Remember the Patriot Act….?

Sharon September 22nd, 2008

Ok, anyone remember the Patriot Act, you know that thing that Congress signed because we’d just had a great big disaster and everyone was scared and accomodating because they didn’t know what else to do?  Remember how nobody really even read it, and it didn’t do jackshit to reduce the problem of terrorism, but it did do a whole lot to reduce democracy in the US? That is, it worked out to ensure that we and our grandchildren will be suffering from the undermining of every principle we valued, but did nothing useful. Sound vaguely familiar?  Guess what - we’ve got a new Patriot Act.

It is called the Federal Bail Out.  And guess what - it hands to Hank Paulson and a few other unelected people huge powers, destructive powers, that, of course, we know that they will use for good.  Now where does it get those powers?  Through the abrogation of the constitution and the ripping them out of your hands. 

And we’re getting the same message that went with the patriot act - pass it now, or disaster will befall us, we’re all doomed if we actually read it, and don’t just sign it into law.  It comes with an appropriate “scaring the shit out of fairly dumb political figures” bit (remember Hillary saying that if we knew what she knew about WMDs, we’d be for the war too?)  Christopher Dodd and my own Senator Schumer were practically drooling with fear after their private viewing of the Wall Street situation.  They won’t, of course, tell us what they were told, but it was so horrible that we should definitely allocate untold billions more to bailing out the rich.

Now here’s the thing - bailing them out won’t fix the problem.  The markets lost 3 trillion + last week - 700 billion isn’t going to fix the problem. Neither is the next 700 billion.  It won’t cover the losses in the housing market that is still declining, it won’t make your house worth what it was, it won’t do much except send foreign investors running for the exits.  In short, it won’t save us from a Great Depression.  Whatever Chuck Schumer is waking up in a cold sweat about, it is too late to avoid it becoming reality. 

But what we’ve got here is more Shock Doctrine economics, more destruction, more rapine stealing of democracy at the moment that things are falling apart.  And we can go into this crisis in one of two ways - either with all the power that we can hold in our hands, the memory of what is good about America, and a vision to put those pieces back together and with what remains of our country’s assets used to build something new, something that could potentially last us for generations.  Or we can go in to our homemade disaster with less power, fewer resources, more thrown down the drain, less of America left.  Our choice.  Actually, odds are there is no choice - this will pass, and it will be too late, and besides making do with what we’ve got less in a massive Depression, in an energy poor society, we’ll also have to try to reclaim what we’ve got.  But the thing is, it isn’t passed yet, and we honestly have no choice about trying to resist - because it will only be worse later.

 Read about it now here  (please read the posts for the last 3 days) www.theautomaticearth.blogspot.com, and here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/20/153952/268/395/603713 and this http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/587-The-Mother-Of-All-Frauds.html and do what you can to stop it. You know who to yell at.

And since it does look like the damned thing will probably pass, you could also get in on Verde’s 21 day preparation challenge - http://www.justicedesserts.blogspot.com/.  It might not be such a bad idea to imagine that your world will change dramatically in a very short time - after all, it already has. 

Sharon

36 Responses to “Remember the Patriot Act….?”

  1. Julie Masonon 22 Sep 2023 at 8:57 am

    CALL YOUR SENATORS! I can’t even begin to tell you how appalled I was when I called Senator Casey (D-PA) and the person answering the phone was rude and dismissive to me-a taxpayer and HIS BOSS. I was treated like a stupid woman having hysterics (I was actually calmly but firmly reading a very short statement I wrote out for myself so I wouldn’t miss any points as I asked Senator Casey to not support this action).

    My only hope is if everyone else calls too until they no longer ignore us. Please, please, take a moment to call before your children’s and grandchildren’s future is further mortgaged in this blatant transfer of wealth.

    BTW, Senator Specter’s (R-PA) office treated me with courtesy and professionalism.

    Julie

  2. Hummingbirdon 22 Sep 2023 at 9:07 am

    I already called and harangued my congresspeople’s office staffs this morning (after emailing them over the weekend.)

    I told them that if we were going to have communism at least there should be health care and jobs for everybody and that the CEOs and regulators responsible for this debacle should be in jail, not getting a trillion dollars!

    I think they are hearing from plenty of angry people, but I also think it won’t make any difference. Their money is tied up in the Wall Street banks and so they will dump the country’s future into saving them.

    I fear we are in for the hard times we have been preparing for sooner than most of us expected.

  3. Veganon 22 Sep 2023 at 9:42 am

    Well said and great links!

    Yes, they are using fear and lies to complete the transfer of wealth and increase the US empire’s dictatorial powers at home and abroad.

    I also question the effectiveness of calling elected officials. The problems are systemic, the oppressive unconstitutional laws (ie., Patriot Acts, Military Commissions Act of 2006, etc.) are in place and it’s probably too late. Perhaps massive street protests/civil disobedience might work, but I seriously doubt that we’ll see 50 million Americans in the streets.

    Prepare, prepare …

  4. Robyn M.on 22 Sep 2023 at 9:47 am

    I really cannot begin to tell you how scared I am of this. Nevermind that it’s a $700b tar pit, or that the courts will have *no right* to review any Treasury asset purchases or contracts (Sec. 8: “Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.”). It’s this bit that kept me up last night:

    Sec. 2:
    (b) Necessary Actions.—The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation: ….
    (3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them;

    Let’s think about that for a minute. Banks can be designated financial agents of the government, by one person. What does this mean, exactly? Can a designated bank use the FBI or the CIA to promote it’s interests? Can the Army be called in to protect the bank? Do recall that we’ve suspended the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibited the Army from being deployed on our own soil against our own people. Where exactly is this all heading?

    I have vague, vague hope that Obama might actually stand up to this and, gods willing, rally others to his call. He has put out a multi-point objection to the current version of the bill, one which includes the requirement of oversight. He is a law scholar, he can read this thing, and he knows where it’s heading.

    Great gods, but I am scared.

  5. SurvivalTopics.comon 22 Sep 2023 at 10:13 am

    1 in 6 Americans do not even have health insurance, and many many others have substandard insurance. The middle class is falling out. And THIS is where the taxes they pay are going? To prop up companies that thieved their way into insolvency?

    Stock up on beads, bullets and band aids. There is revolution in the air.

  6. Greenpaon 22 Sep 2023 at 10:34 am

    yep, I already have contacted my congresspeople; twice- the impression I’m getting is that they ARE hearing; initial response from Congress was “mooooo” - but now some are saying “baaah” -

    sorry, couldn’t help it. Congress IS now acting a bit less like a rubber stamp; if we keep hollering, that will help. One name to throw at them is Nouriel Roubini; an actual professor! who predicted this mess long ago- they should be getting testimony from him; not the ones who CAUSED all this (Paulson).

  7. curiousalexaon 22 Sep 2023 at 10:46 am

    I’m reading a lot about what “needs to be done, or else”. But not seeing anything about the else. if we *don’t* bail out these banks/companies, what happens? because really, I’m not seeing any reason to bail out companies that took risks in order to make profits, and are now having troubles…

  8. Rebeccaon 22 Sep 2023 at 11:10 am

    I was actually surprised to hear one of my senators (Shelby) on NPR this morning railing against the bailout. He actually made sense. I had to look around to make sure the world hadn’t ended. Twice. ;-)

    This is completely ridiculous. It’s yet another end run around the constitution. And guess what? It won’t work. I have the feeling this is the beginning move in seizing control of all financial activities in this country like they did in the Great Depression.

    I also expect the U.S. will probably default on its debt soon. But hey, what do I know? I’m just an idiot taxpayer, after all.

  9. Nettleon 22 Sep 2023 at 11:43 am

    The “without limitation” bit is particularly terrifying.

    I have been privately wondering, ever since the Republicans made it a campaign issue, if the whole issue of domestic oil was being drummed up as a preliminary move to nationalizing the oil industry. They keep talking about “our oil” as though it belongs to the nation rather than to the oil companies. I have kept this speculation to myself because it seemed too far out into tinfoil-hat-land.

    Now that I see how eager this administration is to nationalize the banking industry, I feel even more suspicious of the “drill baby drill” crowd. The tinfoil hat is starting to feel like comfortable and appropriate fashionwear these days.

  10. Survivalist News » Casaubon’s Book: Remember the Patriot Act….?on 22 Sep 2023 at 11:48 am

    […] Casaubon’s Book » Blog Archive » Remember the Patriot Act….? Ok, anyone remember the Patriot Act, you know that thing that Congress signed because we’d just had a great big disaster and everyone was scared and accomodating because they didn’t know what else to do? Remember how nobody really even read it, and it didn’t do jackshit to reduce the problem of terrorism, but it did do a whole lot to reduce democracy in the US? That is, it worked out to ensure that we and our grandchildren will be suffering from the undermining of every principle we valued, but did nothing useful. Sound vaguely familiar? Guess what - we’ve got a new Patriot Act. […]

  11. Robert Rothon 22 Sep 2023 at 11:51 am

    It looks like Sharon’s readers don’t need any more proof that the bailout won’t work, but another useful website is Doug Noland’s Credit Bubble Bulletin, where Friday’s entry says all this will do is create a crisis of confidence in the dollar and the federal debt markets. Thus, interest rates will go through the roof when they will need to be brought down. And the federal government will be too broke to help those who really need and deserve it, i.e., the domestic population. I think the implication is, as Sharon and other commenters have suggested but one or two have asked about, that we’re in for hard times regardless, but this bailout will only make it worse for most everyone. To the extent you want to focus on ameliorating the impact of the bailout, you might tell your legislators that if the Treasury is going to buy all this toxic sludge, at least it shouldn’t wildly overpay. E.g., if a bank holds $1B. that it values on its own books at $800m. but nobody actually wants to buy, the gov’t should by no means pay anything close to $800m. for it. $200m. is probably nearer the mark, but even $500m. (rather than $800m) would save $300m. When you’re talking numbers this big there’s more than the usual tendency to be a little careless, but a billion less paid for the stuff is a billion earned! Other good analyses are at the CounterPunch website, esp. the Weekend Edition entries by Alex Cockburn, Michael Hudson, Pamela Martens, and Mike Whitney.

  12. young snowbirdon 22 Sep 2023 at 12:01 pm

    There are so many reasons to be fearful of enacting the plan Paulson proposed, the most important being the fact that he has asked to be supreme dictator over all financial institutions AND he said no one, not even the COURTS would have any say in what he did. As the church lady from Saturday Night Live would say “How Con-veenient!”

    It sickens my soul to see that despite all the lies, arm-twisting, intimidation, and outright fraud this current Administration has foisted on the US Congress, since taking office in 2001, Congressional reps are still believing what the Administration is saying and that they are doing this with pure intentions. People say that this bailout is socialism. Only on the surface! They are using socialism to kill socialism - to rob us blind and get what they really want, to remove all social entitlements from the US budget. If we owe more then we could possibly pay back, and the rich aren’t going to be asked to pay any taxes, we’re going to be forced to cut programs, HUGE expensive programs Social Security, Medicare, Veterans benefits, perhaps even the military budget.

    I believe it was either JP Morgan or Andrew Carnegie who back in the early Twentieth Century loaned the US Government enough money to stay solvent during a massive financial crisis. We’ve got millionaries and billionaires up the whazoo now, especially those who recently received multi-million dollar golden parachutes. If they can’t be asked to pay taxes, surely they should be asked to show their patriotism by paying down some of our nation’s debt!

    The country’s financial situation has been dire for decades now. Look at this website for fiscal truth. http://www.truthin2008.org/

  13. Lanceon 22 Sep 2023 at 12:07 pm

    If you consider the political and economic overlords of the contemporary U.S. like the nobility and clergy of old England, and the rest of us as tradesmen and serfs, it can be said to resemble a situation where the overclass has warred and spent themselves into a corner against the lords and clergy of other lands. Thus they decide not to tax themselves, but to press harder taxes and levies on the backs of the serfs, knowing all we have are pitchforks and hayrakes against their heavy armor and longbows. On the one hand, this will ruin and starve the serfs and harm the land, while all the overlords have to do is go hang out with relatives in Germany or France if things go badly. If things go well, we will suffer, the overlords will stay in place, and we won’t be ripped apart by the Vikings…slow starvation as opposed to murder and pillage. If the Lords and Bishops didn’t do this (bail themselves out), they wouldn’t be able to resist the Vikings, would flee, and we would be left to rapine and slaughter. So wow, a choice between swift and slow death, nice.

    Sharon, you said: “…with all the power that we can hold in our hands, the memory of what is good about America, and a vision to put those pieces back together and with what remains of our country’s assets used to build something new, something that could potentially last us for generations.”

    That’s what we serfs have to do. We must combine our knowledge of the land, our trades and customs, the religions of our ancestors, and the old civic religion of America (Betsy Ross, George and the Cherry Tree, etc.), and the hearths of our families, and survive the hubris and evil of the upper classes that regard as cattle, as chattel, and as cannon fodder. Plainly put, what would Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin, FDR, Crispus Attucks, etc. do….if they were serfs and not overlords?

  14. Veganon 22 Sep 2023 at 12:27 pm

    Here’s a must-read for those with savings accounts in banks:

    The Point of No Return - Mike Whitney

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20811.htm

  15. risa bon 22 Sep 2023 at 12:43 pm

    Made the call, fwiw. Now back to the farm, to try and double crops next year.

    Sharon, your lovely book came. I’ve begun reading it on the bus. Thanks for writing it…

  16. Chileon 22 Sep 2023 at 12:44 pm

    Thank you, Sharon, for posting about this. I was shocked when my sweetie told me the language yesterday morning, which is why I also urged people to contact their congresspersons. Unless there is a great public uproar, though, I fear this will go right on through. And we all know just how apathetic most of the public is…

  17. Frostwolf in Troyon 22 Sep 2023 at 1:26 pm

    Sharon, like you I am also in New York, and Schumer’s comments … Well, I’ve never voted for the man. I have always felt that he was an equivocator. In fact, I’ve not voted for senate since 1996 in New York State. I disliked both Schumer and Moynihan, and fwiw, after Kerry threw in the towel, I have basically chosen to ignore national politics altogether. After the onset of the Gulf War disease, I stopped reading the New (Whore)k Times as well. My partner reads the Sunday Times, but I skim the Week in Review and the Arts section, scan the Styles section for the gay and lesbian marriages, and then turn to the Book Review and the Magazine. I can’t bring myself to spend a lot of time in ye aulde toxic stewe.

    The thing about fascism and top-down draconianism is that it has never worked in the past, and it’s not going to work now, and “man plans and the Goddess laughs,” you know? The operative definition of insanity (was it Einstein who came up with this?), that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results-that seems to be operating here. And quite honestly, I’m not sure exactly what our options are, though it does seem that we need to shake off the glamoury that has entranced our fellows to listen to “experts”.

    I heard Laurie Anderson’s latest last night in a concert at the Empire State Plaza “Egg” facility, and she had a song that was drippingly sarcastic about the “Experts.” (Heh-maybe Ick-spurts would be a better way to describe them?) She also had a piece where she reminded the audience of those old-style western movies where a fellow would burst into the saloon and scream out “There’s trouble in the mine!” and everyone would skedaddle out of there and go to the mine to he’p out.

    There’s trouble in the Mine, my friends.

    When will it be time for the pitchforks and the torches, if you ask me.

  18. ctdaffodilon 22 Sep 2023 at 2:07 pm

    At this rate - I’m going to homestead in Canada….at least for your high taxes you can get healthcare….although thats not without problems too.
    Why aren’t the Execs of these now belly up banks being held responsible? The rank and file brokers and traders are losing their jobs….but these execs still are getting nice fat checks….where does the buck stop?

  19. Anonymouson 22 Sep 2023 at 2:25 pm

    I wish someone would share their sample letter or phone call blurb. I’m not sure what to say and how to sound well informed and not just irate…

  20. Roberton 22 Sep 2023 at 3:04 pm

    Where can I squeeze myself in at the public trough? How come some of this money isn’t coming our way? I think that 10 years from now we will be in a new cold war. This time we will be the communist dictatorship and Russia will be the capitalists!

  21. Ailsa Ekon 22 Sep 2023 at 3:55 pm

    I called my senator and just said that I wanted to add my voice to those calling against the big corporate bailout. Short & simple, and I seem to have amused the receptionist.

  22. Robert Rothon 22 Sep 2023 at 6:39 pm

    Dear Anonymous: Ailsa Ek’s approach is lots better than nothing. I called one of my senators asking to speak with the person who is dealing with the Bush bailout, and the receptionist asked if I wanted to leave a message for the senator about it. I said I’m against it, & she was done. Sounds like it had become an issue on which so many people were calling that they were into counting yeas and nays and didn’t need anything else. But you could say that you want any bailout to help Main Street rather than Wall Street; and that those whose shenanigans have led to this crisis should be held responsible, and certainly not profit from it. Things are moving very quickly and there are lots of good ideas being floated, so just letting legislators know the public is aroused and watching them is worth alot, I think. If you want to understand more and say more you could read some of the blogs posted at the sites referred to by Sharon, and the articles mentioned in my comment, above. Something like this:

    All the bailout Paulson has proposed will do is create a crisis of confidence in the dollar and the federal debt markets. It will not stop the bubble economy from imploding. But it will cause interest rates to go through the roof just when we most need them to be brought down. And the federal government will be too broke to help those who really need and deserve it, i.e., the domestic population. We’re in for hard times regardless, but this bailout will only make it worse for most everyone. If there must be a bailout of Wall Street, that is, if the Treasury is going to buy all this toxic sludge, at least it shouldn’t wildly overpay. E.g., if a bank holds $1B. that it values on its own books at $800m. but nobody actually wants to buy, the government should by no means pay anything close to $800m. for it. $200m. is probably nearer the mark, but even $500m. (rather than $800m) would be preferable.

    I am not an Obama partisan, but I have the impression he’s said some pretty good things, calling the proposed bailout a price tag without a plan. You might check out Democracy for America and Democrats.com, both of which have also posted critiques addressed to this legislation.

  23. TheNormalMiddleon 22 Sep 2023 at 7:10 pm

    I just wish I could understand why we are not rioting in the streets about this—-everyone I talk to is outraged, but nobody is doing anything about our outrage.

    How do we make ourselves known and our outrage CLEAR to BOTH sides? (fyi—I don’t think either side is on the up and up when it comes to this stuff, so I try to stay away from being anti-republican or anti-dem or whatever)

  24. Daharjaon 22 Sep 2023 at 8:28 pm

    The United States is in for another bloody revolution. That’s pretty much inevitable.

    My recommendation: if you have children and the option exists for you, get the hell out NOW.

  25. wasteweardailyon 22 Sep 2023 at 9:12 pm

    Nice post Sharon. The 21 day chellenge is getting my rear in gear. How will all this end? Or is that all in your book?
    Cindy in FL

  26. graceon 22 Sep 2023 at 10:07 pm

    no…Daharja, you
    stand
    and face
    what you know.
    C. Pinkola Estes
    Women Who Run With the Wolves

    grace

  27. Danielleon 22 Sep 2023 at 10:18 pm

    FWIW, I posted my email on my blog here. I’d already emailed my representatives by Sunday afternoon, and I’m still continually yelling at my television set. I haven’t watched this much tv in more than 15 years. Was glad to see that the world hadn’t ended today while I was out harvesting beans.

    Thanks for your voice, Sharon.

  28. Noahon 23 Sep 2023 at 1:23 am

    You could also ask your representatives to force tougher financial qualifying requirements on borrowers (businesses and consumers), add tax incentives for consumer savings accounts, and prohibit all corporate donations to political campaigns for federal and state offices.

    I’d like to add the websites: projectcensored.org, prwatch.org, and corpwatch.org to anyone’s list of sites to visit.

    -Noah

  29. Lindaon 23 Sep 2023 at 5:25 am

    How I wish I had the gutsy righteous indignation that my anscestors (during the American Revolution) had!!!

  30. Anion 23 Sep 2023 at 6:16 am

    Yup- countless more zillions just evaporating into clear air(or into someone’s pocket perhaps?). I e-mailed both my Senators yesterday- one of them(Bernie Sanders) is being pretty vocal about his oposition -just got an e-mail newletter from his office with a petition to sign protesting this outrage. Of course it’s not like the small population of my state gets heard much but we are a bunch of agitators ;-).

    The whole thing is just amazing- have been watching it over the years as it built up to this- and now the feds are attempting to keep the party going or something- but it won’t work. They need to just let it all crumble- and then we will see what we have to work with and start from there. This way all they’re doing is feeding large amounts of cash to these companies, which will still end up being worthless piles of %#&!- and we’ll be out the cash- and no further ahead. We just need to let the dust clear- allow the losses to pile up as they will- and then perhaps federal money can be used in a sort of program as it was in the Great Depression- but this time to fund energy, infrastructure, weatherization, etc projects- gets needed work done and puts people to work -who will likely need the jobs after this whole mess takes down lots of companies. I personally relish the notion of the ex-CEO’s of AIG and Lehmans and such doing blower-door tests and insulating houses in the crappy subdivisions they made so much $$ on…..

  31. Lanceon 23 Sep 2023 at 8:41 am

    One of the things people have the most problems with is CEOs etc who got us into this mess through their greed and avarice walking away with millions more through golden parachutes in their contracts.

    Well I say one way around that is to do what companies and the fed have done in difficult cases with lower level people who are “problems” to make them so uncomfortable they quit and surrender benefits. Keep them on at their salary if there is no legal way out of the contracts, and keep them isolated and marginalized in a room in the basement licking stamps, sorting mail, and cleaning restrooms.

    Although I think contracts were in fact broken by the CEOs when the CEOs and such failed to maintain good faith in shepherding the assets and guarding the welfare of the nation, as both agents of their organizations and citizens of the U.S. Unfortunately, many of these people only see themselves as citizens when it suits their self-interest.

    As far as raising pitchforks and such in righteous citizen anger, the problem is that any such activity or even discussion of such activity would put such people under the category of terrorist under the Patriot Act etc., even though the founding fathers (read the inscriptions in the Jefferson Memorial) made it clear it is the right, even duty, of an American citizen to resist and change the government when it starts destroying their liberties and freedoms.

  32. Frostwolf in Troyon 23 Sep 2023 at 9:37 am

    Well, in response to the last post-

    Do you really want to live in fear? Do you want False Evidence Appearing Real/F*ck Everything & Run to rule your life? Did you Forget Everything’s All Right?

    Insted, can you Face Everything And Recover instead? Face Everything and Respond/Reclaim/Resist/Revolt? Whatever R word is appropriate?

    Can we Find Evolution Accepting Responsibly? I can spin acronyms of F.E.A.R. for days…

    I forget which Native American (Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull?) said it, but “It is better to die standing up than to live your life on your knees.” I don’t know if torches/pitchforks IS the answer or a response. It is a reaction, I understand. But anger and rage
    ARE
    appropriate here. When we start to band together, we become an awakening giant. It helps to find ways to channel this energy in meaningful and effective ways.

    Sorry to get a little loopy here for all of the “scientismists” (scientism being science fundamentalism as it were), we are all suffering from the effects of Neptune in Aquarius. Our abilities to monitor our boundaries and also to sense our group connections/solidarity has been beglamoured, befogged, anesthetized. Instead, collectively -for Neptune operates as a collective influence as a slow-moving planet-we are romanticizing “experts.” I prefer to call them “ick-spurts.” Now, I have the tendency myself to both romanticize and seek to be romanticized as an ick-spurt. Hence I’m exposing it in the spirit of In-Lakech. In the spirit of turning into “Ecke-Spirits.” (Ecke is German for “corner.” To be a spirit of turning the corner, eh?)

  33. remember the Patriot Act….? | Dismantle Civilisationon 23 Sep 2023 at 10:17 am

    […] Asks Sharon Astyk. Ok, anyone remember the Patriot Act, you know that thing that Congress signed because we’d just had a great big disaster and everyone was scared and accomodating because they didn’t know what else to do? Remember how nobody really even read it, and it didn’t do jackshit to reduce the problem of terrorism, but it did do a whole lot to reduce democracy in the US? That is, it worked out to ensure that we and our grandchildren will be suffering from the undermining of every principle we valued, but did nothing useful. Sound vaguely familiar? Guess what - we’ve got a new Patriot Act. […]

  34. Noahon 23 Sep 2023 at 7:48 pm

    Here’s the e-mail I sent my congressman:

    Congressman, please vote against the Paulson plan. In it’s current form, it does not give the government ownership of the banks from which it buys mortgage-backed securities. Instead, it promises windfall profits for investment institutions that behaved irresponsibly, and also promises that future risk-taking by those institutions (in partnership with the US Treasury) will go uncompromised.

    Sincerely,

    Noah Scales

  35. TheNormalMiddleon 23 Sep 2023 at 7:56 pm

    Well, I figured out the answer to my own question. I now know why we aren’t out rioting in the streets with pitchforks and all—-we, the middle class, are too busy WORKING to take a day off and riot.

    I’m so outraged, and so is everyone I talk to—-and I’m not just talking on one side of the political aisle. EVERYONE seems outraged, scared, mad, frustrated, or a combo of them all.

    And nothing is happening.

    Frustrating!!!!

  36. TH in SoCon 23 Sep 2023 at 10:07 pm

    I emailed both my senators and two of my congressmen today. I let ‘em have it! Participatory democracy seems to be having an effect.

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