you can bet it is not intended for Paris Hilton's dinner table. Are you less than? If not then fight back.

Hey, Freemason; two points.

Thank you Anon @ 9/26 2010.

The idea that removing all government regulation of corporations will eliminate corporate lobbyists is just stupid beyond belief. And I don't say such things lightly, though some would presume otherwise.

Just because you remove regulation doesn't mean corporations won't still have a vested interest in the laws of the country. Right now some of the biggest lobbies aren't working on laws that have anything to do with corporate regulation. Big Pharma and the Alcohol lobbies are fighting all the marijuana reform this country is finally undertaking. That's not propaganda, it's proven fact. They are actively engaged in blocking all forms of legalization, including for medicinal usage.

Removing regulation has failed. Once again, it's not propaganda, it's fact. Every recent Republican administration (and a few Democrats ones too) have reduced regulation. And every time they've done it, the economy has weakened as a result. This has been happening for as long as I've been on the planet (35 years) and probably even before.

It doesn't matter how many times you claim that Ayn Rand was a genius; corporations have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that the less control we apply the more they manipulate the system to their advantage. It's like saying maintaining the Bush Era tax cuts will create jobs, when they didn't create jobs to begin with. That's because every economist will tell you that it's Demand that creates jobs, and the people who spend the bulk of the money aren't the top 1%. The other 99% having money to spend is what creates jobs, even a mediocre economist can tell you that.

The economic system has failed. It is time that we recognize this fact. Since we lack a democratic system to put in place a new system, we must first and foremost set about creating a democracy before we can put into place a new economic system.

take the pledge of resistance!!

i pledge resistance to the flag
of the united corporations of america
and to the corrupt government for which it stands
one nation, under-educated
with insecurity, inequality and injustice for all

@RodMacK- labor unions brought about such things as eight hour workdays and overtime laws. Belonging to a labor union is just about the only thing a worker can do to have any kind of power against the corporation. There are strength in numbers, and that's why business has always been against labor unions. They don't want the workers to have any more power than what they would have if it were every man for himself, which is what it is without unions. The age-old struggle between the working class and the corporations isn't dead, contrary to what big business would have you believe. If the corporations can have their massive power of influence and billions and billions of dollars, the workers should band together to at least have the power of the collective and the strength of numbers.

"Once the government has no control over business and the economy..."

...we'll be right back to the days of the Robber Barons.

No thanks.

The early 1900s were also marked by the birth of Finance Capitalism, whose aftershocks we've been feeling for 3-4 decades.

If the government didn't regulate and penalize energy companies, they would have polluted the entire planet by now.

Even so, BP & crew are well on their way.

Look at the Gulf. Look at the fact that 2010 is so far the warmest year on record (113 F in L.A. yesterday, Sep. 28th!)

Tue, 09/28/2010 - 20:38 — Anonymous (not verified)
 
"You do know that the biggest financial collapses in modern American history occurred on the watches of laissez-faire Republicans--Hoover and Bush, Jr.--don't you?"

What makes you think that Hoover or Bush were laissez-faire Republicans, any more than the Democrats aren't? What makes you think that these collapses happened overnight and weren't the product of many years of bad government decisions? Blame for the two biggest economic collapses in the world's history can be laid squarely at the foot of the Federal Reserve, the creation of which was a bipartisan effort led by the Democrats.

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 14:33 — Anonymous (not verified)

"If the government didn't regulate and penalize energy companies, they would have polluted the entire planet by now."

If the government hadn't taken away everybody's property rights, no company would be able to pollute without first obtaining permission, with mutually agreed upon compensation, from the person whose person or property are being polluted.

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 15:27 — Anonymous (not verified)

"Deregulation helped create the current financial crisis."

The current crisis was caused by inflation of the money supply along with artificially low interest rates. There is no way to avoid a speculative bubble under those conditions. It manifested itself in the housing market due to those who fought the banks to provide loans to people who clearly wouldn't be able to pay them back (you do remember when Jesse Jackson and the rest were bashing the banks for being evil and greedy and hoarding all that money when they should be loaning it to poor people, don't you?), such as the "HomeStyle Chicago" initiative, championed by Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.

http://www.allbusiness.com/banking-finance/banking-lending-credit-services/6799858-1.html

What you are calling deregulation is really the exemption of some sectors of the financial market from the basic laws against fraud. The government gave a green light (and even applied pressure) to rating agencies, which were giving AAA ratings to mortgage-backed securities that in no way deserved the rating. This was not deregulation, it was regulation.
 

"What makes you think that these collapses happened overnight and weren't the product of many years of bad government decisions?"

No doubt.

The Great Depression came after 3 consecutive Republican administrations: Harding, Coolidge, Hoover.

The Great Recession came after the GOP controlled all 3 branches of government for 6 years.

See a pattern?

Simple Equations:
Business doesn't want regulation.
Regulation = Law.
Business wants to act lawlessly.
THEREFORE, Business = Outlaws.
Please, American Business Community (not the Chamber; we already know they're criminals), PROVE THIS WRONG!

Thu, 09/30/2010 - 02:20 — Anonymous (not verified)
 
"Leave it to a racist to try (lamely) to pin the subprime crisis on Jesse Jackson. The homophobes want to pin it on Barney Frank."

Most of the blame goes to Alan Greenspan, but Jackson and Frank certainly helped.

I'm not pinning the crises on them; they assisted, and it can be proven.

One of the links I provided was to a news article about a press conference held by Jackson, Jr. where HE BRAGGED about getting $1 billion for low-income home loans. Are you saying that he didn't get this money or hold the press conference?

Another link I've posted shows video of Barney Frank and other Democrats blocking an investigation into Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's fraudulent accounting practices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

Are you saying that this didn't happen? Is the video a fake?