Government Out of Car Business, McCutcheon v FEC, Monsanto, What Will 2014 Bring?

We Sold GM, Monsanto Protection Continues, Dodd-Frank Still Being Blocked, McCutcheon v FEC Will Totally Destroy Our Republic, But Let's Be Optimistic About the 114th Congress and Hope the Senate Can Get Things Moving

photo by danieljamesfitnessblog.com

A friend of mine made comments on a few items of interest to me in a Facebook post the other day. It caused me to respond. Mind you I agree with this gentleman friend on a number of occasions, and other times, I realize that he watchers Fox News and feel obliged to educate him with facts rather than let him be misguided by the fabricated, nonsensical, misleading, false, unsubstantiated, bullshit that his source puts out on a constant basis. He is goodhearted, and means well, and is actually working to start a mission down in Florida to help the homeless and other people in his community. I will only share excerpts of his post in the interest of space, and holding my readers interest. Here is one paragraph that is relevant to some of what I want to talk about today:

They knew it was the beginning of the end for a democratic and free society when the Gov't [sic] starts to take over an industry and interfears [sic]in private business---For if the Gov't [sic] could essentially federalize the auto industry and use taxpayer money to fund the banks---The question they asked is if the gov't good [sic]do this, then what would they take over next??? 

My response was:

Actually just a couple weeks ago the government sold the rest of it's shares of GM back and is no longer in the car making business. I think it was a good move to help the auto industry, it saved a lot of good paying manufacturing jobs. In fact I recently saw that I think Jeep and another manufacturer is bringing new plants back to the U.S.

He mentioned Monsanto, a particularly sore subject with me:

" and the gov't [sic] taking over the food supply by the Monsanto Protection Act allowing the Gov't [sic] to grant immunity to corporations as they poison our food--"

As far as Monsanto, it makes me sick and I'm involved in a few campaigns against them. This is one of the things I agree with him on. Recently, the extension of the Monsanto Protection Act was passed by Congress when it was attached, at the last minute, to a spending bill. The law, which protects Monsanto and other biotech giants from the threat of lawsuits and denies the federal courts from putting a ban on GMO sales, was a last minute addition to the House of Agriculture Appropriations Bill for 2013 and is part of the short-term FY14 Continuing Resolution Spending bill.

He started the post with this:

"There was this new group out there that called themselves the Tea Party, warning the gov't [sic] had gotten too big. I believe they started out under Bush saying essentially "hey this guy is betraying us and the country..... it's not the gov'ts [sic] job to bail out big business."

The banks and financial industry, well, I'm totally pissed off and report regularly on the progress of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act on my blog www.Medic3569.blogspot.com. I think the biggest problem we have in this country right now is money in politics, thanks to the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision. 'Corporations are Not People," and "Money is Not Speech," although you would never know that because our politicians and elections, hell, our Republic" are thoroughly corrupted by the ultra-rich, corporations, and Super-PACS. I joined Move to Amend here in New York. They are part of United4thePeople.org, they are involved with over 120 organizations nationwide trying to get State Resolutions to get the Congress to introduce, and pass, a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United. I met with my State Senator, Lee Zeldin a couple weeks ago on their behalf, I have another meeting coming up before he returns to session in January. To make thing even worse, MUCH WORSE, the Supreme Court heard McCutcheon v FEC (where an Alabama businessman is challenging the aggregate limits on individual campaign contributions) on October 8th, and if they decide in favor of McCutcheon (which they probably will because the same "Conservative 5" that approved Citizens United are still there) it will remove aggregate campaign contribution limits from individuals.

Whereas Citizens United only removed the limits from corporations, unions and such, Whereas the top donors of the fossil fuel industry contributed $11,504,213 dollars during the 2012 election cycle, those SAME top donors will be able to contribute $312,455,200. That will be the absolute end of people having a say ion anything.

Anyway, I wanted to talk about these things as well as many others before the House and Senate go back to (ha ha) work next week. I will be posting about other important subjects like extending Unemployment, passing a farm bill that doesn't cut another $40B from food stamps and much more. I'd like to hear what you think so please feel free to use the "Comment" section below each of my posts to engage.