The U.S Supreme Court has given us the sequel to Citizens United. In the recent ruling of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (FEC), the court will allow untold amounts of money to flood directly into our political system.
This is some kind of an in-yo’-face stuff, a wake-up call for all of us on the receiving end of the elite’s boots in this country. The engines of the donor class are revving up to steamroll us. The People need to step up our offensive strategy – and quick.
The Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings have emboldened this class to come from behind the curtains and from underneath the table to show their hands. The money men used to be more discreet about dealings, forced to be creative but stealthy so as not to be fragrantly breaking campaign finance laws.
No more. The U.S. Supreme Court has declared corporations “citizens” and money is an extension of free speech.
Sheldon Adelson, gambling casino tycoon, didn’t bat an eye when he dropped $93 million in the last presidential cycle with absolutely no return on his investments. Ditto for the Koch Brothers, Charlie and David. The Kochs and their allies have created a complex network of non-profits and business groups to move their agenda. This network of good old white boys spent more than $383 million on the 2012 election.
This elite group’s main agenda is making as much as they can without the obstacles of pesky rules, laws and regulations. So their focus is not just Capitol Hill, they are infecting regional, state and local politics – undermining the fragile semblance of democracy at all levels.
These billionaires put their buddies on boards that regulate their respective industries; they finance their own ballot initiatives; they run their own candidates (we just witnessed the Adelson Primary where GOP presidential hopefuls went to kiss his ring). The American Legislative Exchange Council, aka ALEC, is the rich boys’ political bed for elected officials who promise to carry out the legislative agenda of ALEC.
Koch. Adelson. Friess. Kovner. Simmons. Thiel. You probably don’t know these names. A poll by Washington State University showed that only 52 percent of Americans know who the Koch Brothers are. People may not be able to keep up with all of these influentials but we must keep up with our homegrowns who wreak the same havoc on the local or state scene.
In Missouri, we have Rex Sinquefield. His billions have put initiatives on the ballot, got politicians elections, paid to steer legislation and provided donations (which some would call hush money) to non-profits.
It can be quite daunting to go up against these types, but go up against them we must. Missourians should know Rex’s name and know how he uses his billions to get his way. At every turn, we must oppose the suppression or exclusion of the masses of people in the democratic process that allow the money bags of a few to determine what kind of society we will have.
As income and wealth inequities get greater, all the studies show that the quality of life for the majority of us diminishes and democracy gets whacked. There are a number of ways real, breathing human beings can minimize the impact of billionaires and one way is to increase our participation in the public and political spheres. This means being informed and active voters.
Regardless of what the high court says, corporations are NOT people and money is NOT a constitutionally protected right. We don’t have much influence over the Supreme Court Justices but we have a lot of room to flex our muscles on the local level. Citizens unite!
