Never before has it been so true: "Why bother?"

[Stinky The Clown]

In a few short years every elected official will be a fully owned corporate mouthpiece.

In no more than six years, the Senate will not have anyone voted in by the people. (Well, technically, the people will have voted, but not for anyone who represents them.)

In as few as two years, the House can be turned.

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will no longer be a place where the people's leader lives. It will be employee housing.





Really ...... why bother?

This horrible ruling can not be overturned in the few years we have left.

Within six years it will all be over.









Some PLEASE slap me and tell me I'm wrong.

[leftstreet]

1. One plus: Corps can now bypass greedy politicians

go direct to advertising.

Maybe (OMG) the politicians might get a reminder they're still part of the working class

[Echo In Light]

20. Oh, there'll be plenty willing to play ball, as usual

[tex-wyo-dem]

2. Unfortunately, I believe you are speaking reality...

Our elected officals have not worked for us for quite a few years now (with the exception of a precious few)...this was just one of the final nails in the coffin for this great experiment.

[MoonRiver]

3. I've "heard" Congress may pass laws to de-fang this ruling.

But, I now only believe what I see.

[niyad]

6. THIS spineless congress? please don't hold your breath.

[BeHereNow]

9. +1

bhn

[MoonRiver]

14. I'm not.

Time to re-investigate moving to Canada.

[tex-wyo-dem]

7. I'm not so sure...

one has to ask why anyone in Congress (with the exception of the most idealistic), would want to "de-fang" this law. As long as one agrees to play the game and become a corporate stooge, you are pretty much guaranteed to keep your job as long as you like...even, I'm sure, with some nice fringe benefits.

It's kind of like asking why any congress-critter would want to change campaign finance laws if it makes it harder for them to get re-elected.

[timeforpeace]

4. Were corporations always bad, or just lately?

[KansDem]

10. Good question.

I wonder if they were as large as they are now.

I read several years ago that the gap in the average salaries of teachers and CEOs exploded since the 1950s with CEOs now making much, much more than teachers...

[old guy]

21. I suspect they have always been bad,

but during the * admin. they became blatantly obvious about it. They basically did what they wanted with impunity. The people started to see what they really were but were powerless to stop them as too many congress people were on the take. It continues to this day. This is just my view so it probably is worthless, just like my vote.

[Umbral]

22. Yes, that's why they used to be so severely limited in size and scope. nt

[JoeyT]

23. Not just always this bad

they used to be a lot worse. As one of the others that replied to this said, that's why they were regulated.
Google Pullman Towns and the Triangle Shirtwaist Company to get an idea of the good old days we're headed back to.

[niyad]

5. wish I could say you are overreacting--sadly, I do not believe this to be the case.

regardless of how jonathan turley tried to dress it up last night, it's pretty obvious we are completely screwed. no more pretense about "we the people"

which DU member said that all the pols should have their corporate logos on their suits? even more true today than ever.

[Auggie]

8. I was speaking with friend last night who has done some political advertising...

and we were wondering if this was an opportunity to capitalize on what will become a growth industry -- political advertising.

It's easy to ask "Why Bother?" But one can also ask, "How can I make money from power-hungry corporations and people?"

If I don't, someone else will. Not that I will. It was just a thought.

[Lesleymo]

11. Unfortunately, you're right

Can I slap you anyways? Just kidding Stinky!

[mstinamotorcity]

12. Hey Stinky

may be your user name,but that foul odor i smell is coming from Capitol Hill.I don't know quite how to distinguish the different combinations of funk,but it sorta smells like wall street,insurance industries,big pharma,big oil,big energy,investment banking,lobbyist. Damn I know what that smell is now,Corporate Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grr: :grr:

[hootinholler]

13. You're wrong.

I know it seems bleak and I know it will get worse before it gets better, but hear me out Stanky. Most of us out here are not stoopud, the corporations will still have to identify that they paid for the ad. It's not like they can drop a billion or two on candidate fuckmeharder directly, they can drop a billion on vote for candidate fuckmeharder ads. Let's say they do. Then candidate lovemetender can point out that lubecorp is sponsoring fuckmeharder, and frankly most people will already know that. Now if lubecorp is a good company, maybe the people will want fuckmeharder, but if lubecorp has been fucking over the environment or workers, people will know that too and vote for some lovemetender.

Do *I* like it? No! It sucks the chrome off jesus hitches, but, I don't think it's as bad as it could be, and I don't think everything is lost in 6 years. Then again my choices here feel like they have been between fuckmeharder and fuckmelubeless.

-Hoot

[AlinPA]

15. Fun reading. Good post, but IMHO, most people are stupid in this country.They believe the tee-vee

and are easily swayed. You got the amounts right, it will be billions, not per candidate (president maybe) but easily tens of billions total for republican congressional candidates. They won't have to spend as much in the south because all they need there are a few flags and crosses.

[corpseratemedia]

16. OK your whole reply was a DUzy!

[PATRICK]

18. Laundering always seems to work

They dump the money into a patriotic named subsidiary no one can even remember. No voice in the MSM, no research and when the truth as we know it is revealed it is easily shrugged off. Any amount of money, any lie, any tactic with no money limits. The old "reforms" were a gamy travesty and will continue to be as they still exist. The big artillery has been put in corporate arsenals.

As with HCR the rotten compromises that solved nothing are being swept away. That is a shortcut to pure progressive confrontation quickly. progressives are not strong enough nor do they have enough time and it serves on the other edge of the blade Dems fall upon to destroy Obama's approach which he will keep repeating and repeating thinking THAT is the way to confront a war on democracy.

Perhaps he kept dictatorial powers because he was conned on terrorism and potential national chaos if the economy fails. Perhaps he learned something with FDR about blocking certain classic types of coup d'etats but does not see major threats at all when they arrive. In any event the top of the evil keeps delivering while new kinder gentler Dem fantasy land will not be given any space to succeed as was lavished on Cheney and puppet boy. There was a refusal to face most of the major root crimes and evils during the campaign that stemmed from an easy blindness and an absurd expectation. Obama thought to overwhelm that like he did the electorate, but kept himself alone and surrounded by too many problem makers in vague pursuit of a mirage. Not getting the strength of the Israel/Palestinian impasse showed he was way way above the capacity of George II but still struggling in the same minor league.

Everything has essentially been lost, somewhat before this actual blow. The most spectacular consequences- the complete snafu of coming crises- will go far beyond shock to the death literally billions in one avoidable way or another. Democracy is our tool to survive or fight with reason and dignity. We forced to face the future like sheep going into slaughterhouses we are forced to build, buy and applaud.

[blindpig]

17. There is more to politics than voting for D's or R's

There is more to politics than voting.

Working people should organize outside of established channels, forget the money, forget the media. It's the only way anything will get done.

[SeekerBlue]

25. +1000

Not gonna happen, though.

Not until it's really so bad that it's too late.

:(

[mikehiggins]

19. Nope, you're right. Hey, it was a good run, that old USA thing but

everything comes to an end sometime.

USA
1776-2010
beloved home of hundreds of millions
murdered by the wealthy few
RIP

[madmax]

24. My husband said almost the exact same thing

not more than 30 minutes ago. Unbelievable!

Oh, ok - smmmmmmmmmack!

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. I won't slap you

ersatz democracy... that said we still can fight... but if you thought it was hard... it just became that much harder.

[MrsCorleone]

27. No more than 36 hours after this ruling, so many here are so tragically eager

to throw in the towel?

What the hell? No way am I going down without a fight. Complacency was exactly what Sotomayor warned about in her statement, BTW.

Look, Dems have been largely complacent all frickin' year -- that was until yesterday. Now that we're finally pissed enough to push back in a real way, you guys are throwing defeat into the atmosphere? Seriously?

The SC ruling drew a distinct line between the corporate whores and those representatives that stand with us average peeps. Let's push them to choose.

Frankly, exposing the whores for who they are has left me feeling invigorated!

Get your sh*t together! :hi:

[cali]

28. "every politician"? No.

[Maru Kitteh]

29. I WISH you were wrong.