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them are bought and paid for. They are not the free and elected officials we are led to believe they are. Let me provide an example...

You have heard of Carlos Slim? He is one of the wealthiest people in the world, owning much of the communications systems throughout Latin America. Do you think he got there by not buying politicians through capitalism? Slim has been very close to Mexican presidents and other high officials, paying for legislation that enables him to buy telephony that enriches him even further. He also owns many news outlets, so not much is published about his "associations." Sort of hard to write a story in the NY TImes, when he's invested $250 million into NYT, the paper’s parent, now, isn't it? After all, President Salinas did sell Slim the Mexican national phone company, Telmex, along with a de facto commitment to maintain its monopoly for years. So, this is why I have VERY LITTLE TRUST in politicians in general.

Another example of this lies in gangs. Gangs like MS-13 are a capitalist's gold mine. I think Alex Sanchez is evidence of that. How do you think he got to become a nationally-recognized expert in gang intervention? He had political ties to some well connected politicians like L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, to name just a few. This was a man who had been a shot caller for the MS-13 gang in his youth, with several felonies on his record...a record he worked to have expunged. Even Tom Hayden helped him. And he was proven to still be working with his gang even while running one of the largest gang intervention centers in Los Angeles...and WITH supposed murder contracts against his life by the MS-13 gang. And yet, as much as he went into the community, he was never murdered. Is that logical if he wasn't an informant for these politicians?

Gangs like MS-13 were created and to enhance the wealth of capitalists. They do so in many ways, but these days it is primarily through organizations like Corrections Corporation of America and Wackenhut. If you don't believe me, then ask yourself why Gary Sanders, the CEO of Wackenhut was recently surrounded with allegations of security lapses at many nuclear plants in the U.S., when Wackenhut monopolizes most of the corrections and security contracts in the U.S. Because, Sanders knew the REAL money in security is made housing gang members and immigrants for long periods of time, and he knew where to focus his corporation's interests for profits. There isn't the same level of profit in security in nuclear contracts as arresting immigrants and gang members. The longer they hold them, the more they make. These corporations collect over a hundred dollars a day in profit for these inmates and when you figure that CCA alone, houses 68,000 inmates in over 75 facilities in the United States each year...that's a hell of a lot of money. And with the cost cutting measures they use (which includes denial of nutritious food, daily showers, access to legal representation, and many grievances that break human rights laws) they can really make a huge profit in prison management. John D. Ferguson, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Corrections Corporation of America, the other company that runs most of the remaining security contracts, profits when offenders are jailed too. These two organizations make a killing off of gang members.

And in turn, these gangs now run as entrepreneurial organizations, mostly run from prisons where shot callers like Alex Sanchez are held. They not only are allowed to sell drugs and own politician's contracts in many countries, including the U.S., but they do so with complete approval because this way corrections management systems can employ more and more security officers at almost minimum wage. I volunteered for the group doing some PR work, and even STILL, I received a phone call once because I had pissed off a politician during a phone call with him about my husband's case. The S.O.B. had threatened to deport my husband illegally without his passport and I took him to task, explaining I had copies of my husband's passport that they claimed they had lost. Alex Sanchez's organization called me at home, upset that I had irritated this jerk. They were reliant upon him for funding, so they warned me that I needed to "tread lightly" with that asshole. And I realized then that they weren't what they claimed to be...an organization that supposedly helps immigrants.

These gangs (and the paid-for politicians) have paid informants who work in many of the huge human rights organizations throughout the U.S.. They have paid politicians that protect known gang members as they break laws left and right until the public grows alarmed, and then, they simply reel in a few low level gang members, make a public announcement about it, and send them to these institutions where their pals are CEOs, so the rest of the money can be made there.

Do you actually think that politicians and CEOs of corrections facilities care about protecting a country's citizens? Are you aware that many of these politicians have a hand in releasing some of the most dangerous and violent offenders in these gangs if they volunteer to become informants, because they can make even more money from these people? When you see the gang members released for asylum, you can BET these are very well connected people who are paid informants. Because even known reformed gang members never get asylum.

Do you know that in 2007, when Operation Tijuana was going on...where the entire police department of Tijuana had their guns confiscated and tested because they were suspected of being involved in cartel murders, many of the cartel members with a known police record and no legal documents for entry were driving through the border quite safely as many customs agents turned their head? Now, keep in mind that during this time the U.S. was on high alert for terrorism, so the borders were more closely monitored than ever...but these people were let through regularly. How does that happen?

If you think I'm full of it, then read this:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/04/guatemala.officials/index.html

Do you really believe there is a SINGLE culture in the world that has eliminated the immorality within its political ranks? Politicians may begin running with every noble characteristic known to mankind, but those with tenure have long been corrupted during the process. This is why I believe in short term limitations for politicians. Get them while they still have some of that naivety and that a positive attitude to make a difference. Then, remove them when they begin to become seasoned. People like Dianne Feinstein and Orrin Hatch should be removed and replaced with new talent. They are already corrupt and merely working on nesting their political career.

I don't favor a more restrictive policy on political speech. I simply want less of it paid for by corruption. So, I favor a different type of political campaign, where the advertising is regulated by a dollar amount...one affordable to all, not just the paid off corrupt politicians financed by organized crime and corrupt CEOs.