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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Down a Dangerous Road

So, corporations are people and money is speech?  The Supreme Court now has said “yes” to both.    These rulings are taking our Democracy down a dangerous road—only dangerous if we want to remain a true democracy.  If we don't want the outcome of our elections to rest in the hands of the super-rich donors.  These donors apparently have run out of hobbies and can't find enough playgrounds to occupy them—so they've taken up a new pastime:  king-maker.  (Given most of these super donors' political persuasions, I'm doubtful there will be many "queen-makers.")


A man dear to my heart told me that his liberal hackles are up today, after yesterday's Court's ruling.  I imagine most liberals' hackles are up.  Mine surely are. The ruling, of course is the one removing caps/limits on the aggregate contributions a donor is allowed to give any candidate.  Republicans are elated—including, no doubt, the presidential wannabes who accepted bazillionaire Sheldon Adelson's invite to Vegas, apparently to "audition" for Adelson's monetary favors.  Video clips reveal more verbal bowing and scraping than I can remember hearing/seeing in my lifetime.  How many times in a very few minutes can a fella drop the name of his potential benefactor?  Stunning, jaw-dropping to watch grown men groveling like that.

 

Today all the GOP talking points include the words "free speech" and "first amendment rights."  Holy hell, really?!  What's happening makes no sense whatsoever to me.  But for sure it "ain't good" and my blood is boiling. What do you think about the 2010 Citizens United (corporations are people) ruling and yesterday's McCutcheon ruling (individual donor cap removal)?  Do share your thoughts in a comment if you will.



Gail Collins closes her NY Times opinion piece on yesterday's ruling with this:


Watching events in Russia and Ukraine, you can’t help noticing all the stupendously rich oligarchs with their fingers in every political development. It’s a useful word, connoting both awesome power and a group you don’t really want to have around.

 

In the former Soviet Union, the money elite generally get their power from the politicians. Here, it seems to be the other way around. But the next time casino zillionaire Sheldon Adelson invites the Republican presidential hopefuls to go to Las Vegas and bow before his throne, feel free to say they were just off honoring an oligarch. Apparently, the founding fathers would have wanted it that way. 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/opinion/surprise-the-rich-won-one.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

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1 comment:

  1. DebbieApril 3, 2014 at 3:51 PM

    OMGosh - I was/am so upset. What are they thinking? Not about the Constitution, for sure. The water situation in WV is the exact result of this kind of money power. Examiners look the other way. There aren't enough enforcers to enforce anything. So WV, here we come.

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