Robert Reich: Has the 1 percent committed treason?

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/2013/07/12/has_the_1_percent_committed_treason_partner/

Has the 1 percent committed treason?
A small group of extremely wealthy people are systematically destroying the US government
By Robert Reich


Permit me an impertinent question (or three).

Suppose a small group of extremely wealthy people sought to systematically destroy the U.S. government by (1) finding and bankrolling new candidates pledged to shrinking and dismembering it; (2) intimidating or bribing many current senators and representatives to block all proposed legislation, prevent the appointment of presidential nominees, eliminate funds to implement and enforce laws, and threaten to default on the nation’s debt; (3) taking over state governments in order to redistrict, gerrymander, require voter IDs, purge voter rolls, and otherwise suppress the votes of the majority in federal elections; (4) running a vast PR campaign designed to convince the American public of certain big lies, such as climate change is a hoax, and (5) buying up the media so the public cannot know the truth.

Would you call this treason?

If not, what would you call it?

And what would you do about it?

[bemildred]

1. They do not recognize any loyalty to political states, I thought that was obvious.

They are loyal to money and will do what money demands.

[90-percent]

2. post needs reinforcement

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3224880

-90% Jimmy

[Dustlawyer]

3. K&R! I have been on a 1 person crusade to fight for COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR)!

With CCFR we can make publicly funded elections a reality which will make it much harder for the 1% to control our politicians. This would solve many of our problems once we have Representative Democracy again!
We need some nationally respected people to get on this bandwagon (of 1), as well as a few million other people! Who is with me?
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" " Germans? Pearl Harbor?" "Forget it he is on a roll!" (Animal House reference)
The U.S. Chamber (of horrors) of Commerce is largely responsible for a 35 year campaign to install a shadow government which now controls all 3 branches of government and the media! CCFR is the only thing which can break this up. It will be the mother of all battles because they will not give up and they cheat!

[CanonRay]

4. I believe this to be true

they tried a coup against Roosevelt in the 30's and it failed. They have learned, and it is working. Kudos to Robert Reich for putting this out in the open. 'Course, the media will label him a left wing crazy, if they ever have to report it at all.

[99Forever]

5. It is without any doubt, treason.

Yet, our "Democratic leaders" do absolutely nothing about it.

Why is that?

[onenote]

20. Because they read and follow the Constitution

and its not "treason" as very narrowly defined in the Constitution.

[PATRICK]

6. Treason

and if they missed something don't tell them. They'll do anything possible with the power they have.

[truebluegreen]

7. No question in my mind.

[Demeter]

8. I'd call it a coup

and passive resistance, refusal to go along, grassroots organizations to counter the coup and reinstate the government, vetting all candidates for office...election finance regulation, an absolute ban on corporate lobbying in any form, including a swearing of non-affiliation by any private citizen who petitions the govt. and by any candidate standing for office, and any potential appointee.

All the stuff we should have been doing for a century or more....

[valerief]

9. It's only treason if the 1% call it treason. What the 99% says doesn't matter in the U.S.

Clearly.

[mountain grammy]

10. ok, I'll call it treason, but fascism will work as well.

[usaf-vet]

11. As every veteran knows...

... we were warned at the time of our enlistment oath the we had to defend against domestic enemies as well as foreign.

Most of us probably never realized that the threat, that the enemy,... that would dismantle our democracy was in fact the enemy from within. This domestic enemy has deliberately worked to dismantled our Constitutional rights. All are on the chopping block. Except of course for the second amendment... "the altar at which they pray".

[NuclearDem]

32. Spot on.

Also, welcome to DU! Glad to see another AF vet here.

[cali]

12. I'm not sure it matters what you call it

and I'm not sure what can be done about it.

[BlueJazz]

17. I wrote a post about this subject and detailed what is probably...

...I repeat, probably, the only way a lot of the damage could be undone...since the powers-that-be control just about every form of
means that could undo the "treasonous actions".

Of course, it was alerted...sent to jury and hidden. I don't blame the people on the jury.
My post was harsh..very harsh, even I found some of it repulsive, but necessary ...sigh.

[rhett o rick]

29. Here is another thread that the BOG wont touch. nm

[hue]

13. YES! They execute their plan in a premeditated, systematic/strategic way.

While the 99% are working and focused on survival; paying bills and putting food on the table etc. the 1% have little else to do than plan and execute their domination of financial/economic structures with no regard for the consequences to our world/planet and its inhabitants. Of course this is not only happening in the U.S. but in every country in our world.
Yet the U.S. of A. was "born" in order to overcome this kind fascist oligarchy.
We overcame it once--we can overcome them again. Awareness is the 1st step--hence their effort to suppress and control the news/information.
For me one of their most sickening activities is the implementation of puppets/placeholders as government and media representatives or conduits.
Their stupidity is almost unreal to me. Faux news and Michele Bachmann a few examples.

[marmar]

14. k/r

[I hate liars]

15. We need to remove the incentives for the 1 percent's treason...

...by, among other things, reinstating the "death tax", upper tax brackets for high-income individuals, and some kind of minimum alternative tax for corporations. Without these elements, both individuals and corporations have incentives to hoard wealth and pass it on to a privileged few. And use that wealth to lobby for favorable laws and lax enforcement of unfavorable ones.

With these elements, we can begin to approach a true "level playing field" for all Americans.

Clearly, none of that can happen until the influence of money on elections and political decisions is minimized. So that's where we need to start.

[ctaylors6]

16. I wish

that when someone talks about something like treason they would at least distinguish between the top .1% (or even the top .5%) and many of the others in the bottom of the top 1%. It takes income of about $350,000 to be in the top 1%. That's a HUGE amount of money, but I don't think it's enough for admittance into the power cabal.

In fact, there must be some term to talk about the group that he really means. Because I don't think he's talking about money per se; I think he's talking about power and that kind of money that equals real power.

Sorry if that's a small nitpick, but while I think my cardiologist and her dr husband live very nicely, I don't think they're what he's talking about.

[BlueJazz]

18. Very good Point.

[salib]

26. But it is a nitpick

I am in that 1% but do not take offense. The phrase top one percent makes sense and is clear. It is very few people in comparison with the 99% and so offending the few who are not the target is nitpicking.

But perhaps that was your point as I have already wasted valuable time pecking out this message on my phone.

[nebenaube]

30. TPTB

[hootinholler]

19. It's not treason

Which has a very narrow definition in the constitution. It's not sedition because it is not inciting people to revolt. It is however subversion, but I'm not sure we have laws to deal with that.

[onenote]

21. +1

[nebenaube]

31. Isn't there the anti-sedition act? n/t

[duffyduff]

22. Thanks to Washington policies favoring the rich

too few people have too much money and too much free time on their hands, and they are destroying the country in the process.

They are of all political persuasions. These scumbags include Peter J. Peterson, Bill Gates, the Kochs, the Waltons, Eli Broad, and many others.

They need to be jailed and have all of their assets seized.

[tavalon]

23. Does this question actually need to be asked and if so, then yes, is the answer.

[Warpy]

24. I've said so for a very long time

that Norquist is a treasonous bastard who belongs on trial for his stated aim of destroying the US government. I can think of no other government that would have tolerated him long.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

25. Yes. Economic treason.

By them.

And by the politicians that they bought -- with campaign contributions, by the employment of family members, by the employment of their friends, and by express or implied future employment of the politicians when they leave office.

[think]

27. K&R Thank you Robert Reich for breaking the ice...

[Egalitarian Thug]

28. Why would they hesitate to take any steps they determined necessary? They already got away

with it numerous times before. The parasite class will not ever allow one of their own to pay for their crimes.