Letters to the Editor
Jim White
Published Letters: 1094 Editor's Choice: 15
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$pecial K (Street)
[Read the article: The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How much more of this is it going to take before the people decide to exercise their right?
--Frankly, my dear...
Frankly, your comment got me started dreaming about just what we would put into place once the people do act. Here are my dreams about what would strengthen our country as we move ahead:
1) Absolute public financing of all elections. The equation of political donations with political free speech has proven to be the undoing of our political system. For truly free and equal voices to apply to all within our country, the gross inequalities in available funds needs to be taken out of the picture.
2) Outlawing of lobbying as a profession. The conflation of the Washington "revolving door" with the massive amounts of money flowing on K Street makes it absolutely clear that both legislation and influence are bought and sold on a daily basis. A simple solution is to prohibit lawmakers meeting with anyone other than an individual. Someone within a corporation wanting to discuss legislation would be free to meet with a congressperson, but no "hired agent" speaking on behalf of a corporation, group of corporations or group of citizens would be allowed. Interest groups would be free to present their ideas to the public, they just would be barred from meeting with elected representatives.
3)[Caution: pinko alert]. News media should become non-profit. A few months back, I proposed putting together a non-profit group to fund a truly independent news-gathering organization. As the current situation has continued to unfold, I think that the real problem is the "information" that is put out by the existing media. As long as a few, very powerful and very "connected" corporations control the collection and dissemination of information, the public simply will not have access to the information which is needed for an informed and participatory electorate. Removing the profit motive will eliminate from the media organizations those who are in it to enrich and empower themselves.
I realize these are dramatic and probably hopelessly idealistic goals. However, our country is now at a crossroads where its very founding principles have been undermined to a degree not seen since the Civil War. Let us hope and pray that arms will not be required to remedy the situation. I have heard talk of calling a new Constitutional Convention. I would love to see such a thing happen. I believe that with a few, focused changes such as those I have proposed, the remainder of our political system could continue without change once the rule of law is restored.
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ondelette nails it
[Read the article: The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In the through the looking glass world of surveillance and government secrecy, everything is backwards. The government attempts to do "corrupt" things that are against the law, it is up to the corporations to uphold the law and refuse the bribes.
I would add that the government certainly plays hardball in their "attempts" to get the corporations to go along with their illegal programs. Note that several CEO's were at the meeting when Nacchio refused to go along with the illegal program. Of course, they had to notice when the other contracts in question went to companies other than Qwest, even for the one where Qwest had done virtually identical work for the government twice before and was the most likely company to win the contract. Just in case any companies were about to forget about this, Nacchio was subsequently indicted and convicted for the insider trading which came about because the company didn't hit projections which assumed the awarding of the contracts subsequently withheld.
Through the looking glass indeed. Cooperate with the government in illegal action and get massive contracts and free lobbying for retroactive immunity. Refuse to break the law, get contracts withheld, get fined and go to jail.
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@Frankly, my dear...
[Read the article: The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It flitted across my mind when I was writing it that there may be state laws that have been violated, and if some state's attorney really wanted to bring a prosecution, he/she could probably find a law to do it under; but I can't imagine a state's attorney willing to undertake a prosecution against a telecom giant. In the first place, it would likely tie up all his/her resources for an indefinite time, effectively bringing the operation of the state prosecutor's office to a standstill (these people have at least ten times the legal and financial resources of any state prosecutor).
Yes, but I would hold up as the hopeful example the tobacco litigation. This is another case that would have fared better with the Justice Department taking the lead, but started first with a state (I think Mississippi was first) and then was followed with a cascade of other states. While one state is a bit of a "Walter Mitty" type in going up against these guys, if they are looking at 50 cases, the odds get a little better in our favor.
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bebop-o
[Read the article: The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sometimes I think you have a real gift of vision. Not more than 10 minutes before you put up the comment tagged 4:15, I was putting out a small, harmless fire started by my 10 year old when she tried to take something out of the toaster oven with a paper towel. And both she and my wife play flute. Did the NSA device in your computer turn into a camera in my house?
Just kidding. Thanks again for your injection of humanity into our discussions here. I sincerely hope that your dream of peace is just as accurate as your vision of fire and flutes.
Watch out for dragonflies when you step onto your back porch!