There is one instance when I agree with the "I want my country back" frame

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I would like to have my country back before Citizens United made us an official corporate fiefdom, with US elections and politicians freely bought and sold on the open world market.

[Steely_Dan]

1. It's Too Late n/t

[lynne]

2. You literally took the words out of my mouth. Or off my keyboard. n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

3. Truth be told

there has never been a time in the history of the US that the government was not captive to special interests. It's just more blatant nowadays.....:shrug:

[immune]

4. Sad, but true.

Of course there have always been people around pointing out the favoritism to the few. I think of Louis McFadden ...

Let us remember that for ten years, Congressman McFadden had been Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee. While exercising the duties of this position he exposed some of the greatest crimes of the century, including his stinging indictment of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in which he charged them "with having treasonably conspired to destroy constitutional government in the United States".

Because of these exposures, Louis T. McFadden had unleashed the full power of the international criminals against him. when he made these speeches, he was alone. He had nothing to look forward to save his own political demise. The power and pelf of his enemies was brought to bear and the political life of this great servant of the people was terminated in the November 1934 elections held in the 15th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Congressional Record: January 8, 1934:

Congressman McFadden: "The Congress of the United States must immediately throw the searchlight of investigation into this dark corner, or we are going to be swamped with political influences that are manufactured in foreign countries and that will lead us to the surrender of our heritage of living, just as has been done on former occasions.

Just as we did, for example, when we entered into the Jay Treaty with England, which was ratified on June 24, 1795, whereby we needlessly surrendered our right to the freedom of the seas.

We fought the War of 1812 to regain this right, but the same political influences prevented even a discussion of this subject at the treaty which terminated that war. President Wilson vowed to regain the freedom of the seas at the Treaty of Versailles; but did we regain it? Is the Jay Treaty still in force?...."

"I stand here and say to you that I have studied these records, and not only did we adopt this monetary policy without debate, not only did we adopt it without consideration but we adopted it without even knowledge of what we were doing!

It was a piece of legislative trickery; it was a piece of work in the committee that was silent and secretive. Even members of the committee did not know what was being done, according to their own declarations. The President and Members of the House did not know they were acting on such a measure. But, as I have said before, the shadow of the hand of England rests over this enactment." (C R, January 8, 1934)