The free market aficionados who say that they do not need regulation of the financial system or their actions by state or Federal government, remind me of the bandidos in Treasure of the Sierra Madre who tell Humphrey Bogart "Badges. We don't need no stinking badges, then kill him.
Unfortunately, right now we have a whole bunch of bandidos in the Government of the United States, including a majority sitting as members of our Supreme Court.
The attempt by Senator Leahy of Vermont to remove the anti-trust exemption from the insurance companies is a good start. Cartels and trusts such as those the insurance companies enjoy are at the heart of monopolistic practices, including price fixing and collusion.
I think we should further attack corporate power, especially regarding campaign finance laws.
The Supreme Court is going to decide on several cases involving campaign finance law, including the McCain-Feingold Act which limits in-kind spending (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission). With a strong pro-business majority, we can be certain that the Roberts Court will strike down as much of that law as it thinks it can get away with.
I believe that Congress should use its power under Article III, Section 2, paragraph 2 of the Constitution and remove the Supreme Court's authority to look at the constitutionality of campaign finance reform laws, specifically with regards to artificial persons, as applied to the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. I would like to suggest to Congressman Grayson that he take the lead by introducing such a bill in the House, with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont introducing an identical bill in the Senate.
This act will have two effects whether it becomes law or not. First, it will put the Supreme Court on notice concerning the extension of additional rights of free speech to artificial persons (corporations) at the expense of flesh and blood people, and very likely cause them to further temper any decision that they might hand down. Second, it will place the corporations on notice that their freebooting days are at an end: the People of the United States have taken notice of their rapacious malfeasance at the expense of our nation's well being, and we have had enough.
I would suggest that after Senator Sanders and Congressman Grayson "plus as many co-sponsors as they can find "have booked TV interviews with The Ed Show, Countdown With Keith Olbermann, The Rachel Maddow Show, and whoever they feel is most friendly at CNN, plus every liberal talk radio show they can find; they drop their bills in their respective hoppers, go on the air, and ask the American people for their support by contacting their Representatives, Senators, and the White House in support of this bill.
Will it pass? Probably not. But it may scare the corporate pirates back into their safe havens while we take back our country. It will definitely make everyone aware of the hornet's nest of corporate fascism in our country by batting it hard.
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