The Selling of American Democracy: The Perfect Storm

Who's buying our democracy? Wall Street financiers, the Koch brothers, and casino magnates Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn.

And they're doing much of it in secret.

It's a perfect storm:

The greatest concentration of wealth in more than a century -- courtesy "trickle-down" economics, Reagan and Bush tax cuts, and the demise of organized labor.

Combined with...

Unlimited political contributions -- courtesy of Republican-appointed Justices Roberts, Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Kennedy, in one of the dumbest decisions in Supreme Court history, Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, along with lower-court rulings that have expanded it.

Combined with...

Complete secrecy about who's contributing how much to whom -- courtesy of a loophole in the tax laws that allows so-called non-profit "social welfare" organizations to accept the unlimited contributions for hard-hitting political ads.

Put them all together and our democracy is being sold down the drain.

With a more equitable and traditional distribution of wealth, far more Americans would have a fair chance of influencing politics. As the great jurist Louis Brandeis once said, "we can have a democracy or we can have great wealth in the hands of a comparative few, but we cannot have both."

Alternatively, inequality wouldn't be as much of a problem if we had strict laws limiting political spending or, at the very least, disclosing who was contributing what.

But we have an almost unprecedented concentration of wealth and unlimited political spending and secrecy.

I'm not letting Democrats off the hook. Democratic candidates are still too dependent on Wall Street casino moguls and real casino magnates (Steve Wynn has been a major contributor to Harry Reid, for example). George Soros and a few others have poured big bucks into Democratic coffers. So have a handful of trade unions.

But don't be fooled. Compared to what the GOP is doing this year Democrats are conducting high-school bake sales. The mega-selling of American democracy is a Republican invention, and Romney and the GOP are its major beneficiaries.

And the losers aren't just Democrats. They're the American people.

You need to make a ruckus. Don't fall into the seductive trap of cynicism. That's what the sellers of American democracy are counting on. If you give up on our system of government, they win everything.

This coming Monday, for example, the Senate has scheduled a cloture vote on the DISCLOSE ACT, which would at least require that outfits like the Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove's "Crossroads GPS" disclose who's contributing what. Contact your senators, and have your friends and relatives in other states -- especially those with Republican senators (who have been united in their opposition to disclosure) -- to contact theirs. If the DISCLOSE ACT is voted down, hold accountable those senators (and, when and if it gets to the House, those House members) who are selling out our democracy for the sake of their own personal ambitions.

ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century. He has written thirteen books, including the best sellers "Aftershock" and "The Work of Nations." His latest is an e-book, "Beyond Outrage." He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine and chairman of Common Cause.

 

Follow Robert Reich on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RBReich

Comments

[JPHR]

03:06 AM on 08/09/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM3nvATF-U8

[soeasy]

12:14 AM on 07/16/2012

If the Republican candidate for Presidency will be elect on November, the Corporations, Wall Street, millionaires and billonaires will have their own President. Since they already have some Senatores and , Representatives, that belongs to them -paid cash - , plus a good number of "friends" in the Supreme Court, we will not need a crystal ball to see our - the rest - future.
If it will hapen, do not complain, people, the fact will be that the 1% for sure will have done their job and we, the "rest 99% " will have not!

[Rabedela]

07:56 AM on 07/16/2012

Actually the Corporations, Wall Street, millionaires and billionaires did have their own President in Clinton back in 1999 when he signed the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLB) into law. Most Americans either forgot or sat in ignorance because there was no deficit.

[soeasy]

12:02 PM on 07/16/2012

It is true that Clinton signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, into law, but to what party these three gentlemen belonged? Of course that they were Republicans! And how about, who had the majority in both houses at that time ? Did you say Republicans? You are right! So, do not say that Clinton was the President "owned" by the big Corporations, Wall Street, millionaires and billionaires, because I am going to say that he wasn't; this privilege belongs to the Republicans and history can prove it. And yes, when Clinton term was fisinhed there was no deficit and when the next Presidency, - Republicans - Bush/Cheney term was finished, , they left a deficit that is eating us alive. .And in top of that, the actual President does not have any magical wand that would be the only way that he could solve, quickly, all the messy problems that was given, as a presente, to him.

[Irregardless]

10:41 AM on 07/15/2012

This is all the result of a cabal of the most ignorant voters in our history.
A vote for Romney is a vote against yourself.

[Michael Riphenburg]

09:43 AM on 07/15/2012

Vote out of our Govt.Offices this Election the bought and paid for Puppets and Political-Hacks of Corporate (1%) Kings and Queens this Election and take Our Country Back for the 99% of the U.S.

[Ben Marble]

12:16 AM on 07/15/2012

btw I have thought of the single best solution to rid ourselves of The Duopoly: BAN showing party affiliation on the ballots! No "democrat" or "republican" anywhere on the ballot! All that should be allowed on ballots is the title of the position and a list of names! This one idea would fix it!

[eenp718]

03:07 PM on 07/15/2012

The money is the problem, and the repubs who treasure it.

[GrantS]

12:09 AM on 07/15/2012

Capitalism is the best of a bad bunch only when it is highly regulated and progressively taxed.

The conditions are important because a plutocracy is eventual otherwise.

[Pearlswan]

11:36 PM on 07/14/2012

"If you give up on our system of government, they win everything. "

True That! Americans never quit. The system isn't broken, it's fixed! We the people need to take it back. Let's Roll!

[LondonFriar]

11:06 PM on 07/14/2012

Happy Bastille Day! No matter how you look at it...it's all going to end badly.

[USAFree1]

10:35 PM on 07/14/2012

Humm! Wonder how many foreign entities are investing in this election?

[LondonFriar]

11:03 PM on 07/14/2012

We'll never know...

[eenp718]

03:24 PM on 07/15/2012

Somebody said that "The Citizens United" would be the worse decision ever, for the country during the SOTU speech.

[ignacio sanabria]

08:57 PM on 07/14/2012

America is still the greatest country on the planet. Yet a few retarded, who happen to have money, want to undermine it. Fortunately, the American people will prevail.

[cetrales]

06:00 AM on 07/15/2012

"Greatest country on the planet", lol, yeah, right.

It is a deeply flawed country with great economic and military power. It has some good qualities to be sure, but there are many other countries that offer a much better quality of life.

[Pappyz]

09:11 AM on 07/15/2012

Did the "American People" prevail in 2000 ? Voters need to realize that elections have serious consequences to our democracy, The 2000 selection of the pres with the double digit IQ was the culmination of 35 years of effort by the righties and the Project for a new American Century to subvert and abominate our vote. It happened then and can happen again.

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:19 PM on 07/14/2012

Say it in one word: Corrupt.

[wonketteRAWKS]

08:12 PM on 07/14/2012

Wonder how much money was spent getting those Bain ads out?

[IMOPINIONH8D]

10:43 AM on 07/15/2012

From the looks of recent polls barely enough. It also looks like Rmoney needs to start a legal defense fund...he's gonna need it.

[stingjim]

06:25 PM on 07/14/2012

The day the Democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007, the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress.
The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.
For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this:

January 3rd, 2007, the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress:

The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77
The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%
The Unemployment rate was 4.6%
George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION!
Remember that day...
January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee.

Bush Tax cuts of 2001 and 2003
http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/#usgs…
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOu…

[Why Does it Seem So Hard]

09:16 PM on 07/14/2012

WOW and so you are saying the DEMs in 2007 went back in time to cause the banking failure in 2005-2006 that sold toxic assets (derivatives) that eventually caused the recession in 2007.

You sure seem to know a lot about little it seems.

[keyman125]

06:12 PM on 07/14/2012

Americans are very optimistic people. In almost any case with problems of health, finance, employment, etc they will not take defeat lightly and never give up no matter how bad things might get. Very admirable traits. However even the most optimistic people sometimes have to admit defeat, cut their losses and prepare for the worst.

Such is where I believe the fate of the US is right now.

What is different about today? Well a lot but I want to only speak state of the economy. I cant believe anyone could be ignorant of how bad shape the economy is in, no matter how you measure it.

So the problem is the "economy" stupid. How serious is the problem?? In my opinion it is serious enough that if not addressed soon it will bring down the whole American way of life. Is it too late to be addressed? No, but the 535(Congress) who could address the problem do not even admit there is a problem much less address it, put aside their differences and work to solve it in some way.

At lot of sub problems of the economy can be dealt with, but the budget deficit which runs about $100 billion a month and the soon to be reached debt limit (Nov/dec) cannot be ignored or
postponed another year like last year if the American way of life is to survive.

Prepare for the worst people the good times are over.

[HamletsMill]

10:48 PM on 07/14/2012

The American people have zero knowledge whatsoever of how the economy of the United States actually works. Only a tiny percentage of people have done their homework on this history and are onto the game. The .001% will NEVER give up the MONEY POWER in this society. NEVER. They will fight to the death on every attempt at change on who is to have the money power in society. As a result, we are going to total catastrophe within the next 3-10 years.

The Historical Problem:

THE SECRET OF OZ - Bill Still
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

LIFE INC. (The Corporate Charter of Kings) - Douglas Rushkoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOBWhVe68os

WEB OF DEBT - Ellen Brown (1 of 5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU0XiklHPMc

The 21st Century Solution:

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE "MONEY POWER" - Stephen A. Zarlenga
http://www.monetary.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/32-page-brochure-sept2011.pdf

HR-2990 - 09/21/11 - Rep. Dennis Kucinich (before losing his seat)
http://www.monetary.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/HR-2990.pdf

The Coming Global Financial Nuclear Detonation Time Bomb:

ECONOMIC INFOGRAPHICS
http://demonocracy.info/

DERIVATIVES: THE UNREGULATED GLOBAL CASINO FOR BANKS
http://demonocracy.info/infographics/usa/derivatives/bank_exposure.html

BANK OF AMERICA DEATHWATCH
http://tinyurl.com/6hc5txa

BANK OF AMERICA DANGEROUS DERIVATIVES DEAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XtXhiekQk” .

[RonaldBlair837]

04:37 PM on 07/14/2012

American demovracy was sold down the drain when America allowed an African born president to FORGE a birth certificate and 530 members of congres (out of 535) didnt object- Nancy Pelosi sold America down the drain when she btpassed his vetting for eligibility- The NY-TIMES sold America down the drain when they refused to report on Obama's hidden (criminal) past history- as Americans we pride ourselves on our freedoms but we have become gutless wimps to allow this Obama HOAX to overtake the core of our democracy-

[knott wrench]

07:18 PM on 07/14/2012

Old news.

How about Ron Paul being the "spoiler" Nominee at the GOP Convention in Tampa, Fl.,?

[HamletsMill]

10:59 PM on 07/14/2012

Whoever is President of the United States means absolutely noting. It is only a hapless "good cop" vs "bad cop" cyclical dog and pony show for the dupes and rubes put on by the financial powers that really own the Government of the United States. Where have you been? To see our politics to be "Republican vs Democrat" is absolutely kool aid hilarious! You should be doing stand up comedy as the anti-Goerge Carlin! Fantastic comedy act!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYIC0eZYEtI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI