During the 2010 election – like many of you – I was a door-knocker for a local candidate running for state legislature. During that election I ran into a situation that I had not run into in the decades (yes, decades) of political work that I have done – and that was , being called a communist. I’m not the kind of person to get in verbal altercations with people – so usually as I was walking away, my middle finger would be prominent under my campaign materials – but every time it happened, it took a piece of my political soul with it. Words – by themselves – have strong meaning, to many.
Yesterday Kossak Pensador wrote a diary on fascism on DKos – the fact that he referred to his writings as possibly being “conspiracy theory” left me dismayed. I read it and walked away – trying to formulate my thinking for a comment. I came back and read it again and walked away to re-formulate my comment and when I came back to make a comment – the diary was gone – and I was disappointed – because this discussion needs to happen – now, better than later.
I pondered why it was gone. I have had diaries where the comments went downhill the minute it was posted – and I thought about deleting them, but I just let the First Amendment run its course. Maybe the word fascism brings out the worst in some people – maybe people don’t want to even consider that fascism is a relevant topic in today’s political scene – I truly hope that the deletion of the diary was not requested by someone else.
Fascism is a concern in the United States and we need to take it seriously. Based on my research of materials distributed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), we are getting closer to fascist state than you would like to imagine.
I think it is really important for everyone to understand that:
ALEC says what it means and means what it says.
As casual observers of ALEC, we may miss the intentional nuances of the materials that ALEC has produced for decades. ALEC knows what they want and up to this point they have been pretty damn successful in getting what they want.
Legislators and Corporations
ALEC serves as a liaison between the interests of these companies and its legislative members. (1983 ALEC Annual Meeting Program)
And this
ALECs free market, pro-business position stands for lower excise taxes. (Sam Brunelli in a letter to ALEC members 1992)
And this
Throughout these twenty years, we have experienced many successes, due in no small measure to the increasingly significant resources and talent provided by the ALEC private sector membership in task force settings and other valuable meetings and conferences. (1993 ALEC Annual Meeting Program Ronald P. Scheberle, Chairman - ALEC Private Enterprise Board)
And so there is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind, now and forever (my bolding):
In ALEC's Task Forces, state legislators and corporate decision-makers work in a dynamic partnership to identify the issues and develop the policy solutions to the challenges facing the nation. Task Forces are empowered to commission and publish research and analyses, create workshops for ALEC meetings, frame policy resolutions, draft model legislation and develop legislative strategies. (1993 ALEC Annual Meeting - Task Forces)
John Nichols noted in one of the six articles published by The Nation on ALEC that
Corporate donors retain veto power over the language, which is developed by the secretive task forces.
Nichols was making a broad statement but in the 1994-1995 ALEC Guide to Private Sector Membership the following is noted (my bolding):
Members are entitled to the full use of ALEC’s networking and research facilities. Each member may designate three contacts to receive ALEC publication, are entitled to discounted registration fees for all ALEC conferences and meetings, and may be a voting member on any ALEC task force.
Lisa Graves of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) while in attendance at the ALEC Annual meeting found Nichols assessment to be true reporting that (my bolding):
And one of the reports we received yesterday from insiders is that corporations vetoed model legislation that politicians had voted for. And so, it is in fact the case that politicians and corporations are voting as equals on model legislation through ALEC task forces, and corporations have the right to veto, through this process, legislation that even a majority or—a majority of politicians within those meetings would approve.
And then there's this little goodie overheard by Mark Pocan at the NewOrleans baggage carousel before the ALEC Annual Meeting started.
Yeah, I’m at the American Legislative Exchange Council Meeting, you know we write legislation and people pass our ideas, it’s the free market!
People pass our ideas - Are you the people who pass their ideas?
Legislators and Corporations AS EQUALS
I first found this published in the 1995 States and Nation (my bolding)
State legislators welcome their private sector counterparts as equals at the table as both groups seek solutions to the challenges that face the states and nation. The policies they create from this innovative relationship will define the political landscape well into the 21st century.
In the 2002 Annual Report ALEC states it again
ALEC, the public and private sectors work together as equal partners, sharing ideas and expertise to develop policies that strengthen the free market and a free society.
In the 2011 member recruitment brochure they state it again
Unique to ALEC Task Forces is their public-private partnership, a synergistic alliance that identifies issues and then responds with common sense, results-oriented policies. Legislators welcome their private sector counterparts to the table as equals, working in unison to solve the challenges facing the nation.
ALEC is basically telling prospective members that they will accept corporations as equals at the table – so basically - don’t join ALEC unless you are willing to accept corporations as your equal.
ALEC says what it means and means what it says.
By reading this and knowing that I did not make this up – it’s ALEC documentation – you should be aware that by supporting ALEC legislators you are willing to accept corporations as your equal in the fight for representation at the state and federal level.
A Political Party?
For those of us that follow ALEC, we know that they are registered as a 501(C)3 educational organization. One blogger has proposed that ALEC is truly a political party with all the trappings of a political party: Party Philosophy; Party Platform; Caucuses; Constituent Base; and a Candidate pool.
It is my opinion that we need to take this idea of ALEC as a political party seriously for more than one or two reasons. ALEC and their members (both public and corporate) are a political force in this country. In light of Citizens United v. FEC this concept of ALEC as a political party becomes very frightening.
Corporations at Voters
In an analysis done in regards to “The personhood of corporations”, as granted in Citizens United v FEC the following scenario is presented.
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens may have had his tongue in his cheek, or perhaps wanted merely to taunt the majority, when he wrote in Thursday’s opinion on the role of corporations in national politics: “Under the majority’s view, I suppose it may be a First Amendment problem that corporations are not permitted to vote, given that voting is, among other things, a form of speech.” It is a tantalizing notion.
Suppose that General Motors Corp., troubled that a candidate for Congress from Michigan was too favorable to the United Auto Workers, decided to do everything in its corporate power to defeat that candidate. So, aside from spending huge sums of its own money (none of it federal bailout money) to influence the outcome, it went to the office of the voting registrar in downtown Detroit. It sought to sign up, affirming that it was a citizen and resident of Michigan. Denied registration, it sued, claiming that, under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, it was a “person,” and, as a “citizen,” it was entitled to equal protection under the election laws. Would the Supreme Court buy that?
General Motors might already be halfway to winning its lawsuit. It has been understood, for decades, that corporations are “persons” under the Constitution. And nothing the Supreme Court said Thursday undermined that notion. If anything, the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission conferred new dignity on corporate “persons,” treating them — under the First Amendment free-speech clause — as the equal of human beings.
General Motors has been identified as a Corporate Sector Member of ALEC – so this is not amusing at all.
ALEC Corporations at Persons / Politicians
It has already been established here on DKos (Exposing ALEC Group) and in the press that corporations write and vote on “model legislation” at ALEC meetings. What is to stop them from moving to the next level – actual representation of states in the US Congress?
All of us are (or should be) familiar with the video of Paul Weyrich– the founding father of ALEC where he states:
"Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome — good government. They want everybody to vote. I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."
We assume that his babbling is hysteria, but I would like you take heed of the following phrase from that statement and remember that they say what they mean and they mean what they say.
Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now.
If you look back at the “beginning of our country” you have the following:
U.S. Constitution
Article 1 - The Legislative Branch Section 2
The House Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States
It wasn’t until 1912 that the following amendment was added to the constitution
U.S. Constitution
Amendment 17 - Senators Elected by Popular Vote
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years
Prior to that amendment the selection of Senators was not by the people but by the state legislatures.
Unbeknownst to most readers – ALEC and their members are also “Tenthers” (under ALEC Federal Relations "model legislation"). The ALEC “tenther” movement already has introduced many "tenther" resolutions in various states across the US, with many of those resolutions being passed at the state level or currently being reviewed for passage.
In an ALEC document released in 1996 named The Tenth Amendment The Promise of Liberty: Strategies to Restore the Balance of Power Between the Federal and Slate Governments ALEC released their “Tenther” plan to their members. In that plan (which ALEC has steadily been moving forward with the passage of many resolutions in many states) are the following resolutions:
A mechanism that would allow the States to propose specific amendments to the U.S. Constitution subject to ratification by the United States Congress.
Under this constitutional amendment, three-fourths of the States would be able to propose constitutional amendments that would become part of the Constitution unless two-thirds of each house of Congress voted against the measure within two years of submission.
In 2005 in a report named the ALEC Federal Forum: Promoting Dialogue Between State & Federal Lawmakers you would find the following statement in a section named "Commentary On State & Federal Relations For Members of Congress":
Sixth, and related to the last point, ALEC asks members of Congress to
consider seriously the few and considered proposals for amendments to the
U.S. Constitution that state legislators ask to be placed on the table.
It is extremely important to remember that ALEC has been notorious in “waiting” to have their “model legislation" passed. Many of the pieces of “model legislation” that are published on the Center for Media and Democracy have been around since the early 1990’s – ALEC just tweaks them a bit to match current society, but the base “model legislation” purpose remains the same.
In almost every instance ALEC “model legislation” benefits the ALEC corporate members in some way. In most cases, it takes a very careful review of the “model legislation” to find out which corporate ALEC member will benefit – but with careful thought – it becomes identifiable.
ALEC and their members are patient and persistent. My favorite snip in relation to ALEC members patience and tenacity in passing ALEC “model legislation” is this one
Even more dramatically, when Atlanta passed a similar living wage law extending its coverage to its airport, the airlines got ALEC legislators to push through legislation overturning not only the living wage for airline employees but for any contractor doing business with the city of Atlanta. Declared ALEC's Earl Ehrhart, the bill's sponsor, "I've been waiting 17 years to pass some good conservative legislation" as he blocked all cities in Georgia from giving any preference to higher-wage contractors over sweatshops bidding to provide public services
So when ALEC repeatedly puts forth documents and continues to be distribute (1996, 2005) documents wanting states to have the right to amend constitutional amendments – it is our duty to take ALEC seriously. They are patient and tenacious in getting their “model legislation” passed (one piece of ALEC model legislation has been introduced in the Minnesota state legislature every year for seven years) therefore it is safe to assume that they will be just as patient when it comes to moving forward their “tenther” agenda.
ALEC and Fascism
In an article by Thom Hartmann (and well worth the read), he offers two definitions of Fascism.
"A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism." 1983, American Heritage Dictionary
ALEC has already completed the “merging of state and business leadership”.
"If classical liberalism spells individualism, Fascism spells government." But not a government of, by, and for We The People - instead, it would be a government of, by, and for the most powerful corporate interests in the nation. 1923, "The Doctrine of Fascism" by Benito Mussolini
ALEC “model legislation” with it’s “pro-business” focus, is written by and voted on by ALEC corporate members and subsequently, ALEC has already established “government of, by, and for the most powerful corporate interests in the nation”.
Hartmann goes on to note that:
Benito Mussolini, in Italy, famously dissolved the elected parliament and said we’re going to try something new and so in every legislative district in Italy, instead of the people electing a representative, the largest corporation in that district chose a representative to sit in the parliament. And he even changed the name of the parliament to the Camera dei Fasci e delle Coporazioni, the Chamber of Fascist Corporations.
Are we looking at a dissolution of the 17th Amendment at some time in the not so far future?
The ALEC Mission
From the 2000 ALEC Annual Report
The mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council is to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty among America’s state legislators.
From the 2011 Legislative Member Brochure
Mission Statement: The mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council is to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty among America’s state legislators.
Note that in the 2000 mission statement and in the 2011 mission statement the mission of ALEC is for “America’s state legislators”. We have to ask – what in the hell do they mean by this – where is the general public in their mission and goals? The answer is - we are not part of their mission and goals. Their mission is directed solely to legislators.
In each state in American – you have a designated ALEC Private Sector Chair. The ALEC Prviate Sector Chair votes on ALEC “model legislation” - which in turn is introduced in your state – ALEC Private Sector members are - - your “legislators”.
If we allow the ALEC’ “tenther” movement (which could include amending the 17th amendment) and Citizens United to come together in the most horrible way, based on today's ALEC Private Sector State Chairs:
Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri and Utah will be represented in the US Senate by Comcast.
Arkansas, California, Louisiana and Mississippi will be represented in the US Senate by AT&T.
Colorado, Nebraska and Wisconsin will be represented in the US Senate by Pfizer.
Connecticut, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texas will be represented in the US Senate by Bayer.
In the 2005 ALEC Federal Forum: Promoting Dialogue Between State & Federal Lawmakers the following statements were published:
"The members of ALEC are true pioneers in
advancing common-sense, conservative ideas.
For 30 years many of these ideas have
transcended from state capitols to Washington."
-- Speaker Dennis Hastert, ALEC alumnus
"ALEC is an organization of state legislators and
state leaders, and it is fiercely proud of its mission,
but I have come to believe, as some of my
colleagues have as well, that ALEC must develop
a new stronger presence on the federal level."
-- U.S. Congressman Mark Green, ALEC alumnus
Transcendence to Washington, DC has already happened.
A stronger presence at the federal level has already happened.
In the 1983 ALEC Annual Meeting Program there is a the following statement
ALEC has become irreplaceable at the state level.
ALEC says what it means and means what it says.
ALEC members and alumni and those affiliated with ALEC in any manner
MUST NOT BE RE-ELECTED.
Without state and federal legislators ALEC will cease to exist and it will implode.
For more information on ALEC –
Please read this report or this report or this report
or this series of six articles.
Or watch Thom Hartmann's interview with Mark Pocan about the ALEC Annual Meeting.