By (O)CT(O)PUS
Let me count the ways. For argument sake, let’s say wage-earning citizens contribute an average of $10 each to the political candidates of their choice. Under old campaign finance rules – before Cromnibus - the maximum allowable contribution per candidate was $32,400. In simple arithmetic, it would take 3,240 citizens at $10 each to equal the contribution of ONE wealthy donor.
Under new campaign spending limits allowable under
Cromnibus, the maximum contribution has been raised to $324,000. It means 32,400 donors would be needed
to offset the contribution of ONE rich benefactor – a tenfold increase!
In essence, the Cromnibus bill has diluted the political
influence of the middle class by a factor of TEN. It means average citizens will be
forced to increase donations from $10 to $100 per candidate just to keep pace. Under new rules of the game, the
cost of participatory democracy has risen ten-fold, and only those who can
afford to pay can afford to play.
The loss of citizen influence is even more dramatic when viewed
in terms of past economic trends.
After 3 decades of wage stagnation and rising gaps in income inequality,
our shrinking middle class has even less discretionary cash to spend on candidates that best represent their interests.
Where money talks, your vote no longer
counts: Under
Citizens United, the Supreme Court broke precedent by conferring legal personhood status to non-voting, non-living entities. The concept of "one citizen - one vote" now means "one dollar - one vote;" and those with the most bucks wield the most power. Thanks to Citizens United, all branches
of government – executive, legislature, and judiciary – and all
political parties have now become wholly owned subsidiaries of Corporate
America Inc.
Cromnibus is a watershed moment. A single corporation can now write the laws of the land, and
a single CEO can lobby Congress and guarantee passage of corporate-friendly
legislation – as the cost of citizen participation becomes increasingly out of
reach. Cromnibus reverses a key provision under Dodd-Frank that protected the public from "too-big-to-fail" bank bailouts.
What does this mean for us? Shall we accept a future of creeping serfdom as our votes
no longer count? Or do we turn
ourselves into angry villagers brandishing pitchforks? Occupy or Octopy?
I say Octopy: Our votes may no longer count but - as consumers - our money still does. Boycott graft and corruption! Boycott CitiGroup! Boycott Morgan Stanley! Boycott Walmart and Koch
Industries and all national companies that place profit over public interest. Support the middle class by patronizing small, family-owned businesses in your neighborhood.
I view it as another way Congressmen have voted themselves a pay raise. Campaigns are not cheap....and neither are Campaign wardrobes, Campaign dinners, Campaign travel, Campaign drinking......
ReplyDeleteAmerica may not be too big to fail. Certainly Darth Limbaugh and his minions have been hoping openly for just that since Obama was elected, even talking about his failure before he walked in the front door of the White House and calling everything he says and does an abject failure, even including the hit on Bin Laden. But perhaps it's gone unchallenged so long it's too late for Boycotts, particularly against businesses that are international. I have American vehicles, but the offshore parts content is high, the Chrysler was assembled in Mexico, for instance.
ReplyDeleteNone of that of course, argues that corporate plutocracy is inevitable, but we are headed for it. As to the history of revolutions being successful in making things better -- I think you get better odds at a crap shoot.
It is impossible for an inverted pyramid to stand for long. America is on the doorstep of inversion.
ReplyDeleteI know you all think I'm completely nuts. But bear with me. Just marginalize the republican party. Let it die the slow and painful death that it deserves. Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission shall not stand. This has all been a grave error. Very much related to the grave error of allowing the Rhenquist court to appoint GWB as Supreme Dickhead of all Time Maximus. These travesties of justice shall all fall away. We don't have to revert to primitive systems of governance such as those employed by the U.K. or Israel. The United States of America's Constitution is a self-correcting system.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be all right.
"Don't worry about a thing,
Delete'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right! "
Forget the Tea Party.
ReplyDeleteThe future is with the SEA Party!
"One nation under cod with buckets of crustaceans for all."
groan groan groan.....algae, youse funny!
ReplyDelete