Re: Re: Bush Unveiling Religious-Based Plan

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/4/01 5:35:05 PM Pacific Standard Time,

watts_pete@... writes:

<< You correclty addressed your reply to Stuart, but the quote appeared

to come from me. It didnt.

P.

> In a message dated 2/2/01 12:24:06 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> watts_pete@h... did not write:

>

> << properly

> > appreciative of the charity provided by their betters. >>

>

> Stuart. Call me silly. I have this fundamental sense of human

beings all

> having the same worth or value. Not talent, not skills, not

so-called

> intelligence (which CANNOT be measure in univariately) ---but prized

equally

> in humaness.

>

> The poorest of the poor, the neediest of the needy would tell you to

take

> your betterness and your charity and shove it. thank you. Piper.

>>

So noted P. Thanks. Piper.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/5/01 2:44:27 PM Pacific Standard Time, dixie@...

writes:

<< Here's another view on the democracy/socialism/communism thread:

Corporate Democracy; Civic Disrespect

By K. Galbraith

>>

Interesting Dixie, thanks. I'm having a difficult time watching the

telly, reading the newspaper of the Nation at this point. <<agrieved>>

Piper.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/5/01 2:44:27 PM Pacific Standard Time, dixie@...

writes:

<< Here's another view on the democracy/socialism/communism thread:

Corporate Democracy; Civic Disrespect

By K. Galbraith

>>

Interesting Dixie, thanks. I'm having a difficult time watching the

telly, reading the newspaper of the Nation at this point. <<agrieved>>

Piper.

[Guest guest]

Here's another view on the democracy/socialism/communism thread:

Corporate Democracy; Civic Disrespect

By K. Galbraith

With the events of late in the year 2000, the United States

left behind constitutional republicanism, and turned to a

different form of government. It is not, however, a new form.

It is, rather, a transplant, highly familiar from a different

arena of advanced capitalism. This is corporate democracy. It

is a system whereby a Board of Directors --read Supreme Court--

selects the Chief Executive Officer.

The CEO in turn appoints new members of the Board. The share-

holders, owners in title only, are invited to cast their votes

in periodic referenda. But their franchise is only symbolic,

for management holds a majority of the proxies. On no important

issue do the CEO and the Board ever permit themselves to lose.

The Supreme Court clarified this in a way that the Florida

courts could not have. The media have accepted it, for it is

the form of government to which they are already professionally

accustomed. And the shameless attitude of the W. Bush

high command merely illustrates, in unusually visible fashion,

the prevalent ethical system of corporate life.

Al Gore's concession speech was justly praised for grace

and humor. It paid due deference to the triumph of corporate

political ethics, but did not embrace them. It thus preserved

Gore for another political day -- the obvious intention. But

Gore also sent an unmistakable message to American democrats:

Do not forget.

It was an important warning, for almost immediately forgetting

became the media order of the day. Overnight, it became almost

un-American not to accept the dictate of the Court. Or to be

precise, Gore's own distinction became holy writ: One might

disagree with the Court, but not with the legitimacy of its

decision. Press references from that moment forward were to

President-elect Bush, an unofficial title and something that

the Governor from Texas (President-select? President-designate?)

manifestly is not.

The key to dealing with the Bush people, however, is precisely

not to accept them. Like most Americans, I have nothing personal

against Bush, Dick Cheney, nor against Colin and the

others now surfacing as members of the new administration. But

I will not reconcile myself to them. They lost the election.

Then they arranged to obstruct the count of the vote. They

don't deserve to be there, and that changes everything.

They have earned our civic disrespect, and that is what we,

the people, should accord them. In social terms, civic disrespect

means that the illegitimacy of this administration must not be

allowed to fade from view. The conventions of politics remain:

Bush will be president; Congress must work with him. But those

of us outside that process are not bound by those conventions,

and to the extent that we have a voice, we should use it.

In political practice, civic disrespect means drawing lines

around the freedom of maneuver of the incoming administration.

In many areas, including foreign policy, there will be few major

changes; in others such as annual budgets and appropriations,

compromises will have to be reached. But Bush should be opposed

on actions whose reach will extend beyond his actual term.

[Guest guest]

Here's another view on the democracy/socialism/communism thread:

Corporate Democracy; Civic Disrespect

By K. Galbraith

With the events of late in the year 2000, the United States

left behind constitutional republicanism, and turned to a

different form of government. It is not, however, a new form.

It is, rather, a transplant, highly familiar from a different

arena of advanced capitalism. This is corporate democracy. It

is a system whereby a Board of Directors --read Supreme Court--

selects the Chief Executive Officer.

The CEO in turn appoints new members of the Board. The share-

holders, owners in title only, are invited to cast their votes

in periodic referenda. But their franchise is only symbolic,

for management holds a majority of the proxies. On no important

issue do the CEO and the Board ever permit themselves to lose.

The Supreme Court clarified this in a way that the Florida

courts could not have. The media have accepted it, for it is

the form of government to which they are already professionally

accustomed. And the shameless attitude of the W. Bush

high command merely illustrates, in unusually visible fashion,

the prevalent ethical system of corporate life.

Al Gore's concession speech was justly praised for grace

and humor. It paid due deference to the triumph of corporate

political ethics, but did not embrace them. It thus preserved

Gore for another political day -- the obvious intention. But

Gore also sent an unmistakable message to American democrats:

Do not forget.

It was an important warning, for almost immediately forgetting

became the media order of the day. Overnight, it became almost

un-American not to accept the dictate of the Court. Or to be

precise, Gore's own distinction became holy writ: One might

disagree with the Court, but not with the legitimacy of its

decision. Press references from that moment forward were to

President-elect Bush, an unofficial title and something that

the Governor from Texas (President-select? President-designate?)

manifestly is not.

The key to dealing with the Bush people, however, is precisely

not to accept them. Like most Americans, I have nothing personal

against Bush, Dick Cheney, nor against Colin and the

others now surfacing as members of the new administration. But

I will not reconcile myself to them. They lost the election.

Then they arranged to obstruct the count of the vote. They

don't deserve to be there, and that changes everything.

They have earned our civic disrespect, and that is what we,

the people, should accord them. In social terms, civic disrespect

means that the illegitimacy of this administration must not be

allowed to fade from view. The conventions of politics remain:

Bush will be president; Congress must work with him. But those

of us outside that process are not bound by those conventions,

and to the extent that we have a voice, we should use it.

In political practice, civic disrespect means drawing lines

around the freedom of maneuver of the incoming administration.

In many areas, including foreign policy, there will be few major

changes; in others such as annual budgets and appropriations,

compromises will have to be reached. But Bush should be opposed

on actions whose reach will extend beyond his actual term.