CITIZENS UNITED, you'll recall, is the name of the supreme court decision a couple years ago which affirmed the right of anybody, including corporations, to contribute any amount of money to political campaigns.
And of course ever since, more and more money has been raised and spent by political candidates as they frenetically collect money, and obligatoins, and purchase their way into office, through the power of advertising.
As long as you spend all the money on advertising, or travel and other campaign expenses, including paying staff members, its legal to collect as much money as possible, and to make promises to people who give you money just don't spend it on material things for your personal amusement; ask jesse jackson junior.
the system is thoroughly corrupt, no matter what the money is spent on, or what promises are made. Legalized corruption, approved by a society which seems strangely to have forgotton the meaning of the word "corruption".
The conservatives who agree with citizens united proclaim the doctrine of freeom, seemingly forgetting, or ignoring the question: "freedom to do what"? To purchase political office? For billionaires to own the political system? In case you didn't know, they currently do.
The good citizens of the state of california are likely going to vote on citizens united in the near future, by which is presumably meant take a straw poll; whether a state can ignore or nullify a supreme court decision is, shall we say, a bit prickly, and once started a civil war.
Similar votes have been taken in various locations around the country recent years, and these ballot box opinion polls, as well as opinion surveys, strongly indicate that the american people do not like citizens united, and want to change it, by whatever means necessary, such as constitutional amendment, bless their sweet hearts.
What should it be changed to? Campaign contribution limits for everyone? How about this? Seven simple, elegant words: "the purchase of political advertising is prohibited." We would all have to adjust to the complete absence of paid political advertising, but we could do it. Media could be required to donate time and space, for instance. (wouldn't the corporate media just love that!)
Power to the American People! Let us decide the issue by national referendum. For that matter, one can easily think of quite a few questions and issues on which a good old fashioned national referendum might be in order.
No comments:
Post a Comment