Free speech is now a commodity. He who owns or controls the most free speech wins.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

This is not hard to understand and is how to frame the debate.

Free speech is a right of citizens and not a commodity of business.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Free speech futures anyone? How about free speech credit default swaps

if my free speech fails and does not bring about the required legislation? I can get the same profits I would have if it did pass.

[fasttense]

2. The Dancing Supremes have turned Democracy into a commodity.

They turned our elections into power struggles between political parties. It use to be whoever had the most votes won. The trick was convincing the voters. But in 2000, when they ordered the Florida court to stop counting the votes of citizens, they said it's not the vote that counts but who controls the counting.

But it wasn't working. When the party in control is so awful, so morally bankrupt, so in bed with corporations and criminals, the majority vote all in one direction, overwhelming even the rigged counting machines. The voters so overwhelmed the rigged machines in the 2008 elections that the Supremes' corporate masters were kicked out.

After a year, the "justice" system had had enough of even half-hearted, watered down attempts to serve the people. Now the Dancing Supremes are at it again. Money moves elections. Americans are easily swayed by propaganda, if only temporarily. So, by giving carte blanch to corporations to spend on any propaganda that moves them, the Dancing Supremes have turned our entire democracy into a a commodity for the corporations to buy. And this blacked robed junta (at least 5 of them) are so craven, so in bed with corporations that they would have cheered for the East India Tea company at the Boston Tea Party. They are so hungry for power and control, they have set it up so that even Communist China can buy more democracy from our government than you and I can.

This is how the Dancing Supremes wanted it. They don't want even a marginally liberal party in power ever again. They can't have the unwashed masses in control even in name only. The Supreme Court has taken over our country and handed it to their masters - the corporatists and it was all so very legal.

Mass demonstrations are the only action we the people have remaining to us. We need to act.

[whattheidonot]

3. timing.

the timing of this decision could not be worse. it is hard to protest when you are trying to survive. The corporate message will be full of easy arguments on how unemployment will be hurt by this measure or that. if you are unemployed it is hard to care about cap and trade even though you know it is right. you can bet the bogey man of terrorism will be everywhere. I would not hold my breath over stockholder having a different say. What profits the corporation profits the stockholder.. many stockholders are much removed from what is going on in America. They have their gated communities with their private police. When i was a kid we went and visited rich people openly. Their were no gates where their now are many. the public schools were full of rich people. the football stadiums were one big stadium not a rich stadium and a poor stadium. Times have changed.

[closeupready]

4. I seriously think many here overstate the importance of Citizens United

For several reasons, not the least of which is that (to argue my general from an extreme case) even in places like Russia or Iran where the wealthy and powerful crushed opponents literally, democracy - in one form or another - ended up winning DESPITE attempts to stop it.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. I wish that were the case. Really. I wish that were the case. nt