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I posted in Fat's vaccine pasport thread about what I feel is the coming of the complete corporate takeover of our country (and world) in the guise of safety, convenience, and efficiency. Here's what I wrote for those who didn't read it:

It's for sure coming. The largest tech companies are already positioning themselves for a near complete takeover of our lives, especially with respect to how much currently public infrastructure is going to be privatized. Think of a corporate police and criminal justice system that's run by AI algorithms. That has access to your travel, shopping, and digital communications because it's the same company who handles your phone and internet. And it's tracking you through facial recognition just about everywhere you go.

Not looking at this as some far out conspiracy theory of Big Brother, but more of a natural evolution of where current targeted advertising will go in just a few years. The politicians have already been bought. It's just a matter of rolling out the technology and selling it to the people "for their safety and convenience".

Think of him what you will, but I think Russell Brand makes some good points in this video and makes pretty much the same argument I'm making. If we don't get on top of the intrusion into our privacy and secure our public domains from corporate influence, we're pretty much going to be the United Conglomeration of GoogleFaceBookAmazon

Alfred_E._Neuman wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:20 pm I posted in Fat's vaccine pasport thread about what I feel is the coming of the complete corporate takeover of our country (and world) in the guise of safety, convenience, and efficiency. Here's what I wrote for those who didn't read it:

It's for sure coming. The largest tech companies are already positioning themselves for a near complete takeover of our lives, especially with respect to how much currently public infrastructure is going to be privatized. Think of a corporate police and criminal justice system that's run by AI algorithms. That has access to your travel, shopping, and digital communications because it's the same company who handles your phone and internet. And it's tracking you through facial recognition just about everywhere you go.

Not looking at this as some far out conspiracy theory of Big Brother, but more of a natural evolution of where current targeted advertising will go in just a few years. The politicians have already been bought. It's just a matter of rolling out the technology and selling it to the people "for their safety and convenience".

Think of him what you will, but I think Russell Brand makes some good points in this video and makes pretty much the same argument I'm making. If we don't get on top of the intrusion into our privacy and secure our public domains from corporate influence, we're pretty much going to be the United Conglomeration of GoogleFaceBookAmazon

Please add a "Biden's America:" header to your post, OP. Thank you in advance!

Now, to the question at hand. If I could wave my hands and change ONE thing about modern America, it would be Citizens United v. FEC decision. To me that was the gravest, most damaging thing that has happened to our society since the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.

That decision holds that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political communications by corporations, but it in effect allows corporations to drown out the voice of regular Americans through superior campaign advertising and contributions.

How are we supposed to reform privacy laws when the corporations that benefit from them already own the politicians and the media outlets that they need to shape public opinion? Publicly traded companies that can be owned by anyone, including foreigners! This one decision alone puts all of American democracy in jeopardy, and, in my opinion, should be the focus if you are concerned with the corporate matrix that we are sinking into.

I’m with you on Citizens United

nafod wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:08 am I’m with you on Citizens United

Without question, the worst thing in my lifetime for ALL Americans. Think of the old saw, "elections have consequences."

Sure. They do.

But what if those elections are of candidates propped up by corporate money, shaped by corporate media, and subverted in office by their corporate masters?

Time to look for the union label.

nafod wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 2:54 pm Time to look for the union label.

What do you mean?

Fat Cat wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:51 pm Please add a "Biden's America:" header to your post, OP. Thank you in advance!

Now, to the question at hand. If I could wave my hands and change ONE thing about modern America, it would be Citizens United v. FEC decision. To me that was the gravest, most damaging thing that has happened to our society since the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.

That decision holds that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political communications by corporations, but it in effect allows corporations to drown out the voice of regular Americans through superior campaign advertising and contributions.

How are we supposed to reform privacy laws when the corporations that benefit from them already own the politicians and the media outlets that they need to shape public opinion? Publicly traded companies that can be owned by anyone, including foreigners! This one decision alone puts all of American democracy in jeopardy, and, in my opinion, should be the focus if you are concerned with the corporate matrix that we are sinking into.

Call me cynical, but the democracy has been an illusion and a myth since the beginning of times. It may work in small communities, but the larger the population, the more diluted so called democratic principles become. Superior campaign advertising has been around forever. "Manipulating Public Opinion" by Bernays was published in 1928, though he has plenty of references there to earlier sources on the topic. Since then PR science has advanced, and if you have the resources you can convince the average joe of pretty much anything. And based on the specific circumstances you can really put the society on its head, and nobody will question that. Think Lenin or Hitler as examples.

What do you expect anyway when corruption is legal? It is called lobbying, though there is no difference between them whatsoever. A senator can be put on a payroll of a corporation to advance their interests. Being the largest economy of the world the US shines there. It's not unique to USA. Japanese politicians, for example, after retirement serve on boards of directors of large corporations. They get paid for their contacts and connections in the government.

Das Capital has no nationality or borders. When I traded futures in South Africa I was watching the report of the Australian stock market every morning. If the Aussie index was up the Dow and S&P would follow 90% of the time. It's not because the Australian market is so influential that it affected the rest of the world. It's just that the trading day starts in the East, and it's the same financial houses trading shares and derivatives around the world, starting in Australia, then Singapore, Hong Kong, Mumbai, London, Frankfurt etc., eventually reaching USA.

Lastly, privacy laws is another peculiar thing. I believe the freedom of speech is most protected in America. Yet there are couple of dozen words which, pronounced aloud, will get you in serious trouble. I don't think I have to spell them out here. Freedom of speech is officially protected, yet people lost jobs for saying something on their Facebook page. Reminds me of the Soviet Constitution. It was one of the most advanced constitutions in the world at the time... On paper.

Fat Cat wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:51 pmIf I could wave my hands and change ONE thing about modern America, it would be Citizens United v. FEC decision. To me that was the gravest, most damaging thing that has happened to our society since the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.

We wouldn't have had Citizens if we didn't have McCain-Feingold.

Bunches of legal challenges to this for crap law, not just Citizens United. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipartisa ... Reform_Act

Fat Cat wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:13 pm

nafod wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 2:54 pm Time to look for the union label.

What do you mean?

Man, I’m old.

Sangoma wrote: ↑Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:05 am Reminds me of the Soviet Constitution. It was one of the most advanced constitutions in the world at the time... On paper.

This year has shown just how fragile our Constitution is, here in the USA. Or maybe how robust, I don’t know. It’s ultimately a bunch of norms, and when people start ignoring them, the paper is meaningless.