Friday, December 9, 2011

Thom Hartmann: Dangerous times for Democracy?

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In a crisis - we're seeing democracy die in Europe. Led by France and Germany - a new treaty was worked out between Eurozone nations in an effort to halt the growing financial crisis sweeping the continent. The treaty - written mostly by banksters - imposes strict new rules on individual European nations including: capping how high annual budget deficits can run - agreeing to "automatic consequences" if deficits get too high - changing national constitutions - and forcing contributions to a continental bailout slush fund. In other words - handing over national sovereignty to bankster rules.
The new treaty was too much for the U.K. - as Prime Minister David Cameron refused to sign on to it - meaning it will have to be a treaty among Euro nations individually - and not one binding the Eurozone as a whole. A year ago - if you would have asked the proud people in Italy - if their elected Prime Minister could be replaced by an unelected bankster to impose harsh austerity measures on them without a single vote - they would have called you crazy. Similarly - if you would have asked the Greeks - the cradle of democracy - if their elected Prime Minister could be run out of office for just asking for a national referendum on a bailout - and replaced by a bankster - they too would have called you crazy. Yet - that's exactly what's happened - and is continuing to happen in Europe.
Democracy is under attack around the world - including the United States - where Republican Governor Rick Snyder in Michigan has given himself the power to appoint unelected "financial managers" to take over cities struggling with budget deficits - fire elected city council officials - void union contracts - and sell off large chunks of cities to private corporations. Other Republican governors are thinking this is a good idea.
These are very dangerous times.
-Thom
(Will America follow suit? Tell us here.)

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