Who would have thought, forty years after the greatest political scandal and presidential abuse of power in U.S. history, that the Supreme Court of the United States would rule that the practices that fueled and financed that scandal were now legal?
Yet that is essentially the effect of the Citizens United decision. Go ahead and take bets on how much time will pass before the tsunami of cash unleashed by Citizens United ends up in the pockets of a Watergate-like cast of break-in burglars, wiretap experts, surveillance magicians, and cyberpunks. Given the power and money at stake in the nation's presidential and congressional elections, it is inevitable that candidates or their operatives will tap into the hundreds of millions of dollars flowing through their campaigns and try to game the system -- in perfectly legal or highly illegal ways.
And, of course, the ultimate victims of the corruption of the democratic process are not defeated candidates and parties but America's citizens. Perhaps Supreme Court justices should have to experience a corrupted election process firsthand to understand what it means to live with a hollowed-out democracy. As one who experienced Watergate in its multi-tentacled form, it isn't pleasant to discover that you've been placed under surveillance, had your taxes audited, and been subjected to other dirty tricks. All this happened to me, among a number of others, simply because we worked for an honest presidential candidate who dared to challenge the authority and power of a president who had long-since forgotten the integrity the democratic process requires.
Coupled with the concentration of lobbying power now consolidating in the offices of a small hand-full of mega-firms (see the blog: "Convergence in the Garden of Government Influence"), the advent of legalized corruption launched by the Supreme Court through Citizens United empowers the super-rich to fund their own presidential and congressional campaigns as pet projects and to foster pet policies. The calculus here is simple: Because you have several hundred million dollars, or even a billion, you can lease or purchase a candidate from an endless reserve of minor politicians and then make him or her a star. In short order, all of that money and marketing power makes your candidate a mouthpiece for any cause or purpose you and your money handlers value, no matter how questionable. Your candidate-for-hire also will mouth your script in endless political debates and through as many television spots as you are willing to pay for -- all of which Citizens United makes quite legal now.
The five prevailing Supreme Court justices might at least have required the bought-and-paid-for candidates to wear sponsor labels on their suits like stock car drivers. For the time being, though, Exxon-Mobil or the Stardust Casino can't openly sponsor candidates, and instead rely on phony "Committee for Good Government" smokescreen entities.
So, America: Welcome to the Age of Vanity Politics and Campaigns-For-Hire. If this Court had been sitting in 1974, when the Watergate scandal was in full blossom, it would not have voted 9-0 to require the president to turn over legally incriminating tapes but instead would have voted to support the use of illegal campaign contributions to finance criminal cover-ups as an exercise in "free speech."
For many decades our citizens has had to survive free-wheeling antics by politicians and parties. Now American have to survive their own Supreme Court.
This post appears in the June 24, 2012 issue of Huffington.
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 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
This was made clear to me while watching financier Jamie Dimon at a televised Congressional hearing that was investigating huge losses at his firm. During Mr. Dimon’s testimony he conspicuously flashed his gold “presidential cufflinks” for all to see—a subtle reminder to legislators of his deep influence and connections. It was telling that many sycophantic representatives groveled before him. Apparently, individuals of his ilk who disparage government can still remain favorites of Congress if they are campaign contributors.
The lesson was clear: “Election Day” will just be another “Groundhog Day” unless we demand a reasonable measure of virtue in our leaders. We will remain legislatively and economically dominated by these darker angels of our nature.
A pamphlet distributed by Milwaukee SOUL (Save Our Unwanted Lives) points out that under current U.S. law, corporations are considered legal persons, while humans in prenatal development are denied this moral status. (reprinted in Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices, 1985)
In 1989, Presbyterian minister and environmental activist Richard Cartwright Austin discussed proposals to amend the Constitution:
"It is time to affirm that all creatures within the boundaries of our nation deserve constitutional recognition, and that rights extend beyond the human community...
''To secure their rights within our legal system they would, of course, require human agents willing to argue their case, just as agents now represent the perceived interests of infants, the comatose, and others who cannot speak on their own behalf.
''Corporations, which are legal constructions and not natural beings, have standing in court to protect their interests now...
"A constitutional amendment to recognize the rights of a vast new constituency -- all God's creatures--will not succeed without broad popular support. Animals ask us for considerate treatment and the earth cries for loving care."
Austin's words reflect the rising tide of environmental concern in America and the emergence of an animal liberation theology.
See: http://revolutionofreason.com and http://www.youtube.com/RobertLBlackburn
If you knew anything about law.
Total value of U.S. government contracts in 2000 that were awarded without competitive bidding: $73,000,000,000
Total in 2007: $146,000,000,000
Percentage of the amendments in the Bill of Rights that are violated by the USA PATRIOT Act, according to the ACLU: 50
Minimum number of laws that Bush signing statements have exempted his administration from following: 1,069
Estimated number of U.S. intelligence reports on Iraq that were based on information from a single defector: 100
Number of times the defector had ever been interviewed by U.S. intelligence agents: 0
Date on which Bush said of Osama bin Laden, “I truly am not that concerned about him”: 3/13/02
It is ALL BUSH's FAULT.
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/01/0082319
The current admin. is going somewhere for sure. Is that where you want to go?
Study up on the 1930's.
I could lay tons of blame on Obama. He bankrupted thousands of individuals and car dealers.
He attacked a whole branch of Christianity.
He has poo pooed the Constitution of These United States and not upheld his oath of office.
But, I digress. Decide where you would like to see this country go. Do you want totalitarianism? Do you want your Constitutional freedoms? Do you want Communism? (check out all the countries where that has worked out, would take about 2 minutes). Do you want socialism? Do some real thinking for yourself. Don't just spew what you are encouraged to reiterate for the cause of your "Messiah".
PS: Regarding OBL, Clinton was offered him on a platter not once but twice and declined. How far back do you want to go to keep blame away from your chosen one?