Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

Hey Leftist Europeans! The US Supreme Court invites you

by rootless2 Sat Jan 23rd, 2010 at 09:17:59 PM EST

To create corporations and invest in political debate in the USA. Just imagine, the French Socialists should conduct a television campaign explaining how well the French health care system works and inviting Americans to enjoy the benefits of social democracy. Norwegians - use your oil money to keep the Republicans out of office. The Supreme Court has invalidated US laws limiting corporate electioneering, so come on in and help us out.

Display:
Hey Leftist Europeans! The US Supreme Court invites you | 19 comments (19 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Leftist Europeans have the same problem (4.00 / 2)
as leftist Americans: they don't have a lot of money, in general...

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 04:50:25 AM EST
I am sort of sad that this ruling didn't happen (none / 1)
thirty years ago, back when we actually did have resources.

History likely would have been changed for the better....

The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet. Winston Churchill

by r------ on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 05:06:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Leftist Europeans have the same problem (4.00 / 8)
You don't have to have a lot of money.

The "smart ass" way to look at this is why not call them out.

Why not form a Corporation for Political Education, and then offer foreign nationals (to the US) of all types the opportunity invest in educating American voters about the values of social democracy?

Then target these issue ads in districts where it might make a difference.

You don't have to have millions of dollars.

Run one ad defending the French health system, or the British NHS on cable TV, and write to CNN about it.  They'll immediately have a story up about it. The UFCW (Food and Commercial Worker's Union)has been running issue ads about the healthcare bill against Rep. Boehner, the Republican minority on the local cable in my area for a while.  Boehner lives in the county, and it runs on the news channels (CNN, MSNBC, etc).

For a small buy (50) in a local cable market on a single channel, it would probably be under $1,000 (€708)

The response of the right wing hacks who thought this meant that this would only mean that corporations who support them would be able to spend freely?

Priceless.

A run on

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 11:04:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Corporation for Political Education (4.00 / 3)
Over the last month, or so, I've been thinking we need to resurrect the old League for Industrial Democracy under a new name, same function, in the US.  


She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 12:40:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Corporation for Political Education (4.00 / 3)
I think that a US counterpart to the British Worker's Educational Association would be useful.  

Back in the 1940s the American labor movement typically had a single building in a city where many locals would meet.

If the AFL-CIO worked to integrate the labor movement into something more than a collection of locals, that could be the case again.  Again having a house of labor in every city where you could go to get practical training, or class about economics or politics so you could understand what different policies mean.  Very practical things.  And work social organizations into it so that relevant groups have a place in the house of labor.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 01:36:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Corporation for Political Education (4.00 / 3)
[Note: I've got some form of the creeping crud that's been going around so my brain is fried.]

Note of cynicism: if the AFL-CIO worked to integrate the labor movement into something more than a collection of locals it wouldn't be the AFL-CIO.  Heck, the UAW even screwed their own, younger, members with that two-tiered wage scheme.  And didn't they have an in-house research/education organization?  What happened to it?

There were the Workman's Circles meetings that were active until the late 70s.  Don't know if they still exist or not.  But when I was attending the NYC one it was mostly a talking shop for Old/New Left radicals.  Very different from when it was an excellent place for the poor to get a practical education.  Guess the need slowly went away as CCNY moved into that area.  (?)  

Either that or the Old/New Left radicals bored the bejesus out of everyone who wasn't a Old/New Left radical and they stopped attending.

But, anyway, in most parts of the country the Community College system does offer, at a very low price, the means to get a quality education in practical and academic subjects and they are certified so the students can get a recognized degree.  

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 02:05:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Corporation for Political Education (4.00 / 4)
Maybe the AFL-CIO could think about a global worker's paradise, instead of an American one. If they would cooperate with efforts to organize in Japan and Korea, for example, they might reduce the cost advantage of outsourcing that is based on offshore slavery.
by asdf on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 02:32:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What happened to the UAW research arm ... (4.00 / 4)
... is that it told the UAW it was damned if it did, and damned if it didn't.

That's the whole point of Reaganaut/Thatcherite union busting: to tie unions up in double-binds and use blaming them for whichever bad choice they make out of the bad choices available to them as one more part of the anti-union propaganda.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 03:51:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: What happened to the UAW research arm ... (none / 1)
Thanks.  

What a frickin' mess.

We need to update the Woody Guthrie song ...

This Land is My Land

This land is my land.
This land is my land.
Go get your own land,
but stay off of my land.
'Cuz if you don't get off,
I'll blow your head off.
This land belongs to only me.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 04:16:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Leftist Europeans have the same problem (none / 0)
This is exactly it.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 03:27:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Leftist Europeans have the same problem (4.00 / 4)
For a small buy (50) in a local cable market on a single channel, it would probably be under $1,000 (€708)

The response of the right wing hacks who thought this meant that this would only mean that corporations who support them would be able to spend freely?

Priceless.

This is a gambit that the Pirate Party has had a great deal of success with.

Paging askod?

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 03:29:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Leftist Europeans have the same problem (none / 0)
Sounds like fun.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Jan 25th, 2010 at 06:42:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Foreign takeover of the USA (4.00 / 4)
The Supreme Court Judgement is only possible in a world where the vast majority of US based corporations are owned/controlled by US citizens and thus - in their twisted world - those corporations are a proxy for US citizens.

But what happens if the Chinese, Israelis, Russians and Saudis start owning an even greater share of US corporations and actively use their money to control not just the US economy, but (far more cheaply) the US polity as well?

AIPAC already controls large chunks of US foreign policy at minimum cost and at a huge return on investment ratio in terms of subsidies for Israel.  What if (say) Chinese controlled companies actively seek to take over US media interests, internet domaines, Google, and other startegic corporate sectors and then use thoses companies revenues to ensure favourable regulatory regimes and indeed to over the polity in general by "owning" many strategically placed politicians?

The patriotic GOP controlled SCOTUS has just legitimised the  takeover of the USA by foreign interests/corporations at relatively minimal cost.  No invading armies required.

notes from no w here

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 06:20:31 PM EST
Re: Foreign takeover of the USA (4.00 / 2)
This is the best line of attack against that noxious ruling. A suitably biting but humorous ad by Europeans to the effect that, if the USA wants to allow itself to be controlled by China and Saudi Arabia, that is one thing, but if we become their golem, that is quite another. Could be cheaper than having to beef up your defense.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 11:52:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This Election Brought to U by Rio Tinto (none / 1)
We already have that Australian dirtbag Murdoch controlling our politics, let's invite in the rest.

"Senator Snort's energy policy is bad " - brought to you by Rosneft and Aaramco

"Senator Snap wants to waste tax money protecting the corrupt criminals as Cisco" - brought to you by Haiwei

by rootless2 on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 09:11:07 PM EST
Re: This Election Brought to U by Rio Tinto (4.00 / 3)
This Election Brought Bought to U by Rio Tinto.

There, fixed it for you.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 09:38:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This Election Brought to U by Rio Tinto (none / 1)
This could be a really good investment for Europeans. Even in its weakened state the USA casts a large shadow. Whatever can be done cheaply to nudge it in a better direction will redound to your benefit. If the US is the Titanic, are you sure you can cut all ties so you don't get dragged down also?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 11:48:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This Election Brought to U by Rio Tinto (none / 1)
yup if the dollar falls to its 'true' value, we should be able to pick up some real bargains, cut rate congressmen and bargain sales on senators.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Mon Jan 25th, 2010 at 01:26:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Hey Leftist Europeans! The US (none / 0)
Just run one ad, constantly, with Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons saying "ha-ha" over and over then a fade out at the end cutting to text that says "This message brought to you by Europe"
by paving on Mon Jan 25th, 2010 at 06:05:54 PM EST
Hey Leftist Europeans! The US Supreme Court invites you | 19 comments (19 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


Display:
Go to: [ European Tribune Homepage : Top of page : Top of comments ]