Sunday, May 8, 2011

Tear Down the Iron Ceiling (part 2)


We know you are bankrupting America’s democracy.

The principle of an open public sphere drives democratic society.  Yet you seek to privatize America’s political debate. 

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporate funding for electioneering cannot be limited because it is free speech.  This is manifestly absurd.  Those with the most money may buy the right to speak loudly enough to be heard.  Those who dwell beneath the Iron Ceiling of profit and privilege lose that right.  The ruling blesses corporations with the same right to speech as a breathing citizen but with none of the accountability.  If money is a form of speech, then logically, buying crack, paying a prostitute and hiring a hitman must be protected by the First Amendment.  They are not because our laws recognize that money and speech are different. 

Reagan was the first president to use ‘soft money’ to circumvent the FEC rules established in post-Watergate campaign regulations.  By election day in 1980, corporations had donated 50% more than the amount allowed under public financing laws to Reagan's campaign.  While in office, Reagan rewarded his corporate donors by installing staunchly pro-corporation justices Kennedy and Scalia to the bench.  These justices, in turn, helped George W. Bush become the first candidate to secure the presidency after losing the popular vote since 1876.  While in office Bush appointed two more dogmatically pro-business justices, Roberts and Alito.  Along with Thomas, appointed by George H. W. Bush, these justices ruled that money equals speech. 

Since 2006, non-party campaign spending has risen 338%.  Donations from undisclosed sources have risen from 1 to 47% while disclosed donations have plummeted.  In 2010, “Super PACs” and 501c groups spent 67% of all non-party campaign spending, totaling almost $200 million.  Newly allowed sources funded 72% of non-party campaigning in 2010.  The Supreme Court sold our democracy to the highest bidders. 

Candidates cannot hope to win elections without corporate funding.  Once in office, they face a stark choice: bow to corporate wishes or be buried beneath armies of lobbyists and PR firms.  Corporate influence is a cancer rapidly consuming the organs of America’s body politic.  Citizens United is a tipping point that will allow the cancer to kill the host.    

The 2010 freshman class, funded by an unprecedented tsunami of secret corporate funding, seeks to further the plutocracy’s agenda.  Thirty states have written legislation requiring voter IDs.  Approximately 11% of voters don’t currently have a photo ID.  These are predominantly young, poor and minority voters.  They may have to choose between losing a day’s wage to register for a state ID or lose their right to vote.  There is an old Cold War joke that, under communism, the people were so enthusiastic they voted three or four times.  Will our children joke that under capitalism, the people were so enthusiastic they wouldn’t leave work to vote?

Since forging a beachhead in the 1980s, the plutocracy has fought to expand its influence deeper into the heart of our democracy.  With every success, they invest their new clout to push for greater influence and marginalize more voters.  Beneath the Iron Ceiling, Americans have lost the right to be heard and are losing their right to vote.  

Stay tuned for part 3: We know you are bankrupting our foreign policy.


2 comments:

  1. So does this mean I should make a campaign contribution in order to help fight the corporate machine, or should I not make a donation, in protest?

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  2. "If money is a form of speech, then logically, buying crack, paying a prostitute and hiring a hitman must be protected by the First Amendment."

    I don't want to live in a country where this isn't protected, hence why I live overseas.

    ReplyDelete