Krugman: Trayvon Martin 'might finally place a spotlight on what ALEC is doing to our society'

[Newsjock]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/opinion/krugman-lobbyists-guns-and-money.html

... Specifically, language virtually identical to Florida’s law is featured in a template supplied to legislators in other states by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-backed organization that has managed to keep a low profile even as it exerts vast influence (only recently, thanks to yeoman work by the Center for Media and Democracy, has a clear picture of ALEC’s activities emerged). And if there is any silver lining to Trayvon Martin’s killing, it is that it might finally place a spotlight on what ALEC is doing to our society — and our democracy.

... What this tells us, in turn, is that ALEC’s claim to stand for limited government and free markets is deeply misleading. To a large extent the organization seeks not limited government but privatized government, in which corporations get their profits from taxpayer dollars, dollars steered their way by friendly politicians. In short, ALEC isn’t so much about promoting free markets as it is about expanding crony capitalism.

... Think about that: we seem to be turning into a country where crony capitalism doesn’t just waste taxpayer money but warps criminal justice, in which growing incarceration reflects not the need to protect law-abiding citizens but the profits corporations can reap from a larger prison population.

Now, ALEC isn’t single-handedly responsible for the corporatization of our political life; its influence is as much a symptom as a cause. But shining a light on ALEC and its supporters — a roster that includes many companies, from AT&T and Coca-Cola to UPS, that have so far managed to avoid being publicly associated with the hard-right agenda — is one good way to highlight what’s going on. And that kind of knowledge is what we need to start taking our country back.

[cantbeserious]

1. ALEC - Front Men For Pernicious Corporations

eom

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. This is a fantastic article. Thank you. It explains a great deal. nt

[snagglepuss]

3. "ALEC and its supporters — a roster that includes many companies, from AT&T and Coca-Cola to UPS,

that have so far managed to avoid being publicly associated with the hard-right agenda"

How true that is. Great article. Thanks for posting

[EC]

4. ALEC is also writing very bad law.

Their language in these laws are so loosely written with many loop-holes. Like in the SYG laws it says if you "feel" threatened - how is that proven? A feeling...really?

[whathehell]

15. Yes...Can you imagine how many unhappy husbands and wives will be tempted to "feel" threatened?

[highplainsdem]

5. K&R!

[freshwest]

6. Best Good Read I've seen. K & R. This is what has to be revealed and fought state by state.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Krugman is a Firebagger

and increasingly irrelevant.

He doesn't understand that *pragmatic* Democrats have to capitulate nonstop.

Sincerely,

Third-Way Manny

[Doctor_J]

16. Thank you Manny

for some much-needed perspective. These wild-eyed liberals who think that people deserve health care, safe air and water, and a fair tax structure need to be taught pragmatism. If God didn't want us to backpedal, he wouldn't have given us eyes in the back of our heads.

[da_decider]

8. Blood on NRA and ALEC hands

ALEC and NRA crooked lobbyists are the actual murderers. We have to focus on fighting NRA and ALEC not Zimmerman. Face it, Zimmerman can easily argue "Stand Your Ground".

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Only in front of a jury of knuckle-dragging yahoos

could Zimmerman easily argue "Stand Your Ground".

[abelenkpe]

21. There are a lot of

knuckle-dragging yahoos it seems.

[da_decider]

23. That's about half the USA

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Newsjock.

[Webster Green]

11. K&R

ALEC is a huge threat to the US.

[99th_Monkey]

13. For the record

Krugman squares off with ALEC.

That is HUGE. .. at least imho.

[Doctor_J]

14. I have been trying to tell the gungeon denizens this

The same malignant bastards pushing the SYG and other wild west initiatives are also busting unions, purging voter rolls, killing public schools, and pushing for more health care deform. Sadly, their typical answer is, "I only care about gun "control"".

[Dragonfli]

22. I was run out of dodge (wild west gundgeon) for implying ALEC was Right Wing, and bad.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/117223738
I kept getting post hidden for mentioning it then challenged after I could't post.

So I wrote an OP - bad Idea, I have trouble calling a heart a club if you know what I mean, recipe for trouble calling right wing right wing in the wrong place.

And I even knew better than to say the obvious about the NRA (I could imagine the thin skin over daring to call the NRA right wing)

I got the message - No Ops about ALEC being bad over there, it's kinda like an annex to a "less Democratic" site.
Don't let the door hit your liberal ass on the way out basically was the last post to me.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=24461

Not sure if I'm banned from the sub forum or not, they got pretty angry tho.

[hue]

17. K&R for this in depth perspective! This shines a light on the core/fundamental nature of ALEC. n/t

[robinlynne]

18. wish I could rec this 100 times!

[99th_Monkey]

19. Major General Smedley Butler, you are hereby invoked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

We thank you and pray that we may be as creative
and courageous in protecting and upholding the US Constitution.

[mother earth]

20. Law being written by corporations with no regard for best interest of citizens. K & R!!!

Here's another article.

http://www.thenation.com/article/161978/alec-exposed