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Uncle Joe

(58,111 posts)
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 12:59 AM Oct 2021

Bernie Sanders on the Corporate Threat to American Democracy



Senator Bernie Sanders wants the public to know that the fight to pass Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending bill isn’t just about meeting the needs of working-class families and combating the climate crisis—it’s about “the future of American democracy” and whether oligarchs will be successful in defeating a popular agenda.

In a pen-and-pad briefing with reporters on Friday, Sanders focused on the “wealthy and powerful special interests” spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to defeat the bill, urging the Capitol Hill press corps to reconsider horse-race coverage and instead think about what’s really at stake.

“Do you live in a democratic society?” Sanders said. “What kind of society are you living in, where you have three paid lobbyists for every member of the United States Congress? And you got lobbying firms led by former Democratic leaders, Republican leaders working overtime to try to defeat this legislation.”

(snip)

Asked if he’s worried that Democrats will ultimately walk away without passing anything at all, Sanders said he hopes that’s not the case, but there is a chance. “Is there a possibility, a horrible possibility, which would be so terrible for this country, that because two people refuse to do what 96 percent of the caucus wants, that nothing will happen?” he said. “There is that possibility, I think it’s a minimal possibility, but that possibility exists.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-spending-bill/


5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Bernie Sanders on the Corporate Threat to American Democracy (Original Post) Uncle Joe Oct 2021 OP
'Corporate threat to democracy'? OldBaldy1701E Oct 2021 #1
Kick dalton99a Oct 2021 #2
It can be demoralizing for voters. BeckyDem Oct 2021 #3
"The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel" is out. CrispyQ Oct 2021 #4
This looks powerful, word about it needs to get out. Hadn't heard of it. JudyM Oct 2021 #5

BeckyDem

(8,361 posts)
3. It can be demoralizing for voters.
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 10:30 AM
Oct 2021

We ask, we promise, we state what we will do to better the lives of millions. For two people who have no rational reason to be against it, their constituents want it, is very hard to take. I keep hoping something will change.


CrispyQ

(36,225 posts)
4. "The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel" is out.
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 11:04 AM
Oct 2021
https://thenewcorporation.movie

It's the sequel to "The Corporation" from 2003, an excellent, but sobering look at corporate power. And no surprise, it hasn't gotten any better.

In the late 1800s, clever railroad attorneys argued that corporations should have Constitutional rights just like We the People, something the framers would have vehemently opposed. A ruling was never made, but just like "a sitting president can't be indicted," Constitutional rights for corporations is now an accepted norm. It needs to be challenged.

For anyone who is interested in this issue, here are a few of my favorite sites/pages on personhood rights.

A great one page primer on corporate personhood, from the Sierra Club:
https://vault.sierraclub.org/sierra/200509/corporation.asp

A timeline of human rights vs. corporate rights, from Reclaim Democracy:
https://reclaimdemocracy.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/personhood_timeline.pdf

Reclaim Democracy's corporate personhood main page. IMO, it's worth reading every link.
https://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate-personhood/

JudyM

(29,122 posts)
5. This looks powerful, word about it needs to get out. Hadn't heard of it.
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 11:54 AM
Oct 2021

Deserves its own OP! Thanks, CrispyQ

Wonder if we can have a virtual DU screening?

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