A couple of Nader's reactions to Bush's speech

[NoCalMike 0]

Nader on Bush's "Ownership Society rhetoric

 

The New Bush Slogan: “The Ownership Society”

Will Make Americans Poorer and Add to the Wealth of the Wealthiest

The selected President George W. Bush is expected to sound the theme of an “ownership society,” featuring personal savings accounts at the expense of social security and medical accounts at the expense of full health care for all. This charade continues the duplicitous performance of Republicans at their corporate-saturated convention in New York.

 

This new slogan is reminiscent of Bush's claims of being a “compassionate conservative” in 2000, reinforced by the New York Convention’s slogan “People of Compassion.” (To see the record of the compassionless conservative administration—less assistance to children; more poverty; less safety regulations in the workplace, marketplace, and environment; less health care; lower wages; and illegal wars that have taken the lives of thousands, click here).

 

Were George W. Bush authentic about the “ownership society,” he would propose measures that would give control to what the American people already own but have lost control over to the corporations.

 

The President would give control over the public airwaves which the public owns. Presently, and since the 1920's, the radio and TV stations control the public airwaves as tenants, though they are licensed from the Federal Communications Commission. These stations are the tenants; the people are the landlords. These tenants pay no rent (no license fee) to the landlords via the FCC. These tenants receive this public property free and decide who says and who does not say what, 24 hours a day. The landlords neither have their audience networks nor any TV or radio stations based on a return of their property for an allotted time during prime-time and drive-time each day. These time periods would be programmed with experienced staff and studios and open widely the kind of information, participation, and communication worthy of this great public commonwealth that has been so trivialized and debased with commercialism and more media concentration.

 

The President would give control over the public’s federal lands to the American people who own these lands, which amount to one third of the United States. Presently these federal lands are controlled by mining, timber, and other extractive corporations through their compliant servants (often their former business associates) in the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture. As a result, these give-aways of the peoples’ natural resources are a form of legalized theft, matched by no other country in the world.

 

Finally, the President would not give away the results of federal research and development—newly discovered drugs and many other innovations—paid for by hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Drug companies are presently given free-of-charge important drugs, discovered and tested by government or university scientists under contract or grant.

 

These giant drug companies then turn around and gouge patients mercilessly for such anticancer drugs as Taxol (Brisol-Myers Squibb), without any price restraints from the federal government. An ownership society would give the taxpayers more control through their governmental representatives over what they own and have paid for. Government R&D has represented a major portion of the entire nation’s research and development budget over the past fifty years.

 

George W. Bush has been representing the interests of the giant corporations rather than the interests of the people. Over two-thirds of American people polled believe this to be the truth.

 

The American people should not be deceived by this evening’s deceptive Bush-brand of “ownership society,” which means turning over the people's money in the health and social security sectors to corporate control. Mr. Bush’s corporate control brings with it woefully inadequate disclosure, regulation, or prosecution when these companies proceed to rip-off defenseless Americans, or when stock markets fail them after the corporate manipulators jump ship with their profits.

 

 

I hope Kerry takes this cue.....

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

and THATS a bloody nose! Ka-Pow!

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I feel it's sad that Ralph and I were the only two guys who noticed that Bush talked about more corporate deregulation like it was an achievement to be proud of. Certainly, more control by Viacom/Disney/Universal/Murdoch/ClearChannel in our lives can only be a good thing.

[MrRant 0]

It would be better if Comcast controlled more. Worst part is I agree partially with what Nader is saying. Too bad most of what he wants regarding other topics IMO is whack.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Blah blah blah, Bush sucks, give eveything back to the people. Nothing that I haven't already heard from wacky Ralph.

 

Although I did see a commercial the other day from some special interest group saying how great the telecommunications act was and that we needed MORE deregulation so you can work from Miami beach and attend a meeting via laptop in your shorts and have beach balls thrown at you.

 

Or something like that...

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

Fuck corporations. Our feudal lords can kiss my ass.

[2GOLD 0]

Feudal Lords?

 

The hell? Did I just step back in time? Are there Knights again?

 

I haven't seen that phrase used in print since History class in my sophomore year of High School.

[Guest MikeSC]

Feudal Lords?

 

The hell? Did I just step back in time? Are there Knights again?

 

I haven't seen that phrase used in print since History class in my sophomore year of High School.

Oh, the feudal lord is going to get pissed.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Nah, I'm not that angry. I'll just have Cheesala clean the stables again...