We Need An Alternative To The Democrats And GOP
By Timothy V. Gatto
05 October, 2010
Countercurrents.org
When I attended the One Nation Rally on October 2, I was gratified that the public has become so aware of the corporate control that has gripped both political parties. The graft, the campaign financing using practices such as “bundling” donations, the offers of employment at lobbying firms should a politician retire or lose his or her seat and the many “perks” offered to members of Congress like hunting trips, vacations and country club memberships just to name a few. As I mentioned before, it was gratifying because I have been writing about this for the last five years and it has only become an issue that the bulk of people know about for the last two years.
Many of my articles were printed at the bottom of the page on the many sites that carry my work. I guess that when I started writing about corporate control of our republic, that issue wasn’t very sexy or thrilling. Still, it was to me and I’m glad I never quit writing about it.
I’ve been thinking of late about how to break free of the influence of that the corporations have on American politics. I believe that one must understand the complexities that plague this issue. Corporations have picked up First Amendment rights and are considered “people” by the courts. Even though this stemmed from a clerk’s erroneous notations on a railroad right of way court case in the 1890’s, the ruling has stuck. We are now at a position where most politicians don’t want to upset the applecart and risk the big corporate donations, perks and graft to dry up. This includes both major political parties in the U.S.
After witnessing the One Nation Rally this week-end, I had my “Eureka!” moment. As I gazed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looked at the crowd, I saw all the Union representatives in different colored union member’s shirts. I said to myself, this is your answer. When you think about what I’m about to propose, in my mind it’s really a no-brainer. I’ll bet that there are readers that are reading these words right now that know what I’m about to propose.
Since the corporations control the government (and I mean exactly that) it really makes no sense that the labor unions of this nationshould support the Democratic Party. Ask yourself this simple question; why should unions support a political party that is in the control of corporate interests that the unions were designed to thwart in the first place? How can the unions get better pay and benefits for its workers when the political party they support is controlled by management? This isn’t rocket scientist stuff, folks, it’s just a simple question with a simple answer…they shouldn’t. Especially when you consider that many corporations are trans-national corporations that could care less about the plight of the American worker! It is utter nonsense to support a political party that is in bed with the management of corporate entities that the unions must deal with in the support of their workers. Does that make any sense?
Therefore I am proposing that the unions themselves start thinking about starting a labor party in the United States. This labor party could exist with the network that unions have already established. This party would eschew corporate funding and exist from the dues of union workers and the general public that is tired of the corporate control that exists over the Democratic Party today. Progressives, Socialists, Liberals and people that just want a stake in honest government could contribute to this American Labor Party. When circumstances dictate, the Labor Party could work in a coalition with the Democrats to achieve shared goals.
I have often proposed that this nation needs more than just two major political parties. It’s ludicrous to imagine that the plight of the many can be addressed by only two political parties that are nothing more than two-sides of the same coin, forgetting the rhetoric they use to divide us, sadly, that is what they are. Where’s “The Change” that Obama promised us? The only change we received was from one corporate political party to the other.
I’m sending this article to every union I can find. Union members should broach this subject with their delegates. It may be too late to do anything during this election, so hold your nose and vote for the Democrat not of your choice. It’s been decades since we got to vote for anyone except the lesser of two evils. We are sophisticated enough to change that. We owe it to our kids. We need to end these foreign wars, stop outsourcing American jobs and make sure that the 80% of American workers share more than 7% of the wealth of this great nation.
It’s not enough to yell out of your windows that “We are sick and tired and we are not going to take it anymore!” We need a plan. You have just seen it.
[email protected] Read Tim's books at Oliver Arts and Open Press. His new book, Contempt to Outrage can now be pre-ordered.
