Registered: 06/04/07
Posts: 1035
Loc: MW, Local Group, Universe
Quote:
We must stop this corporate takeover of American democracy Unless we can reverse the supreme court's dreadful Citizens United decision, US politics will become a plutocrats' plaything
Bernie Sanders guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 January 2012 09.00 EST
David Koch and Charles G Koch: the US supreme court's Citizens United decision has enabled the industrialists to fund conservative groups to the tune of $200m already in this electoral cycle. Photograph: Getty
The corporate barbarians are through the gate of American democracy. Not satisfied with their all-pervasive influence on our culture, economy and legislative processes, they want more. They want it all.
Two years ago, the United States supreme court betrayed our Constitution and those who fought to ensure that its protections are enjoyed equally by all persons regardless of religion, race or gender by engaging in an unabashed power-grab on behalf of corporate America. In its now infamous decision in the Citizens United case, five justices declared that corporations must be treated as if they are actual people under the Constitution when it comes to spending money to influence our elections, allowing them for the first time to draw on the corporate checkbook – in any amount and at any time – to run ads explicitly for or against specific candidates.
What's next … a corporate right to vote?
Don't laugh. Just this month, the Republican National Committee filed an amicus brief in a US appeals court contending that the natural extension of the Citizens United rationale is that the century-old ban on corporate contributions directly to candidates and political parties is similarly unconstitutional. They want corporations to be able to sponsor candidates and parties directly while claiming with a straight face this would not result in any sort of corruption. And while, this month, they take no issue with corporations being subject to the existing contribution limits, anyone paying attention knows that eliminating such caps will be corporate America's next prize in its brazen ambition for absolute control over our elections.
The US Constitution has served us very well, but when the supreme court says, for purposes of the first amendment, that corporations are people, that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign ads are unconstitutional, our democracy is in grave danger.
I am a proud sponsor of a number of bills that would respond to Citizens United and begin to get a handle on the problem. But something more needs to be done – something more fundamental and indisputable, something that cannot be turned on its head by a rightwing supreme court.
That is why I have introduced a resolution in the Senate (introduced by Representative Ted Deutch in the House) calling for an amendment to the US Constitution that says simply and straightforwardly what everyone – except five members of the United States supreme court – understands: corporations are not people with constitutional rights equal to flesh-and-blood human beings. Corporations are subject to regulation by the people. Corporations may not make campaign contributions – the law of the land for the last century – or dump unlimited sums of money into our elections. And Congress and states have broad power to regulate all election spending.
I did not introduce this lightly. In fact, I have never sought to amend the Constitution before. The US Constitution is an extraordinary document that, in my view, should not be amended often. In light of the supreme court's Citizens United decision, however, I see no alternative. The ruling has radically changed the nature of our democracy. It has further tilted the balance of power toward the rich and the powerful at a time when the wealthiest people in this country have never had it so good.
At a time when corporations have more than $2tn in cash in their bank accounts, make record-breaking profits and swarm Washington with their lobbyists 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the highest court in the land to suggest that there is just not enough corporate "speech" in our system defies the bounds of reason and sanity. The ruling already has led to plans, for example, by industrialist brothers David and Charles Koch to steer more than $200m – potentially much more – to conservative groups ahead of election day 2012. Karl Rove has similar designs.
Does anybody really believe that that is what American democracy is supposed to be about?
I believe that the Citizens United decision will go down as one of the worst in our country's history – and one that demands an amendment to our Constitution in order to restore sovereign power to the people, as our nation's founders intended.
If we do not reverse it and the culture of corporate dominance over our elections that it has exacerbated, there will be no end to the impact that corporate interests have on our campaigns and our democracy.
_________________________ An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. "Alas!" it cried, as it died,
"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."
Corporations aren’t Democrat or Republican. CNN, Microsoft, Apple Computer & Nike for example, are companies where the majority of their campaign funds are for the Democrat party. Unions almost entirely campaign for and donate to Democrats.
When you liberals start to bitch about union donations to Democrats, then I'd take you all serous. Otherwise... quitcher bitchin'.
Registered: 06/04/07
Posts: 1035
Loc: MW, Local Group, Universe
Originally Posted By: TexasBlue
Corporations aren’t Democrat or Republican. CNN, Microsoft, Apple Computer & Nike for example, are companies where the majority of their campaign funds are for the Democrat party. Unions almost entirely campaign for and donate to Democrats.
When you liberals start to bitch about union donations to Democrats, then I'd take you all serous. Otherwise... quitcher bitchin'.
Like I said, Tex, you identify very, very strongly with Republicans, and hate the left very, very much, despite continually telling us all that you're a registered member not of the Republican party but the libertarian.
In any case, if you'd like to offer up a union which uses it's funds and tries to manipulate politics to the extent that the Koch brothers have, you may feel free to do so.
In addition, do you actually disagree with anything in my post, and the article contained within?
The main statements of the article are:
(a Corporations have too much control over politics (b The Koch brothers themselves have too much control over politics
Do you disagree with either of these statements?
EDIT: To be more direct, I honestly don't think there's a single thing in this article you'd disagree with. Seriously, wtf?
Edited by lu61f3r (01/22/1208:13 AM)
_________________________ An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. "Alas!" it cried, as it died,
"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."
Corporations aren’t Democrat or Republican. CNN, Microsoft, Apple Computer & Nike for example, are companies where the majority of their campaign funds are for the Democrat party. Unions almost entirely campaign for and donate to Democrats.
When you liberals start to bitch about union donations to Democrats, then I'd take you all serous. Otherwise... quitcher bitchin'.
Like I said, Tex, you identify very, very strongly with Republicans, and hate the left very, very much, despite continually telling us all that you're a registered member not of the Republican party but the libertarian.
In any case, if you'd like to offer up a union which uses it's funds and tries to manipulate politics to the extent that the Koch brothers have, you may feel free to do so.
In addition, do you actually disagree with anything in my post, and the article contained within?
The main statements of the article are:
(a Corporations have too much control over politics (b The Koch brothers themselves have too much control over politics
Do you disagree with either of these statements?
EDIT: To be more direct, I honestly don't think there's a single thing in this article you'd disagree with. Seriously, wtf?
People with a lot of money have too much say in influencing politics regardless of political leanings. There should be a limit in the amount of money individuals are able to donate to thier favourite candidate.
It's not just the conservative side that does it.Wealthy liberals do it just as much Lu. That is what Tex was pointing out.
_________________________
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible". ~Thomas Aquinas
Registered: 06/04/07
Posts: 1035
Loc: MW, Local Group, Universe
Originally Posted By: 1oldminer
People with a lot of money have too much say in influencing politics regardless of political leanings. There should be a limit in the amount of money individuals are able to donate to thier favourite candidate.
It's not just the conservative side that does it.Wealthy liberals do it just as much Lu. That is what Tex was pointing out.
And I was mostly pointing out the discrepancy between what Tex apparently believes and what image he tries to project.
And objecting to that it was said that only conservatives make large political donations. The article is actually saying that the Koch Brothers exert more of an influence over politics than any other person (or brothers, anyway), and saying that politics will soon become completely controlled by wealthy plutocrats such as them if something is not done.
If both of you are here, being both conservatives, rushing to the defense of the Koch brothers, directly or indirectly, your priorities are both severely misplaced.
_________________________ An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. "Alas!" it cried, as it died,
"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."
Corporations aren’t Democrat or Republican. CNN, Microsoft, Apple Computer & Nike for example, are companies where the majority of their campaign funds are for the Democrat party. Unions almost entirely campaign for and donate to Democrats.
When you liberals start to bitch about union donations to Democrats, then I'd take you all serous. Otherwise... quitcher bitchin'.
In any case, if you'd like to offer up a union which uses it's funds and tries to manipulate politics to the extent that the Koch brothers have, you may feel free to do so.
Ever heard of SEIU? AFSCME? AFL-CIO?
Of course you haven't, you lean left.
And your response to this post will be a question of a question that intends to make me look intellectually inferior and completely avoids acknowledging that the unions listed donate massively and have even had a hand in crafting the agenda of Obama's administration (Stimulus, Health Care bills).
And don't ask me to do your research for you, it's out there, many places. But will you bother to even look for it since it clashes with what you've chosen to believe?
_________________________
Camilla Belle Kate Beckinsale - Emma Watson Emmy Rossum - Vanessa Hudgens - JoJo Levesque Jennifer Lawrence - Debby Ryan - Kaylee DeFer - AnnaLynne McCord Elizabeth Gillies - Selena Gomez - Lily Collins - Lea Michele - Haley Bennett - Emma Roberts
It's interesting that you have time to cast aspersions on Republicans and those on the right lu61f3r, but still refuse to engage me on the Fair Tax.
You're responses in that thread have been confined to the most trivial and meaningless things that have been said while avoiding all the truly substantive points and questions I have raised.
And now we have this new thread bitching about crony capitalism while yet another thread you started and to which I offered real solutions lies silent.
I take Tex's side in this thread. When Democrats and leftists start bitching about union thuggery and influence in elections, then I MIGHT just give a listen to their bitching about corporate influence.
Corporations aren’t Democrat or Republican. CNN, Microsoft, Apple Computer & Nike for example, are companies where the majority of their campaign funds are for the Democrat party. Unions almost entirely campaign for and donate to Democrats.
When you liberals start to bitch about union donations to Democrats, then I'd take you all serous. Otherwise... quitcher bitchin'.
In any case, if you'd like to offer up a union which uses it's funds and tries to manipulate politics to the extent that the Koch brothers have, you may feel free to do so.
Ever heard of SEIU AFSCME AFL-CIO
Of course you haven't, you lean left.
And your response to this post will be a question of a question that intends to make me look intellectually inferior and completely avoids acknowledging that the unions listed donate massively and have even had a hand in crafting the agenda of Obama's administration (Stimulus, Health Care bills).
And don't ask me to do your research for you, it's out there, many places. But will you bother to even look for it since it clashes with what you've chosen to believe
You are right on the money here Fulham!
Obama GAVE GM and Chrysler to the fucking unions while telling the bondholders, who had a valid legal claim to that ownership, to basically go fuck themselves!
But you are right, lu61f3r will not address the substantial influence the unions have had in the Obama administration because the real evidence is entirely against him.,,,,
#3641044 - 01/22/1209:02 AMRe: We must stop this corporate takeover of American democracy
[Re: dblboggie]
Crux Australis
Permanent Resident
Registered: 09/22/05
Posts: 9955
Loc: Emerald City, Land of Oz
People in America have got it easy. In Australia the Labor Party is the political arm of the unions. Every member of the Labor Party rank and file is a member of a union even though only 20% of the working population is a member.
Typically in an election the Labor Party outspends all the other parties combined.
Like I said, Tex, you identify very, very strongly with Republicans, and hate the left very, very much, despite continually telling us all that you're a registered member not of the Republican party but the libertarian.
We've been over this time and again. I'm not going to address this regurgitated bullshit because nothing I say will change your perception short of showing you my registration with the LP Party.
Originally Posted By: lu61f3r
In any case, if you'd like to offer up a union which uses it's funds and tries to manipulate politics to the extent that the Koch brothers have, you may feel free to do so.
Camilla Belle 
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