Watching CPAC

[abluelady]

The attorney general from my state (Virginia) is talking about Government versus "the People." Why doesn't someone remind the conservative movement that "the People" are the Government? Aren't we a government "of the people, by the people, for the people," etc? How do these people get to define government and freedom? Their explanation sure rings hollow to me.

[el_bryanto]

1. It's populism

The government is made up of people who don't know and don't care how the majority of American's feel. We do the same thing although not as viciously (we rarely insinuate that those who disagree with us aren't American for example).

Bryant

[kentuck]

9. By their fruits they shall be known.

For the People? Hardly.

[jdlh8894]

2. Maybe because

our Congress-critters are more self-serving and not looking out for"we the people"? JMHO

[muffin1]

3. As usual, every single thing they say is designed to fool the ignorant.

And girl, you are from my neck of the woods. Are we screwed or what with Bob McDonnell? Talk about your conservative nutbags...:scared:

[abluelady]

4. We are More Than Screwed

Cuccinelli will run next and if we don't come up with someone strong, Cuccinelli is a shoe in.

[muffin1]

5. Absolutely.

I had to hold my nose to vote for Deeds - blue dog, milquetoast, against most of the social policies important to me.

Give us a real dem, for once. It is so tiring to keep voting AGAINST the other candidate. x(

[abluelady]

13. And I'm Even at a Bigger Disadvantage

than lots of Virginians. Eric Cantor is my delegate.:puke:

[KharmaTrain]

6. Futhermore...

If he's an Attorney General, his job is to protect and defend the law and thus the government who makes those laws. He's elected by the people but is also a part of the government he is sworn to protect, not the people.

What you've hit on is the major divide along the political spectrum...those who view government as "the people" and thus its prime focus should be on health, education and other services for the people while the other side views government as big brother who takes their money and their guns...that their "freedoms" are infringed when they're asked to pay for services they take for granted.

Of course when you look a beyond the talking points, the rhetoric rings hollow, but on that side of the sandbox "symbolism" trumps reality.

[BeFree]

7. hmmm

We know that the government will throw a 'people' in jail for any number of offenses.

But when have we ever seen a corporation thrown in jail?

Anyway, what do we think about this idea that the government should be afraid of the people, not the other way around.

[robdogbucky]

8. They don't throw them in jail but

back in the days of regulation, there was a mild measure known as divestiture. This was when a company let's say, like DuPont, or Union Carbide, had "innocently," acquired assets that mysteriously diminished competition for something, like a vital component or material resource necessary to a business process. That acquisition brought their overhead costs down, and eliminated any competition in pricing. Like saying, I can't rape your wife, so I will just marry her instead. Bad metaphor, I know, but it is just a crude example of large interests taking what they want. Like Chevron hiring 20 experts (mercenary groups)to do their dirty work in eliminating local indigenous opposition to their raping and plundering of natural resources they want, cheap.

Divestiture used to be a way to harness the runaway greed and the control sought by large conglomerates to control their sources, thus costs, increasing profits. By ordering divestiture, they were forced to sell off those ill-gotten assets and return them to the free market forces. Funny how big business constantly cries foul at any government intervention, yet they are the first ones to abuse the process, throw their economic weight around with impunity or even break the law if not harnessed in some way.

In the era of de-regulation, these "divestitures," have become a rarer and rarer thing. They were a form of "jail," for corporations.



Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[BeFree]

12. Yep

It is a shame they no longer fear being broken apart. Instead some have become too big to fail. Nowadays, we end up financing the conglomerations.

Divestiture is one 'back to the past' type of government I'd like to see happen again.

Thanks for the dos centavos.

[kentuck]

10. Make Pence says "No" to meeting with Obama...

at the CPAC convention on CSPAN. So I guess they have decided not to meet with the President on the 25th?

[O is 44]

11. Cowards, the whole lot of them. n/t