Mitt Romney: Mr. Tough Guy

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P of UT:

What surprises me most is that you are from Utah--the state of Utah where UTAH college students (human citizens), and Robert Redford, a human citizen of Utah, demanded to know why President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney allowed the leasing of U.S. Government Land for lumbering, drilling, and mining corporations, and granted them the right to lease the land without the due process that leasing Wilderness Land is to be accorded? Where was Democracy represented in this scenario? It was represented by concerned human citizens of Utah. Who voted on this President's and this Vice-President's decision to disregard this due process? By the tone of your comment, I am going to guess that Democracy is not on your list of the kind of government you want to represent you.

Are you saying, then, that because corporations employ millions of people, it is a corporate right (now that corporations are citizens of the U.S.) to dissolve the rights of the human voters of this nation, and leave the "democratic process" solely to the corporations and those government representatives and ex-representatives who accept publicly-undisclosed money via tax-free foundations)?

I am reminded of the movie, Seven Days in May, made in 1964, and fictional, but completely realistic in theme (now even more realistic, after reading your comment) when the military decided it was in the interests of the American public to take over the U.S. Government. The problem, as pointed out in this movie, however, was that the military was NOT elected to represent the people of this country. You are dismantling a representative, Democratic government; and demanding, an Oligarchy.

Shall the American HUMAN people just accept that an Oligarchy is what corporations intend us to be, and we should just "let go" of any democracy and democratic principles that we have left? Why don't corporations and those American Government Representatives who now pledge allegiance to corporate policy, announce they will "branch out" into forming "model legislation" for the Federal Government, and just let us know "right up front" that human beings, although still citizens of the U.S.A., are unnecessary in a Ruling U.S. Oligarchy?

ann keenan of MI 4:21AM August 26, 2011

J of OK;

"A corporation is not a person." I am trying to get my head around this statement. Are you serious? On January 21, 2010, corporations became American citizens. As American "citizens," corporations DO have the right to vote, and to their even greater advantage, they have the right (and the money) to donate an unlimited amount of money to any candidate that a corporation chooses.

Why do corporations want political candidates who are willing to end the EPA? Do you think that corporations want fair taxing of the billions made by corporations? The U.S. gave corporations the freedom to thrive in this country, why would we ever think corporations are grateful for the opportunities we afforded them? Will a corporation donate money to a candidate who also recognizes voters who are human citizens, and have the best interests of we human citizens, in mind? Would a corporation encourage you to read the Hirsch Report? Would a corporation advise you to read about the global climate change and pollution reports repressed/concealed during the G.W. Bush Administration?

Are you thinking that corporations are now buying the world's water supplies for the benefit of you, the human, American citizens? If you think your town, city, state, country provides you with their own water supply, you may not know about the "Water Wars." Are you aware of the corporations, oil industrialists, and politically-savvy national leaders who are now buying up the world's water supplies?

We will run out of oil in the next 20 years, but now the oil corporations and oil industrialists have time to "switch" from oil profits to water profits, while all of us wonder how it happened.

Are you aware of the influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) on your vote? If you are NOT a Senator, Representative, Governor, Corporate CEO, on a Corporate Board of Directors, a Corporate Owner, a Lobbyist and/or an ex-Senator, ex-Representative, ex-Governor, but a working, wage-earning human citizen, you do NOT have any say or any vote on the legislation that the American Legislate Exchange Council offers and puts through at the state level. What Mitt Romney announced the other day is completely true: corporations ARE people, "my friends." There is a problem here, though. We, the HUMAN citizens of the United States, my friends, do NOT have a vote in ALEC's agenda. This is NOT a Democracy when human citizens have no vote in our own destiny.

By the way, for the person who wrote me that they never heard of ALEC; there are over one million "hits" on the Internet about ALEC. If you never heard of it, you do not WANT to hear of it--it is another instance of one more frightening example of the loss of Democracy in the United States of America, and it is something too difficult to contemplate. Corporate greed, as warned by Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson, will destroy this country.

ann keenan of MI 5:19PM August 24, 2011

They cannot vote in an election. They cannot hold office. They cannot spend time in jail. They cannot get married. Until recently, they could not spend money on political campaigns. Corporations are made of people, but they are not people.

J of OK 5:53PM August 14, 2011

then why does a large corporation's opinion count more than mine or a small business corporation like P of Utah? Large corporations are more efficient, which is a good quality, but they employ less people through efficiency. I'm in college for business and when I see the results of tax loopholes that allow corporate multi-nationals to post billions in quarterly profit; the government bail out banks, agricultural organizations, and automakers for their own lack of business innovation; and, in general, stimulate fictional entities rather than real people, I wonder whose side republicans and democrats are on? It's not my side, P's side, or JB's side. The real problem isn't what politicians and corporations are or are not doing. The problem is our ignorance to the fact that all organizations have more power over citizens because there are no organizations for citizens, unless you count corporations as citizens. I know this because the arguments from citizens that cover each side encompass the same source. If you want the system to stop harassing you, then it's up to you, as an independent and fearless citizen, to stop the system. If you don't understand what that means or think it can't be done then ask.

Tim of FL 1:46PM August 13, 2011

Yeah, corporations are people! Some of Romney's best buddies are corporations: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Time Warner...

6annon of CA 2:31PM August 12, 2011

Mitt Romney is a responsible, mature and focused candidate with the experience this country needs to stabilize and grow our economy. At this point, his executive experience in a predominantly liberal state only adds credence to his appeal as President. Let us hope that the electorate realizes that these strengths are what we need to take our country back. Even more is the whispering that he may choose Marco Rubio as his VP. In that case and if we all stand with them, the MR team will be unbeatable. Beware of the Texas swagger of Rick Perry. His conservative image is very calculated. He is also one of only two Governors who is a member of the Bildebergs. He also worked on Al Gore's campaign when he was a Democrat and then became a "born again" christian- how trustworthy is that?

Ruby of FL 2:17PM August 12, 2011

Comments like JB's are frustrating to those of us who own businesses and have put our lives and livelihood on the line. Corporations employ millions of Americans. The mere fact that a company is structured as a corporation does not make it evil. The fact is that corporations can employ 12 people (like mine) or thousands of people (like a Fortune 100). But, like a two-year-old, JB seems to believe that money just grows and trees and drops out of the sky if your business is a corporation. He is fine with the corporation being taxed and then distributing salaries to employees who are taxed again. If my company was an LLC, we would only be taxed once. The reality is that my corporation turns every cent of "profit" back into development after paying rather reasonable salaries to employees. Why should it be taxed twice, JB? Perhaps you would be willing to tell us how you earn your living, because I am guessing that your money just magically appears in the form of a government check.

P of UT 1:15PM August 12, 2011

Watch the whole speech/exchange. Romney was on fire. People like to pick and choose what they hear from him, but he has a very complete view of affairs. Some misguided people also think of him as somehow being an insider. But the fact is, despite spending a lot of his hard-earned fortune on his bid last time, he was marginalized by the establishment -- because he didn't have enough friends behind the scenes. It was a very Reagan vs Ford year in 2008. Ford got the nomination and Carter beat him handily in 2008. But if Romney keeps communicating like this, Reagan could be back in 2012.

Wasn't a fan when he first arrived. I'm coming around.

Mark of WA 12:41PM August 12, 2011

It's pretty clear who U.S. News and World Report is voting for...since U.S. News and World Report is a person too, right?

What some people don't get is that if corporations get their way, the world is not going to be a fun place. Security will get tighter as regular people turn desperate for resources. It's going to be one very small paranoid bunch of individuals holding on to all they have until they get overtaken by everyone. It will be hard to sleep at night without drugs. You will be troubled. You will know you are gripped with greed like a junkie is gripped with a drug addiction. You will know it is because your lack of care for anyone but yourself that the rest of the population whithers. Is that your legacy?

I must say to you as I would a two-year-old child, you must share. These toys belong to everyone. It will be more fun this way, trust me. And what does a two-year-old get when they don't listen?

JB of VA 12:40PM August 12, 2011

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Ken Walsh's Washington

A longtime chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, Kenneth T. Walsh has covered five presidents beginning with Ronald Reagan. Along with other U.S. News writers, he continues to provide insight into the White House of Barack Obama and the world of presidential campaigns.

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