The can of worms.

[LeftyFingerPop]

Corporations will be allowed unlimited access to their operating funds to run political commercials supporting their candidate...the candidate who represents their interests as a business.

So, an investment bank will use their financial capital to support the candidate that favors deregulation and that favors unlimited bonuses for CEO's.

They will support the candidate who does not favor Wall Street reform.

They will support the candidate that allows hedge funds to ruthlessly manipulate the average investor by allowing the naked shorting of stocks and by allowing the uptick rule to remain dead.

They will support the candidate who will not heavily regulate derivatives.

You think we saw a financial mess last year?

You think the economy is bad now?

Just wait...

[phantom power]

1. what could possibly go wrong?

:banghead:

[LeftyFingerPop]

2. The SCOTUS ruling today has the potential to ruin this country

financially, and that is not an over reaction.

[Old Codger]

3. The only real answer

Then is to redo all elections laws to reflect this fact, make all national elections at least publicly funded with no choice on the candidates part as to whether they wish to participate or not, public funding and only public funding with a set amount of any type of media advertisement PERIOD, no ifs ands or buts!

[LeftyFingerPop]

4. Agree 100%. n/t

[Old Codger]

13. Of course

we are asking the fox to guard the henhouse....

[dgibby]

14. It's too late for that.

The people who could change that have already been bought off by the corporations. Why would they want to bite the hand that feeds them?

[Old Codger]

19. Right

we the people have been told to go away we are no longer relevant to the political processes of this country...

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. Heckuvajob supremes!

:thumbsdown:

[tango-tee]

18. Wait! I have an idea!

Why not take the next logical step? So that people won't have to take time off work to go and vote and worry about whom to vote for, why shouldn't the corporations also just vote in place of each employee? 10.000 employees - 10.000 votes! Ha. Easy.

Just in case :sarcasm:

[bluesbassman]

6. You nailed it LFP. This is clearly judicial activism at it's worst.

Corp law needs to be overhauled to eliminate a corporation's ability to contribute to political activities in any manner. The potential for abuse far outweighs any benefit to society as a whole that allows this to comtinue.

[LeftyFingerPop]

8. Agree, and here is the problem with LARGE corporations...

While a corporation does indeed consist of "people", it is not the working people withing the corporation who make the decisions.

The people who make the decisions are executive management and the Board of Directors.

Therefore, an extremely small number of people with their own personal financial interests will have undue influence on political process.

Some will argue that their fiduciary responsibilities to their employees and stockholders will prevent them from supporting a bad political direction, but we can all see how seriously these responsibilities were taken by looking at the recent economic collapse.

[bluesbassman]

10. And factor in that many corps receive some form of PUBLIC assistance,

through tax exemptions, govt. contracts, etc., the use of corporate funds in these instances are being funded by ALL taxpayers whose interests certainly aren't all being represented.

[LeftyFingerPop]

11. Yes...this is another worm in the can. n/t

[Flying Dream Blues]

7. It's an embarrassment that things have come to this. nt

[BadgerKid]

9. Concentration of wealth continues.

This decision gives a way for a corp. to support a "candidate." Successful candidates will be part of the eco-political Inner Circle.

[pscot]

12. And this will differ from what we now have

How?

[LeftyFingerPop]

17. Until this ruling, they were limited on the amount they could spend. n/t

[Individualist]

15. More like Pandora's box than a can of worms.

[kohodog]

16. Annie get your gun! n/t