Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy who wrote the majority opinion in Citizens United v/s FEC, January 21, 2010
Needless to say, today marks the 5 th anniversary of the infamous "Citizens United" decision handed down by SCOTUS that gave rise beyond a shadow of a doubt who owns and controls this country and it sure isn't you and me.
Oh sure people knew before Citizens money dominated electoral politics but this sealed the deal.
Hell, even foreign money joined the party big time hidden within the close confines of the Chamber of Commerce which by law doesn't have to reveal its sources because it's a tax exempt 501 (6) type organization. The same goes for so called PAC's that are registered as social welfare outfits. It's all a ruse.
Throw in the likes of AIPAC that gets high rollers to bankroll candidates for office or the NRA, the big defense contractors, Wall Street, the Koch Bros., casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and their ilk and any notion those elected represent the people is nonsense, completely absurd.
Now there's a push by liberals to enlist progressive Elizabeth Warren to run for president. She adamantly refuses. But how many know Warren and her Senate colleagues unanimously voted to give Israel some additional $350 million to cover the cost of the IDF's murderous bombing campaign it conducted last summer that killed some 2,000 mostly innocent Palestinian's in Gaza. So her impressive, progressive financial credentials when juxtaposed to her obvious support for the apartheid Israeli regime makes her no better than the wacko Ted Cruz. I guess we're supposed to ignore and dismiss that little faux pas.
So as I've commented numerous times on these pages [1] the need to amend the Constitution overturning Citizens United is priority number one, realizing the existing electoral system has been so thoroughly corrupted it must be overhauled so a publicly financed system can be implemented for ALL elections.
Yet I've come to realize even if such an electoral system could be implemented where the candidates selected and elected were true representatives of the people, could they break the stranglehold of the un-elected "dark forces"- the CIA, NSA, NSC, military/security oligarchy et al that's been constructed and control this country-be dislodged and dismantled.
Then there's the MSM, completely in the hands of the huge corporate interests that has become nothing more than the ministry of disinformation, parroting the "official" government line which is even worse than a state funded organ of a totalitarian state where the people know they are being lied to, but unlike the US media which portrays its self as providing the people with independent journalism upholding its right granted in the Constitution. Would a publicly financed electoral system survive under the onslaught of a corporate owned media where those elected were compromised and corrupted by that media they would never be able to "finish the job" of transforming this plutocracy.
Yet short of revolution, what is the hope for America?
It sure isn't the descent into distraction that seems to be the consuming interest of young people obsessed with the newest electronic gadgetry.
Even though a re-reading of the Declaration of Independence reveals a condition similar to our own time this isn't 1776.
Revolution; It ain't gonna happen!
But in the unlikely event it does happen, it'll probably come from within by reactionary forces and those armed with the 300 million firearms in the country, many of them ex-military trained how to use the most sophisticated weapons.
Let's "hope" the latter isn't in our future. Better to support the efforts to overturn Citizens with an amendment to the Constitution.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
