broken elections, reason to hate democrats, and fixing "free" trade...

it is pretty obvious to anyone with any knowledge of history (this country's and beyond) that the election system in this nation is entirely broken (of course, if you happen to be connected to Big Business and one of the lucky few that actually gets a say in the country then you have no problem with this). money, and only money, talks in the halls of washington these days. the idea of popular democracy or anything approaching a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" is long dead. there is a simple way to fix this though, or at least begin to right the ship...publically funded elections. unfortunately, the supreme court has again affirmed that money is somehow political speech. again, the supreme court has decided that a properly educated and informed public making decisions is not the way that democracy in this country will work...instead, we are stuck with Big Business buying elections and propogandizing our lives as long as they don't say "don't vote for this schmuck." (which in itself is amusing, since anyone running for national office these days is necessarily in the pocket of Big Business and will not do anything to seriously alter the status quo - see below). i seem to remember something about the right of people to take on a government that no longer supports and protects life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...wonder where i got that crazy idea?

i saw a bumper sticker the other day that made me want to run a man off the road...it asked me if i were sick and tired and then isntructed me to vote democrat. so what if i am sick and tired of the policies of the democratic party - which really don't mean shit of a difference in the lives of billions when compared to those of the republican party? it was a democrat that forced NAFTA and globalization down our throats over the wishes of the american people. it was a democrat that pushed aside protections for workers and the environment in favor of Big Business selling out this country and average people everywhere. it was a democrat that coined the phrase "war on terror." it was a democrat that happily declared that welfare was dead. democrats remain militaristic and in love with the "free" market. so where is the big change for those of us so sick and tired?

NAFTA was a disaster from the start from all but the richest and Big Business. clinton promised to kill it...then rammed it through. clinton and gore promised it would contain provisions to protect the environment and worker's rights...and then gleefully shook hands with right wing assholes on the white house lawn when those were left out. "free" trade is not free...it is destroying the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness almost all working americans and people across the globe. it is selling you out, working you to death, and leaving you penniless at the end. globalization is just nicer way of saying "fat cat assholes raping and pillaging."

it is time to reform the way that canada, mexico and we are connected economically. of course all the right wing sheep will cry about "losing sovereignty" - funny, since they pushed NAFTA in the first place which gave your sovereignty over to Big Business - but there is a way to help us all. we can pick up mexico and its people while protecting the environment and legitimately competing in a pull to the top rather than a race to the bottom. mexico needs to be salvaged and rebuilt...and canada and the united states can afford to do it - in fact, we can't afford not to. pump money into mexico to seriously pull up its workers and manufacturing base, and require that all workers in all three nations maintain the right organize and the right to an honest days pay for an honest days work. forget about sealing off our borders...open them up to mexicans and canadians alike - and don't listen to the assholes that will tell you mexicans will come up here and drive our wages down...when you lift up their wages at home they will stay home, even if they aren't making as much...europe has proven this.

it isn't quite workers of the world uniting...but the least we could do is unite the three nations' workers that the fat cat leaders sold out with NAFTA. either we all pick each other up...or we will all continue to fall.

it's all gonna break...