Being utterly cynical, I have for decades viewed the USA as nothing other than a plutocracy, with the only mitigation being the fact that the super-rich and the mega-corporations don't all agree with one another on any given topic, so there isn't the kind of monolithic control one would see under a dictatorship.
Competition has rightly been hailed as a hallmark of capitalism and its best attribute, and to that I add the view that competition between and among the super-rich and the mega-corporations is the crucial element that protects American citizens from the utter rapacity of those who have billions of dollars at their disposal, since it isn't really our laws that do that, since laws are made by politicians, and politicians whore themselves out to the highest bidder.
Having said all that, the political theatre that will surely play out (and already is playing out) around this recent Supreme Court decision will make for the kind of entertainment I often take a perverse pleasure in, due to my propensity for cynical amusement.
_________________________ The baboon is the soul of man.
Registered: 08/29/07
Posts: 2303
Loc: New York City
It's a sad and fucked up statement on American politics, laws, and money. From what I understand there was some dissent, but the majority (thanks to Bush) overruled them.
American Politics is now officially open to the highest bidder. Corporation can now do as they please with pushing their money on whomever they want, and doing whatever they want.
Can wait to see (dripping with sarcasm) how this new money affect pro-abortion, pro-union, and anti-gun law politicians.
Unless they extend the laws which show who the donors are, you may never know just how much money any agency funneled into any campaign.
If you think the idiots like Pat Robertson aren't already drooling, you are sadly mistaken.
I fully expect the laws regarding separation of church and state to become more blurred due to special interest groups pushing their candidates everywhere.
Morgan
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Courage Conquering Fear Fuck em if they can't take a joke Don't Like What I Say, Kiss My Ass.
I don’t think the court’s decision will change the fundamentals of U.S. politics; special interests have always influenced the political process in one way or another. I think it will only push money into politics on a grander scale. Next step: politicians driving what look like race cars covered with the logos of their corporate sponsors.
Is it sad? I dunno. It’s America. At the end of the day, all I can do is laugh. It’s pointless for me to get worked up about this political topic or that, because I have so many more important things to deal with – work, the mortgage, family issues. I’ve come to see politics as just another form of entertainment. I enjoy it for a while, and then I change the channel.
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My life is a movie. I am the star.
Next step: politicians driving what look like race cars covered with the logos of their corporate sponsors.
Ha! I love that!
Reminds me of sci-fi stories about future centuries when mega-corporations become more powerful than countries. We aren't too far from that now. Some corporations already have more money than some countries. I can imagine a day coming in my lifetime when mega-corporations will have non-voting seats at the United Nations, similar to the Vatican's current status.
_________________________ The baboon is the soul of man.
