We Can Fix America’s Corrupt Political System

We Can Fix America’s Corrupt Political System 

Just about any person you talk to today feels that our government is corrupt. That’s right, the most powerful nation on earth is eat up with corruption. More and more Americans feel our democracy is completely broken.

If you have half a brain, it's obvious why? Lobbyist write our laws. Politicians are bought and paid for corruption touches every single issue in our governance. 


What is sad is that huge segments of people in America have disenfranchised themselves from the political process thinking there's nothing we can do about it. [corruption]

This thinking is one of the biggest cancers we have in our American democracy today! When you put this corruption under the microscope it's not that politicians are breaking the laws, in fact, there are no laws in place for them to break. There are some exceptions but not many or enough. 

Right Now, Corruption Is Legal in America

This factoid is something we can fix. For example, right now it's perfectly legal for "special interest groups" to hand over humongous checks to members of Congress who regulate and write laws. There is nothing to stop these members of Congress from passing laws that favor these groups even if said laws are a detriment to our society. 

Often, we see these same politicians accepting comfy jobs with these lobbying firms. This example is just one in a million we could use. 

We Must Make Corruption Illegal!

That's why the House of Public Discourse supports the "American Anti-Corruption Act." 

The American Anti-Corruption Act (commonly referred to as the "AACA" or "Anti-Corruption Act") is a piece of model legislation designed to limit the influence of money in American politics by overhauling lobbying, transparency, and campaign finance laws. ... Stopping political bribery by overhauling lobbying and ethics laws. [Wikipedia]

The "AACA" introduces a stringent set of ethical standards. For example, if you're a senator on the Banking Committee you can't take money or gifts from banking lobbyist. 

Stand With Standing Rock!!! $20.00 

Also, the "AACA" mandates full transparency so " We the People" know exactly who is paying what to whom. The "AACA" changes how elections are funded. The "AACA" achieves these things without taking away anyone's right to free speech. The bi-partisan constitutional scholars who authored this act wrote it in a way to withstand any legal scrutiny.

What About Citizens United?

While a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United would help corral those shadowy groups like "Americans for Freedom and Jobs and More Freedom." It would not fix any of the previously-mentioned problems. We could overturn Citizens United tomorrow and bribery, extortion, conflicts of interest, all of it would still be legal.

However, this corruption does pose an opportunity for those of us who desire to see it end. We can solve these problems with one comprehensive law. Which begs the question, but how?

How do we get such a law passed? Asking Congress to do so would be like asking a " Fox to put a lock on the Henhouse." However, not all is a loss here. We can go around Congress by using the " Ballot Initiative Process." This process allows citizens to pass laws ourselves. No politicians required. All we must do is gather enough signatures that would put the "AACA" up for a public vote and we can start fixing this out of control corrupt system we know as American Democracy.

Here's the Plan

We need a law and our research here in the House of Public Discourse finds the "American Anti-Corruption Act" a great comprehensive and common sense law to put up for a vote.
We need to bring all Progressives, Independents, and Conservatives together and get organized for this endeavor which in fact is one of the few political issues in modern politics that has bi-partisan appeal among the electorate. This is the only way to combat both the Global and National Oligarchs that control our two-party system in the present. For example, in 2014 both the " Tea-Party," and "Progressives" teamed up to pass the first anti-corruption act. In November 2014, a bipartisan coalition of Represent.Us members in Tallahassee, Florida, put America’s first municipal Anti-Corruption Act on the ballot – and they won. Since then, voters have passed initiatives for sweeping anti-corruption reforms in more than a dozen cities and states across America. In 2016, for the first time ever, comprehensive statewide anti-corruption legislation passed in South Dakota. [See Source]

Using the Ballot Initiative process Represent.us proclaims there are some 22,000 cities across the country that we could pass locally tailored anti-corruption legislation. We have always felt here in the House of Public Discourse that solid positive change within our political system always starts from the local level.

By starting from the local levels our efforts affect the communities we live in by protecting our schools, healthcare, resources, environment, and jobs from being sold out to special interest. Local politics matter! Also, starting at the local level builds momentum for passing legislation at the state level. 

State Acts not only would clean up statewide corruption it would change how elections are funded. In doing so, "We the People" get clean politicians, not one's like in the present who are in the hip pocket of special interest groups. State Acts would affect federal candidates as well. Once these state laws are passed we can truly "drain the swamp," by sending a new wave of clean politicians to Washington. 

By taking this fight against corruption to the local and state levels we can win this struggle against political corruption from the outside. And, once we have elected these fair-minded ethical politicians on the federal level we can then pass the "AACA" at the federal level.

Some may say this is a loss cause that it's pie in the sky thinking and isn't practical.  Our response here in the House of Public Discourse to these claims is quite simple.

• Was it pie in the sky for a band of thirteen colonies with no standing army to win a war against the strongest military power of its time?
• Was it thought practical that slavery would be abolished?
• Or, that woman and blacks would be allowed to vote.
• Was it unpragmatic to think that Same Sex Marriage would be a reality in American society?
• How many people said there would never be a person of color in the White House?

Corruption of Influence - The History of Campaign Finance

Written By: Johnny Hill

The New World Of Corporate Feudalism History Does Repeat Itself

The New World Of Corporate Feudalism History Does Repeat Itself!

Feudalism is back! Feudalism was the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. [See Source]

Feudalism has returned from its  grave with a vengeance. All one has to do is look at all the " Right to Work" states. Currently, 25 states and Guam have given workers a choice when it comes to union membership. Labor unions still operate in those states, but workers cannot be compelled to become members as a requirement of their job. Wisconsin became the 25th right-to-work state, with a bill that was signed into law on March 9, 2015.[See Source]

The Resurgence of Feudalism In America Is a Disaster In The Making.

People who work in "Right to Work" states make less money. They receive inadequate health benefits and they're more likely to die on the job. The supporters of this modern day form of Feudalism proclaim it will boost their state economies and rebuild the middle class. However, in reality, and there is a track record to fall back on since 1935 the exact opposite happens with these feudalistic labor laws. Right to work laws bring capitalism closer to its major goal of being unregulated. In turn, unregulated capitalism leads to massive levels of inequality. [See Article] The levels of inequality we are seeing now in America and a major focal point of the Sanders campaign mirrors the times of Feudalism in the European middle-ages. 

At the top, there is this very select few who in the middle ages represented the nobles and monarchs

of the day. In today's world, they are the one-percent Koch Brothers and they are in fact the present day monarchs of our times. Just below these Oligarchs are the so called professional class. Doctors, lawyers, CEO's, and some business owners. The main function of this group is to keep things running for the super-rich. They function as the nobles in a capitalist society. Then at the very bottom of the spectrum is this huge population of the working poor modern day peasants. Most have no real monetary wealth most are in debt most of their lives and barely can make ends meet living from paycheck to paycheck. In natural unregulated capitalism, there is no such thing as a middle-class.

What has become the default options to this modern day corporate feudalism is wealth inequality. This inequality has manifested itself as a direct result of deregulation propagated by the political establishments of both the Democratic and Republican parties. They both have played a part in the dismantling of the New Deal and a thriving middle class that resulted from it. [New Deal]

What we have before us today right now mirrors exactly what was the order of the day in medieval Europe under Feudalism.!

The only way a true middle class can emerge in today's world of unregulated capitalism is by massive social upheaval, or by government intervention. Historically our government [We the People] has been the only mechanism for keeping Feudalism in check. It's what we used here in the United States since the founding of our Republic until the Reagan Revolution to fight the Plutocrats and build a middle class from the ground up. 

Our government has used all of these mechanisms to restrain the natural tendency of unregulated capitalism that creates inequality: Tariffs, workers’ rights legislation, Glass-Stegall Act, and higher taxes on the rich. All of which, on balance, helped create the middle class. However; ever since Reagan and the Nazi-like brainwashing job he pulled on the American people - proclaiming government as the problem, not the solution - we have gutted regulation, busted up the unions and reverted capitalism back to its natural dog eat dog state. What has been the result? Record Inequality!

Now the richest three percent of the world population now controls half of all the wealth. "Middle-Class" incomes have become stagnant and if that is not bad enough the "child-poverty rate" in America is one of the worst in the entire developed world. Things have gotten worse since the "Bush Recession," and the Obama administration promise for "Hope and Change" never came. What gains that have appeared during the Obama years have been absorbed by guess who, the top one percent. So much for hope and change.

The Kings and Noblemen of the monarchs of medieval Europe may be long gone but in the here and now in the United States the Plutocrats and their corporate feudalism reign unmatched and corporate feudalism is the name of the game. We have Ronald Reagan and "Third-Way Democrats" to thank for it. What is the most severe side effect to all of this? The loss of our true democracy that has become nothing more than an Oligarchy? This new world corporate Feudalism is the image of the 14th century, not the 21st century which once again proves " History Does Repeat Itself In Politics."

President Jimmy Carter: The United States is an Oligarchy...

America Needs A Third Party And We Need It Now!

Six out of ten Americans say a third party is needed and the current Democratic Party race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders proves it beyond a reasonable doubt.

The House of Public Discourse over the last several weeks has been reviewing data concerning the ever growing desire for the establishment of a third political party in America. 

"A majority of Americans, 60%, say a third major political party is needed because the Republican and Democratic parties "do such a poor job" of representing the American people. This matches the high set in 2013. Since 2007, a majority of Americans have generally called for a third party, with the exception of the last two presidential election years." [See Source]

The approval ratings of Congress is at all-time lows. The American people are fed up with the dysfunction of how our government works, The image of both political parties is in the trash bin. To coin a phrase from Bernie Sanders "enough is enough." Now, in 2016 with one Democratic Party primary debacle after another and the outward show of favoritism by the Democratic National Committee [DNC] the Democratic Party establishment and their corporate owned media outlets, and the shutting out of Independent voters by way of closed primaries Progressives and Independents are screaming for a third-party.

Only 26% of Americans polled feel that both political parties are doing an adequate job of representing the American people. 60% of American polled say the two political parties are doing such a poor job that a third party is not only needed it’s needed right now!

At no time in America's political history has there been such an outcry for a third political party to be established. In the past, there has not been a huge variance between Democrats and Republican voters on whether a third party was needed. For decades, Independents have been the loudest voice screaming for a third party. However, with 2016 Democratic Party presidential race taking on the appearance of political rigging and voter suppression within the Democratic Party mostly Bernie Sanders supporters, there has been a huge spike in the call for a new Progressive Party. 

Enough With The “Spoiler Argument" The Two-Party System Is Already Rotten To The Core.

The question at hand for advocates of a third party in America is how do you build on this political momentum?

One thing you do not do is to continue to vote for a lesser evil and reaffirming the status quo. That is exactly what happens when we continue to vote for either party’s establishment candidates. Both the Blue and Red party's have brought us to this point. They have colluded along the way, they have created a corrupt perverse system that works for the benefit of the wealthy and is a true Plutocracy. [See Article]

Our government, as it stands today, works for the wealthy and not in the best interest of all Americans. This malady has happened with the collusion and the corporation of both the Democratic and Republican Parties. It[corruption] will continue if we don't right now " while the iron is hot," by people power take charge and send a clear message that " We the People" are not taking it anymore and we are going to change the system of political corruption once and for all. We are not talking about just changing the players that operate with this perverse system they play we are talking about changing the game period. It's time to change the rules. This is what Bernie Sanders message has been from day one we as a collective people have the ultimate power to effect this most needed change. We all must put our heads together organize and get behind a new Progressive Party that operates with new rules geared for the interest of all Americans and we need to start at the local and state levels right away and start preparing for the mid-terms in 2016.

There Has Been A Line In The Sand Drawn For Many Progressive Democrats Who Feel Betrayed By The Democratic Party Establishment.

Where do you as an individual draw the line? Think about it! As a matter of principle, will you draw a line? There have been violations of the "War Powers Clause,"and the "War Powers Resolution." [See Source] When will the lesser of two evils not cut it for you personally? For many of us, this writer included this is what we got when we fell for the Obama 2008 " Hope and Change" declaration and many of us were not focused on the fact that Obama just like Hillary Clinton has turned out to be nothing more than a " Third Way Democrat." [See Article]

Yes, Obamacare has been a big improvement and most Progressives fought tooth and nail in support of President Obama in his fight against the Republican obstruction to its [Affordable Care Act] passage. However, and this writer remembers like if it was yesterday when I heard that Obama had caved on the single-payer opinion and the private for profit Health Insurance Industry skipped on down the streets happy as a Jaybird on Jaybird street knowing now that every American has to buy their perverse products. What irritated this writer most is he [Obama] did not have to cave in and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IW) said it best.

Top Democrat: 'We Had The Votes' For Single-Payer

As Bernie Sanders has made clear in his bid for the Democratic nomination America remains the only industrialize country in the world who relies on for-profit health insurance companies and Obamacare does nothing to change that and was brought to us by the Democratic Party. 

Will you draw the line with impunity on the war criminals from the Bush Administration that in 2008 he spoke of with such disdain and rightfully so but no sooner that he[Obama] got into office he says " let's not bother with bringing them to justice let's move forward." Will you draw a line now that in 2009 Democratic Party " Hope and Change" president Barack Obama signed into law the power for any president to point out any American citizen deemed them to be a belligerent, or terrorist and have life, liberty, and freedom to move about without no legal counsel, no charges, no trial, and you could be incarcerated for life under this 2009 legislation. The first time in the history of America any such legislation ever became law.[See Source]

Finally, will you draw a line in the sand against the obvious rigging of our political process by both the Democratic and Republican Parties?

This argument based on fear by Hillary Clinton supporters and the corporate media pundits that our " Political Revolution," and Bernie Sanders is doing harm to the Democratic Party and our insistence that we will no longer settle for what we perceive to be a lesser of two evils and that for us " Any Blue Want Do" attitude in fact is not harmful it is the example of grassroots Democracy at its best. 

America Needs A Third Party And We Need It Now!

Bernie Sanders Has Changed American Politics Forever!

No One Ever Would Have Believed A Little Known Independent Senator From Vermont Would Change The American Political Landscape Forever.

The remarkable ascent of Bernie Sanders goes much further than an unexpected hard fought political campaign against a political insider and establishment icon Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders political revolution has far greater implications. No matter if the Sanders Campaign wins or loses it has already ensured that America's crony capitalism will no longer go unchallenged. As Bernie has said repeatedly "the same old same old will not work." 

However, at the same time, the ascent of Republican Donald Trump means that America is on the verge of becoming demented. Sanders and Trump are opposite reactions to the same problem. America financial elites have become so corrupt, arrogant, and predatory that political leaders like Hillary Clinton who are beholden to them can no longer provide "We the People" economic or political security. 

Many Americans Have Run Out Of Patience 

What the Sanders campaign and his unexpected success have borne out is that millions of Americans are done with status quo politics. American politics for the first time in decades is truly up for grabs. This is both exciting and terrifying when you really put these developments to study. As we have often advocated here in the House of Public Discourse "History Does Repeat Itself in Politics."

The Great Depression produced Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal while in Europe the "Great Depression" yielded us, Hitler and Mussolini. So just like in our world's past America's reaction to our present corruption and decline of the middle-class could bring out our best Bernie Sanders or our worst Donald Trump. 

We hear every day that if Bernie Sanders supporters do not support Democratic establishment insider Hillary Clinton what we will get is the demented Donald Trump as our president and furthermore if he was to get elected he [Sanders] could never get any of his goals done. No way could Sanders break up the banks for example. 

What the Democratic National Committee [DNC], the Clinton Campaign, Corporate owned media, and Hillary supporters are trying to force feed Bernie supporters is that only a pragmatic moderate insider like Hillary Clinton can get things done. What our research here in the House of Public Discourse has found suggest something totally opposite. America insider politics is so corrupted and dysfunctional that no one within it can get anything done. Let's start with Hillary Clinton and the banks. Her husband former President Bill Clinton made Robert Rubin former President of Goldman Sachs Treasury Secretary later came Larry Summer and Laura Tyson. Bill Clinton also reappointed Alan Greenspan as FED Chairman. Collectively they let the banks run wild in fact the Clinton's help them. Bill with Hillary's support repealed "Glass-Stegall" and she [Hillary] opposes reinstating to this day. The Clinton's banned "Derivatives Regulation" refused to use the federal governments authority to regulate the "Mortgage Industry," and did nothing as security fraud overwhelm the internet. 

After leaving office both Clinton's have made millions of dollars giving speeches to the banks while being silent about the prosecution of finical crimes. Now, Hillary Clinton has stated she will rely on Bill for help with economic policies? [See Source]  Bad Idea!

Could Bernie Do Any Better?

• Yes, he [Sanders] could appoint an Attorney General and head of the Dept. of Justice criminal division who have not spent their entire careers defending corporate criminals. Moreover, he could use his authority to invite these appointees to our Justice Departments to put these people in jail instead. 

• Sanders could also appoint an anti-trust division head that would investigate the much cozy cartel-like associations that evade on paying their fair share of taxes and are nothing more than money laundering schemes. These investigations could lead to anti-trust lawsuits against the banks. 

• Sanders could appoint a Federal Reserve chair who would require banks to divest assets and operate safely. Sanders could also demand a regulation on Bankers compensation so if they once again cause a disaster they could not benefit from it personally.

All of this could be done without a single new law being enacted or debated. 

Win or lose Bernie Sanders 2016 Presidential run has given "We the People" the opportunity to create a powerful and everlasting "Progressive Reform Movement." This country has been needing one for a long time and Bernie Sanders has long been a lone voice crying in the wilderness for these reforms. Now, his voice has been heard and this lone cry has become a roar. 

Insider Politics In America Are Totally Broken, But Donald Trump Fascism and Hillary Clinton Establishment Politics Are Not The Answer!

Written By: Johnny Hill

Are Liberals And Progressives One In The Same?

Are Liberals And Progressives One In The Same?

Photo Courtney of wsj.com

In modern politics particularly in the United States the terms Liberal and Progressive are often used interchangeably. These political positions are often treated as if they were one in the same. However, in fact, these terms are mutually exclusive.  Never has this truth become more apparent than in the present 2016 Democratic Party presidential race.

For the sake of clarity, definitions are in order.

Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality. Whereas classical liberalism emphasizes the role of liberty, social liberalism stresses the importance of equality. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, they support ideas and programs such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free markets, civil rights, democratic societies, secular governments, and international cooperation[See Source]

One of the major concepts of liberalism is self-ownership or individualism. This individualism includes personal liberty, equal opportunity, and the rule of law, economic freedom, free markets, and free trade. The liberal values freedom of expression and the right to assemble. Of course, this includes freedom of the press.

There should always be a quest for political freedom within a democratic society. 

Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual.  Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance and advocate that interests of the individual should achieve precedence over the state or a social group while opposing external interference upon one's own interests by society or institutions such as the government. Individualism is often contrasted with totalitarianism or collectivism.[See Source]

In short, Individualism is the root of being liberal. There is no greater desire of anyone who calls themselves a liberal than that of personal liberty. By definition, personal liberty is the freedom of the individual to do as he pleases limited only by the authority of politically organized society to regulate his action to secure the public health, safety, or morals or of other recognized social interests. [See Source]

So What Does Being A Progressive Mean Today?

This writer has no problem with labeling myself a progressive. However, regardless how I choose to label myself it's important to understand that labels are just that labels. Labels are nothing more than a word or words used to describe a concept or belief. Concepts and beliefs in and of themselves are not absolute truths. They are ideas we utilize in an attempt to describe shared experiences. Labels work well as guidepost but are extremely limited in being able to depict the human condition. For example, I may label myself to be progressive because most of my positions concerning politics tend to lean that way so the label tends to provide a point of reference. 

What Is The Central Message Of The Progressive?

The central message of the “Progressive Movement" is one of fairness and equality. From Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and now Bernie Sanders Progressives feel that everyone gets a fair shot and that everyone plays by the same rules. What we mean by “fair shot" everyone deserves an equal shot at securing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What we are not talking about is free handouts. It is the desire to seek and achieve the common welfare for all. Progressives believe we all must do our fair share to help obtain this common good. This is achieved through education, hard work, and active participation in one's community. What Progressives mean by playing by the same set of rules is that there should be no special privileges for the rich and well connected. 

Freedom

The most profound belief of the Progressive is freedom. The concept of freedom may mean different things to different people. Freedom is a double edged sword. Freedom from and freedom to. All real Progressives believe that privacy is not a crime and that government intrusion in how they carry out their private affairs should be off limits. For example the right for a woman to have an abortion or the right to marry someone of the same sex or to smoke marijuana. Like Liberals, the Progressives have a strong belief in the concepts of freedom of speech, associations, and religion. Also, like Liberals the Progressives cherish their rights to make their own choices about their bodies and personal lives. 

Progressives also believe that all humans have the right to live a fulfilling life supported by the basic foundation of both economic and physical security. This belief holds that we all should be protected against bodily harm as well as adequate income from a fair and just living wage. Progressives believe that healthcare is a human right and that all citizens should get a solid advanced education. The real Progressive understands the importance of community and social programs like the police , fire departments, and the military. The Progressive has no problem with their taxes going to help rebuild and grow our nation's infrastructure. The real Progressive wants to expand Social Security not privatize it and embraces the need for universal healthcare. 

Opportunity

Any commitment to freedom by a society must provide an equal opportunity for humans that make up that society. Like freedom opportunity has two components. The first is political equality and the others are economic and social arrangements that enhance our lives. Political equality by default should never discriminate against its populist in any way fashion or form. Political equality should strive to achieve that all its citizens should be able to turn their talents and ambitions into a meaningful and productive life regardless of economic status or racial heritage. The second component to opportunity involves the conditions necessary for people to feel secure to reach their goals. Healthcare, education, a job that pays a good living wage workers rights and retirement are all fundamental in creating these conditions. 

Responsibility 

With great freedom and opportunity comes great responsibility. Once again there are two factors involved with responsibility. First, is personal responsibility and the second is our responsibility to one another and the common good. Personal responsibility requires us as individuals to do our part to add and not take away from the common good of our communities. Yes, this does entail working hard, educating ourselves and living an honest life. 

Responsibility to others and the common good requires a commitment to putting the public interest ahead of the interest of the rich and powerful and to combat their influence on our political process that has put our democracy on sale to the highest bidder. The real Progressive understands that strong families and communities are the foundation of a strong and productive society. As Progressives, we strive to achieve higher social standards and economic conditions that not only will help us as individuals but also help the community at large. 

This requires that each and every one of us demand an open and transparent governance and that we as a populist engage this attack by the wealthy to disenfranchise us from the process by buying off politicians who enact laws that are contrary to the will of the people. Citizens United ring a bell?

Cooperation

The Progressive understands that there must be cooperation with our political values in that cooperation is the foundation to coinciding with our most important social institutions, families, communities, civic and faith-based groups. Freedom without cooperation leads to a divided society that cannot work together to achieve common goals and improve the lives of all. Cooperation begs us to be open minded and sympathetic to others. Real Progressives know that we are all accountable and responsible for the well-being of all who are in our society. To achieve this cooperation is a must. Progressives believe if we blindly pursue our own needs and ignore those of others our society as a whole will fail like so many in the world's history. Progressives value interdependence on a larger scale and look beyond our own needs to help others while seeking to find global solutions to global problems.

Are You Progressive?

Being progressive is more than just following some ideology there is plenty of cognitive dissonances in both political party’s establishments and their authoritarian followers that being a real Progressive catapulted us from this affliction and what sets us apart from being lumped in with the Liberals.

Being Progressive is more than a way of life or way of thinking it's a way of being. If you are a real Progressive these factors are part of your DNA, not something your mom and dad or teacher or preacher instilled in you. It is your existence that says who you are as a person. Being progressive transcends party identification. [See Article]

Being progressive gets to the heart of what being human is all about in this writer's view. Contrary to what you hear coming from the religious right Progressives value human life above all else our value of a human life does not end after the birth of a human being. It's where it continues and intensifies. Progressives have the view that all people of all origins and backgrounds are connected and all add to the overall human experience. To Progressives there is no them there is only us. However, don't let this kindness be perceived as weakness push a Progressive and expect to be pushed back. Progressives do not react we respond. There is a difference. Being a responder as opposed to a reactor takes a level of restraint and discipline. These factors are vital whenever threat evaluation is part of the equation. By doing so Progressive will almost always land on the right side of history. Bernie Sanders position on the war in Iraq, as opposed to Liberal Hillary Clinton, bears this out. Being a real Progressive is not about being right it's about doing what is right. 

So, Are Liberals And Progressives One In The Same?

Campaign Contributions Do Frame Politicans

Campaign Contributions Do Frame Politicians 

No fair-minded person could ever accuse Bernie Sanders of running a negative campaign against Hillary Clinton. Many Democrats and Independents will not vote for Hillary Clinton under any condition. 

Several things are going on here. The mainstream media are spinning Bernie Sanders win in the New Hampshire primary as just a win from a politician from a neighboring state. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Democratic Party establishment and her supporters have a hard time accepting that Hillary Clinton is a weak and flawed candidate. 

What New Hampshire taught us is that when Hillary Clinton tries to sell us that no one owns her and that she never has changed her position because of influence peddling no one is buying. Hillary Clinton lost across all demographics in New Hampshire except those who make over 200 thousand a year and the elderly.

In the last debate with Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton posed a question when has money ever influenced her decision making? One of Hillary's biggest weakness or flaws is she seems to forget from one minute to the next what she has said or done in her political past. She tends to insult the political intelligence of the Progressive and Independent voter. Case in point came from an interview conducted by highly respected reporter Bill Moyers with now highly popular Democratic senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren.

Bill Moyers Interview With Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 

This interview done several years ago was before Elizabeth Warren became a Congresswoman. As of the rendition of this essay, Elizabeth Warren is the only female senator who has not endorsed Hillary Clinton. In fact, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have been leaders in lockstep with many of the issues that matter to progressive voters. The Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] is a prime example. 

For The Record

There are several things incredible about Hillary Clinton claim that she hasn't been influenced by her donors and speech circuit customers. Also, it is not just a matter of changing positions based on contributions. When we talk about corporate conglomerates like Goldman Sachs they don't contribute to a political campaign without a reason. To think otherwise is political blindness. The campaign donations Hillary Clinton has received from Wall Street over the course of her political career is nothing more than a show of confidence that they trust her to look out for their best interest. 

Basic human nature and common sense should tell any even-minded person campaign contributions come with strings attached and for Hillary Clinton to suggest otherwise shows another one of her flaws disingenuousness. 

Hillary Clinton operatives and her supporters get annoyed when you tie her to the record of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. However, the facts show they have been a political partnership for over 40 years. It's a political duo. Both have acted in each others interest on more than one occasion. In fact, it's a political strategy that has worked well for both Bill and Hillary.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton administration was responsible for much of the deregulation of Wall Street and Finance that led to the "Big Bank Bailouts," in 2008. His repeal of Glass-Steagall provided a pathway for less oversight, and many expert economists have stated it played a significant role as well. Hillary Clinton was standing by her man and to this day does not support reinstating an updated version of Glass-Steagall. Hillary Clinton was an architect of what became known as the "New Democrats." The ideology was a centrist one that developed after the 1988 election of Republican George H.W. Bush. The philosophy of what many call the " Clinton Democrats" is nothing more than " Neoliberalism," at its finest. [See Article] The "Clinton Democratic" platform is Wall Street friendly, corporate friendly, robust on crime, and in bed with the Military Industrial Complex.

This political mantra is who Hillary Clinton has been for decades. Firms like Goldman Sachs trust her, the corporate elites worship the ground she walks on, and moderate centrist Republicans don't mind her one bit and would much rather she win the Democratic nomination than anti-establishment candidate Bernie Sanders.

In a recent campaign speech in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton talked about the role George Bush II played in the deregulation that led to the 2008 crash. In that speech, she made no reference whatsoever to the role her husband administration played. In the many pages of books Hillary Clinton has written over the years, she has never criticized, apologized, or admitted that the Clinton administration's repeal of " Glass-Steagall," was an important factor in causing the financial crisis in 2008.

At the same time, she praised the "ending welfare as we know it reforms" put in place by her husband administration that kicked thousand off the welfare rolls. This policy created a system of rampant racial biases.[See Source]

These factors as mentioned earlier are now coming back to haunt Hillary Clinton now that the Democratic Party is rapidly shifting from center right to center left. This change within the Democratic Party is the cause of the problems the Clinton campaign is having with progressives, independents, and young voters in the 2016 Democratic primary.

Bernie Sanders

There is no doubt that Wall Street and the markets will go into freak out mode if Bernie Sanders becomes president. The format that is in place now demands that a president succumbs to the demands of Wall Street, and this applies to current President Obama as well. There is no denying that the forces on Wall Street are very powerful. A Bernie Sanders presidency will undoubtedly have significant hurdles to overcome and will face Republican obstructionism much like President Obama but no one is claiming the change will be easy. 

There is and idea that more public owned banking would be a great place to start. Many have suggested this would circumvent the mantra of too big to fail, too big to jail, and is the essence of Democratic Socialism. Hence, Bernie Sanders campaign desires to break up the big banks. 

Once again we are seeing a very volatile stock market. [See Source] There are signs that we are heading for another melt down, according to some economic pundits, and you don't hear any mention of this on the campaign trail, why? 

The Federal Reverse has recently started withdrawing some of its stimulus in an attempt to return American back to a more normal monetary policy. Our economy has been dependent upon trillions of dollars of infusions for years and now they are taking it away. This is an enormous change in the financial environment and the volatility in the markets are reflecting this change. Often, in America serious issues are not discussed on the campaign trail, but Bernie Sanders has been out front on these matters since day one. 

As a collective the Global economy is slowing this reflected by the lowering of prices for oil for example. The fossil fuel industry markets have become nothing more than a speculation arena for years now. There is a massive fossil fuel lobby in Washington and their buying off politicians through campaign contributions is legendary. Current Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has received massive campaign contributions from the fossil fuel lobby. [See Source] 

The Bernie Sanders campaign has become a political tidal wave. 

Campaign contribution do frame our politicians today. Our research here in the House Of Public Discourse is finding that many progressives, independents, and young voters will not support Hillary Clinton no matter if she wins the Democratic nomination largely because of who her campaign donors are. 

One thing the mainstream media and the Democratic establishment are failing to comprehend is the current political revolution is way more than just Bernie Sanders campaign. Bernie Sanders has pointed this out from the beginning. The Bernie Sanders campaign has been a catalyst in bringing to the light from the dark  the overall dissatisfaction the American people have with our status quo political process. Bernie Sanders campaign is resonating with not just young folks but people from all demographic spectrum's. The once-taboo word Socialist not only doesn't invoke fear as it once did people are now embracing the term and liking it. In fact, a recent poll indicated that 47% of Americans would vote for a  Socialist, which is great news for the Sanders campaign. [See Source]

The very unorthodox political campaign that Bernie Sanders is running has not only resonated with young people it has caught the attention of individuals who have disenfranchised themselves from the political process. Sanders, the longest running Independent senator in the history of American politics, has threaded the needle of being a politician that has run against both establishment parties, and voters well receive his message on wealth inequality. Moreover, his not taking campaign contributions from corporations and not having a SuperPac have gained him rock star popularity with the American electorate. 

The problem with the Hillary Clinton campaign is her sudden shift from center-right politics to center-left highlights the fears many progressive voters have about establishment politics and creates vast voids of trust and the fact that Hillary has accepted campaign contributions from major corporations and her SuperPac fund raising just solidifies this mindset. 

The fact is Hillary Clinton is a flawed candidate. There are many people not just from the right who dislike her she has a huge personality problem that says I, not us. She has a record that speaks for itself regarding her destructive war-hawk agenda, and her many scandals including in the present concerning an FBI investigation into her use of a private email server. 

There is one glaring reality that has manifested itself in the 2016 Democratic presidential race the more people come to know Bernie Sanders and his consistent record the more they like him. The opposite goes for Hillary Clinton. The more people learn about her history, the less they like her. Hillary Clinton has an ethical problem. And, the fact that she is the darling of Wall Street and continues to accept their campaign contributions just adds fuel to the fire which says " Campaign Contributions Do Frame A Politician."