Money Shrieks

[McCamy Taylor]

Money used to talk in the United States. Then, it began to shout. Now it screams so loudly that we can no longer hear ourselves think. Thanks to the SCOTUS ruling in the Citizens United case, money now has 1st Amendment free speech protections. A small cabal of the wealthiest, most undemocratic Americans are drowning out the voices of 300,000,000 citizens. I am talking about folks like the Kochs and Karl Rove and Harold Simmons (Swiftboat Vets) and the Banksters (who are sitting on a multibillion dollar slush fund of tax payers money).

Outside groups supporting Republican candidates in House and Senate races across the country have been swamping their Democratic-leaning counterparts on television since early August as the midterm election season has begun heating up.
Driving the disparity in the ad wars has been an array of Republican-oriented organizations that are set up so that they can accept donations of unlimited size from individuals and corporations without having to disclose them. The situation raises the possibility that a relatively small cadre of deep-pocketed donors, unknown to the general public, is shaping the battle for Congress in the early going.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/us/politics/14money.html?_r=2&hp

These ads could be funded by anybody . Hell, the donors may not even be Americans. Saudis who want to see the price of gasoline rise to $4 a gallon again, European drug companies who are able to sell pharmaceuticals in their own countries at a discount, because they are gouging American consumers, Indians who are afraid of efforts to bring US jobs back home, Mexican drug cartels worried at rumors of legalization in the U.S.----these folks would just love to see Congress return to Republican control.

For eight months, the press kept insisting that Union spending would keep it all fair. Finally, in the NYT article above, the press has admitted what we knew all along---unions can never hope to match the under the table contributions of the world’s wealthiest. Hell, Microsoft alone could buy this election. The Saud Family could buy it. And we, the American people, would never know.

Right now, there are a few posts at DU which tell us to be afraid---very, very afraid---of our elected president and the Democrats in Congress. These posts have gotten hundreds of recs. They tell us that there is no difference between the two parties. They tell us that taking part in the democratic process---i.e. voting---will just facilitate the right wing coup, so we should just stay home . They tell us that nothing that happens in this election could possibly make a bit of difference to the plight of unemployed, homeless American workers. They tell us to channel our anger into despair and self loathing .

I call bullshit on that. If there is no fucking difference between the parties, why the hell are so many corporate fascists pouring so much money (under the table) to change the party in power in Washington?

[mattvermont]

1. In the 60's Mr. Dylan said

...money doesn't talk, it swears, obscenity, who really cares....

[bluefin]

2. 2010

50 years later it's the unions that have the president's ear and pocketbook open.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Like the teachers' unions, for instance?

[Jackpine Radical]

13. This would no doubt explain

why the Administration backed Blanche Lincoln against Bill Halter, a union-backed progressive opponent.

And Rahm's brilliant comment: "Fuck the UAW."

Anyway, even if you were right, the unions have very little money in comparison to people like the Koch Brothers.

[kentuck]

3. "Propaganda, all is phony"

Yep..

[DCKit]

4. Something I've thought a lot about this past few months...

While many of us paint the (D)-corporates with the same broad brush as the (R)-corporates (and I am guilty of this, as well), the two groups do, in fact, have somewhat different corporate constituencies.

Further, the (D)-corporate crowd is intelligent enough to put in place taxes, regulations and laws to prevent the corporations from bankrupting the country within the span of any single Presidential term.

The rich want it all, and they want it right now, thank you. The Republicans would hand it to them on a silver platter, taking all of U.S. down in the process. Corporate Democrats would provide enough protections to keep the game going indefinitely.

A successful parasite doesn't kill it's host - at least not quickly - and the most successful keep their hosts alive and functioning. Republicans haven't figured that out and corporations are eager to take advantage of their willful ignorance - even if it means destroying the economy. After all, no matter how bad it gets, the CEOs still walk away with huge amounts of money. And isn't that what it's all about?

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Thanks. You do not kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

A company that manufacturers a product for the consumption of Americans knows the value of a strong middle class.

When I see all these special interests intent upong bankrupting the middle class, I have to think that at least some of them are here only to plunder and they plan to invest the money they steal from our 1) pensions, 2) social security 3) homes in some other country. Because by the time they are through, there will not be anyone here who can pay for their goods or services.

[Hannah Bell]

6. different corporate constituencies is exactly it.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. To put it another way, the D corps have read Machiavelli.

They're willing to spend a little to keep the peasants from rebelling in desperation.

[donquijoterocket]

15. unfortunately

Too many people would agree with your final statement however, I've noticed that no matter how much money you have, when you die you're still dead.I do agree with your general characterization of the two political entities with this caveat. The Democratic party has a history and tradition of standing up for and with the people,It's difficult to completely ignore that history and tradition and there's plenty of us willing to remind them of it whenever necessary. The republicans have no such tradition and most modern Republicans are willing even eager distance themselves from, even to dismiss TR which is as close as they'd get.

[KakistocracyHater]

7. & if there is such a difference, why are the Dems allowing it?

why are Dems not fighting back against Citizens United & saying what's happening every time they get in front of cameras?

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Congress has been trying to pass a bill to require donors to name themselves.

Guess who does not want transparency in politics?

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/barack-obama-recommends-that-the-republicans-identify-political-donors-transparently_100416175.html

Washington August 21, 2010 (Just Flashed): On Saturday, the American President, Barack Obama, recommended the Republican chiefs in the American Congress to not obstruct a bill zoomed in on diminishing the involvement of massive conglomerates and overseas businesses in American elections. Obama asserted in his weekly speech via radio that this issue should not be viewed with self-centered partisanship. This issue must transcend the ideological divide between the centrist Democrats and the rightist Republicans. Obama has asserted that the intention of the bill is to ensure that the American democracy functions transparently in favor of the common Americans

[liberal N proud]

9. GREED drives this country

[Overseas]

10. Love your OP title! It sure is shrieking GOP!

And I think part of the reason behind massive funding of "genuine grass roots" teabag madness is to give Independents and Republicans a reason to vote for establishment GOP regulars. To get us to forget that the regular Republican gang on the ballot are the ones who crashed our economy and our national security.

I'm with you in wanting all Democrats and Independents and sensible Republicans to vote Democratic again.

[TBF]

12. It matters to the corporations because of their own

in-fighting. And it matters to those who have particular issues (such as support for stem cell research, pro-choice) etc...

But the people it doesn't matter to are the workers who get screwed either way by an inherently unequal system.