Democracy Is Starting To Stretch Its Legs - Congresspersons Seek To Repeal NAFTA

"Diplomacy means all the wicked devices of the Old World, spheres of influence, balances of power, secret treaties, triple alliances........" -- Barbara Tuchman

"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." -- Thomas Jefferson

Fascism - A neoliberal authoritarian nationalistic political ideology seeking to organize a nation and its economy on corporatist ideals and values. Rule by special interests, corporate lobbyists and bankers.

Democracy - A political government carried out directly by the people or through their elected representatives. Rule by the people. The the sovereign of a nation. One citizen, one vote.

Do you help rule this country? Is your vote counted in equality to all other votes? Do your elected officials value your individual vote with the equality of lobbyists toting suitcases full of cash? Or special interests offering politicians riches after leaving office? Or do lobbyists, special interests, corporations and bankers have a greater say in determining the rule of law in this country? Many journalists willing to push the envelope are willing to use the word corporatist but let's be honest with ourselves - our nation has been and continues to be destroyed by corporate personhood.

Our economic ideology is determined not by market-based policies but by corporatist policies. And now these policies transcend not only economics but our personal liberties. While we are still a society of many freedoms, fascism in this country is indeed very real. That's a pretty tough statement for most people to swallow. And, therein lies the hope of a nation. The direction of this country is completely disturbing to the virtues of most Americans. Economic policy is determined not for what is best for democracy but what is best for special interests. Economic assistance since this crisis started has been directed towards corporate interests. Wars have become less about just causes and more influenced and even driven by corporate agendas and profits. Our regulatory structures benefit special interests over market-based merit and competition. Our food and drug safety benefits corporate interests over safety. Our banking system generally serves no useful purpose for the sovereign people of this country. Our health care debate is really focused on legislation benefiting corporate interests before citizens with a fascist government mandate that citizens must buy for-profit private corporate health insurance. Trade is conducted via secretive negotiations and agreements our founding fathers warned us about. Agreements which serve corporate interests over our sovereignty or the individual rights of a democracy.

The future is up to you. Do you plan to sit back and accept things as they are because the problems appear bigger than you? Or do you plan to participate in peaceful dissent and activism to take back your government? To vote out the corporatists. To demand your Congressperson work for you. To demand law changes supporting individual and national sovereignty. To overturn corporate personhood with a Constitutional amendment. To seek to upend Wall Street permanently. To reject corporatism by supporting local businesses and banks. To repudiate the greed of an elitist class by rejecting their self-serving view of America. In this defining moment of history, will you be remembered as part of a greater good?

This NAFTA bill won't see passage any time soon but it's more than likely to pass at some point in the future regardless of any chuckles this statement may garner today. Globalization is dead and rising national sovereignty is right on track.

This ties in nicely with our lengthy posts four years ago about the myth that American industrial businesses cannot compete - lies perpetrated by financial bureaucrats and self-serving special interests. Maybe now people will start to understand why I made my Detroit real estate comment years ago. ie, That were I to buy real estate any place in the world, it would be in Detroit. We made this statement when most everyone was a true believer in the development of emerging markets, America couldn't compete with emerging markets, real estate should be purchased in emerging markets and of course in California/Arizona/New York/Florida. (Detroit hasn't been part of any frenzy in decades other than the frenzy of economic decimation.)

Our Detroit call is beginning to show signs of prescience today. Why do I say that? Crazy you say? Detroit is a completely devastated community with no hope of recovery you say? Quit listening to financial opinionators and babbling idiots. If you still haven't put the pieces together with regards to my Detroit remarks, let me enlighten you to a few interesting tidbits not generally understood outside of Detroit. Definitely not understood on Wall Street where deceitful paper-pushing is the skill of choice. The Detroit metropolitan area may have the highest concentration of world class scientific, engineering and industrial talent focused on the essence of making things of any comparably sized metropolitan area in the world. The regional research university powerhouses across the midwestern states have the largest industrial research budgets in the United States. Ohio's universities actually hold the top distinction with Michigan not far behind. But Cleveland is right down the road from Detroit and I like Cleveland real estate too. :) (Kalyfornia, an industrial powerhouse as well, is obviously near the top of that research spending too but that great state has many structural impediments dissimilar to midwestern states.) The logistical dynamics of waterways, rail, interstate highways, geographic center of locality for production, shipping, etc, of the midwestern industrial states are without equal. Production capacity, eager state and local governments, educated workforces, industrial talent out the wazoo, an unmatched work ethic of middle America, well-developed industrial policy and industry-friendly regulations are in excess supply across midwestern states as well. So, now do you get the remarks regarding my pleasant affinity to Detroit real estate or do I need to actually blurt out the obvious?

Every single major economic theme that defines this blog since its inception is working out exactly as we said it would. Exactly. Gonna be lots of bagholders out there. Many of them very wealthy and most of them on Wall Street and in the financial community - another one of our themes. The great revolt against anti-democratic elitist neoliberalism continues.

Remember, as we wrote four years ago, as the Wall Street bubble implodes, the tremendous scientific talent misappropriated to that industry will rejoin the real economy and that will be long term bullish for America. The current economic ideology cannot be saved. All in due time.