“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the U.S. since the days of Andrew Jackson. History depicts Andrew Jackson as the last truly honorable and incorruptible American president.”

I think that the following is needed, a pettion to repeal the 16th Amendment:

Dear: (Your Senator & Representative),

A study done by the General Accounting Office reported that 60 percent of American Corporations paid no income taxes between 1996 and 2000, and during that five-year span 70 percent of foreign corporations operating in the United States paid no taxes. All the While, the average taxpayer who earned $45,000.00 paid $4,500.00 in federal income taxes, and when State, and Local taxes are added they pay over four months wages to meet their tax obligations. Therefore, under my rights given by the first amendment to the constitution “…to petition the government for a redress of grievances”. I am asking you to sponsor legislation to repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution and to replace it with a new Amendment that will say “No tax or levy shall be placed upon a persons income or declared homestead.”

I thank you for your consideration and hope that you will take this action to relieve the burden from the middle class workers who are the backbone of the nation.

Sincerely,

Signed________________________ date______
Address__________________________________
City ___________________________Zip_______

The quote was appropriate in the 30s but today we could add many more institutions other than financial: e.g. pharmaceutical, energy, insurance, etc. FDR could not have anticipated what the government has become in the past few years. I feel financial institutions have become less of a problem since Roosevelt and are quite adequately regulated.

Our government is for sale to all bidders.

A statement obvious to any but the die-hard swallowers of the lies of the ignorant right.

But Jack, all those you named ARE financial institutions.

People like Jack will destroy us. What a fool.

I think I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna play their game no more -- and Green Jack, those corporations are happy to work with the banks, they have similar greedy ends.

Interesting stuff, but if it's true what can be done about it? Dave says he's "not gonna play their game anymore". Really? How? Is your real name Morpheus? No, you must be Neo.

very accurate

Swoop, I don't know the complete answer to your question but I do know your attitude will ensure nothing is done about it. If it's true?!

Support Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill by phoning or writing your Representative. Because its the (mystery) people who own the Fed that give "our government" its marching orders. Doesn't matter who you vote for either.

The United States is rotten to the core - our people, politicians and presidents - and we're on our deathbed. Fascist Europe will simply deal us the death blow unless we quickly remember our Hebrew roots and biblical responsibilites (2 Chron. 7:14). www.davidbenariel.org

Every government has been for sale since private individuals or groups have had the money to bribe and influence politicians. Prior to any Capitalist system this has been the status quo. Refer to your history books on Europe, monarchs and their courts were always up for sale. The titles and models of government have changed but nothing else has changed that much in respect of this quote.

If I had my way corporations would pay 0% income tax. Corporations that are forced to pay high taxes take their operations abroad and with them jobs Americans need. In the end, corporations are owned by investors (you and I either directly or through our retirement funds) who in turn pay taxes on the dividends. Why should the government get two dips into the same money? To those who say the corporations wield too much power, why should they or unions have the same right to free speech that individuals do? In fact, many are owned or heavily influenced by foreign investors who I believe are forbidden to make campaign contributions. Corporations and unions of themselves are not people and not protected by the Bill of Rights. In my mind they have no claim on being able to influence elections through financial contributions to candidates. (On the other hand I would not restrict their ability to publicize their positions ■ just not to make campaign contributions.) I realize it is much more complicated than that, but basically, I can■t understand their being treated the same as the humans that the Bill of Rights was created for.

And it is even truer today. I am afraid Anonymous from Raleigh has been duped by the left -- the Obama administration are all Wall Streeters. Goldman Sachs practically runs the place along with other Federal Reserve cronies. It is all too obvious to those of us who have been trying to warn people for the last decade -- it is not about right or left wing ideology, it is about the power to print up money and buy the world with it. And we watch idly by...

I believe a Latina woman would come to a better conclusion than a white male

Why? That sounds kind of rascist to me!

I think that the companies that are making this country great would be grateful for restraints placed on their corrupt competition.