Tell me something I don't know (0.00 / 0)

Like: What to do about it.

Minor point: Congressional/Military/Industrial Complex.

"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

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by: SpitBall @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 13:08:21 PM UTC

Ouch (0.00 / 0)

That's a little tougher.  The fact that it operates basically as a distinct economy and political system within ours means that the points of attack feel really limited.  Obviously there's an active coalition of social justice, prisoners rights and civil liberties groups that try to bring attention to the issue.

I think trying to weaken the link between the corporations and Congresspeople is possibly the most important step, so taking an approach focusing on the campaign finance reform/corruption/anti-lobbyist angle might be effective, though you'd need some damn strong legislation to actually sever the ties.  I suppose we need to consider whether re-Nationalizing some parts of our criminal justice system and military would be a good idea in that it would weaken corporate control, or a bad idea because it is a step in the wrong direction.

I support John McCain because children are too healthy anyway.

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by: Sam L @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 14:27:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do you (0.00 / 0)

have any thoughts?

I support John McCain because children are too healthy anyway.

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by: Sam L @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 14:33:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I like your ideas (0.00 / 0)

But, I agree - its a tough nut to crack.  Our nation is steeped in the military (we're not the only ones) - we practically worship it.  Its so endemic that it is highly politically incorrect to speak derisively of the soldiers.  It will be nearly impossible to break the CMIC lock on the US until we can get most Americans to divest themselves of the notion that our future depends upon having a strong military.

Even Dennis Kucinich doesn't go that far - and he can't gain traction for his campaign, so its a major up-hill battle.

In the end, we have to consider that this is a capitalist nation and those military industrialists aren't gonna stop feeding at the Pentagon's trough unless we play to their greed and offer them non-military means to turn a buck.  But, I haven't got enough money to do that effectively, do you?  Perhaps, it MIGHT be done at the Congressional level, if they would redirect some of the DOD budget to other, more healthy, endeavors.  But that brings us right back to your point.

I had some very faint hope back when everyone was talking about the "peace dividend" after the Soviet Union collapsed - but that certainly dried up quickly. Now, Bush Co. has firmly established our new enemy and we're spending more on the military.

Now, I'm left hoping for some kind of miracle, and that's not a good place for an agnostic doubter.


"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

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by: SpitBall @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 15:02:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

some ideas (0.00 / 0)

I wrote a diary today "A movement not busy being born is busy dying" which talks about some of this stuff.  Roughly, it talks about building an alliance of both independent progressives and independent Democrats.

I don't think it would mean much to pose "the answer" at this point.  Right now, what we need is a framework or context for addressing this at all.

I think we have time, but not indefinite time.

Full Court Press!  http://www.openleft.com/showDi...

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by: jeffroby @ Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 02:00:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]