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COMMENTARY
In theory, the ballot box is the focal point of democracy and free speech that enables verious alternative courses of action to be discussed and informed decisions made. But the system has been fouled and money distorts everything. With money, advertising can be bought, and in turn ideas get polluted and there is no forum for rebuttal of misinformation. With money an elected official can be influenced in ways that were never anticipated by the electorate. The Occupy Movement understands these issues and wants them fixed. The establishment with money is very happy with the status quo and does not intend to lift a finger to change the way things are. It is to be expected that neither side is going to give up quietly.
Peter Burgess
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John Kellden - 9:55 AM - Extended circles
Design Flaw: First Amendment For Sale - Going, going...gone?
Right now, there's a man in NYC who believes that one hundred million USD
carries more weight than the First Amendment.
#OWS #democracy #movement #firstamendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to: navigation, search. 'First Amendment' redirects here. For other uses, see First Amendment (...
Jeff Markel - And this morning in Zuccotti Park, he was proved correct.
So long, 1st amendment - 'twas nice to have known you.
10:12 AM
John Kellden - +Jeff Markel yeah, it's a low point in history. Still, what might emerge out of all this could be one Global Democracy Boot Camp. The activists have planted the seeds. Now for citizen media to provide fertile soil.
10:20 AM
Jeff Markel - It's not just breaking up the encampment that rankles - it's that press was barred from the site, and even the airspace above the park was declared off-limits, so no news helicopters could film.
10:52 AM
John Kellden - +Jeff Markel fully agree. I've been following some journalists. They're live-tweeting NYC and Zucotti Park as we speak. When reading, I can feel they are sad. It much more resembles a military operation than police there to serve and protect. I can't help wondering what those guys in riot gear feel about the whole thing. Some of the #OWS people have a valid court order in their hands. Protecting and seving, what exactly?
10:58 AM
Peter Burgess - +John Kellden +Jeff Markel I have not quite got my head around the police operation at Zuccotti Park last night. While this was going on I was trying to listen in on events in Syria and Yemen where the regimes are maintaining control with violence. I was also trying to stay up-to-date on the Occupies that are all over the USA. Has there been a concerted effort by the mayors to stifle the movement? As a Brit I am always mindful that the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi were more powerful than the guns of British soldiers! The ideas of the Occupy Movement are not going to die any time soon!
12:29 PM - Edit
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