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Our elections have replaced horse racing as the sport of kings. Only these kings are multi-billionaire, corporate moguls who by the divine right, not of God, but the United States Supreme Court and its Citizens United decision, ...
Follow 2012 Election , Barack Obama , Campaign Finance , Mitt Romney , Elections 2012 , Newt Gingrich , Citizens United , Jeffrey Katzenberg , John Paulson , Julian Robertson , Paul Singer , Priorities USA Action , Robert Mercer , Sheldon Adelson , Super PACs , Winning Our Future , Citizens United v.
Submit this storydigg reddit stumble Watching what's happening to our democracy is like watching the cruise ship Costa Concordia founder and sink slowly into the sea off the coast of Italy, as the passengers, shorn of life vests, scramble for safety as best they can, while the captain trips and falls conveniently into a waiting life boat.
We are drowning here, with gaping holes torn into the hull of the ship of state from charges detonated by the owners and manipulators of capital. Their wealth has become a demonic force in politics. Nothing can stop them. Not the law, which has been written to accommodate them. Not scrutiny -- they have no shame. Not a decent respect for the welfare of others -- the people without means, their safety net shredded, left helpless before events beyond their control.
The obstacles facing the millennial generation didn't just happen. Take an economy skewed to the top, low wages and missing jobs, predatory interest rates on college loans: these are politically engineered consequences of government of, by, and for the one percent. So, too, is our tax code the product of money and politics, influence and favoritism, lobbyists and the laws they draft for rented politicians to enact.
Here's what we're up against. Read it and weep: "America's Plutocrats Play the Political Ponies." That's a headline in "Too Much," an Internet publication from the Institute for Policy Studies that describes itself as "an online weekly on excess and inequality."
Yes, the results are in and our elections have replaced horse racing as the sport of kings. Only these kings aren't your everyday poobahs and potentates. These kings are multi-billionaire, corporate moguls who by the divine right, not of God, but the United States Supreme Court and its Citizens United decision, are now buying politicians like so much pricey horseflesh. All that money pouring into super PACs, much of it from secret sources: merely an investment, should their horse pay off in November, in the best government money can buy.
They're shelling out fortunes' worth of contributions. Look at just a few of them: Mitt Romney's hedge fund pals Robert Mercer, John Paulson, Julian Robertson and Paul Singer -- each of whom has ponied up a million or more for the super PAC called "Restore Our Future" -- as in, "Give us back the go-go days, when predators ruled Wall Street like it was Jurassic Park."
Then there's casino boss Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam, fiercely pro-Israel and anti-President Obama's Mideast policy. Initially, they placed their bets on Newt Gingrich, who says on his first day in office he'd move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that would thrill the Adelsons, but infuriate Palestinians and the rest of the Muslim world. Together, the Adelsons have contributed ten million to Newt's "Winning Our Future" super PAC.
Cowboy billionaire Foster Friess, a born-again Christian who made his fortune herding mutual funds instead of cattle, has been bankrolling the "Red White and Blue Fund" super PAC of Rick Santorum, with whom he shares a social right-wing agenda. Dark horse Ron Paul has relied on the kindness of PayPal founder Peter Thiel, a like-minded libertarian in favor of the smallest government possible, who gave $900,000 to Paul's "Endorse Liberty" super PAC. Hollywood's Jeffrey Katzenberg has so far emptied his wallet to the tune of a cool two million for the pro-Obama super PAC, "Priorities USA Action."
President Obama -- who kept his distance from Priorities USA Action and used to call the money unleashed by Citizens United a "threat to democracy" -- has declared if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. He urges his wealthy supporters to please go ahead and back the super PAC. "Our campaign has to face the reality of the law as it stands," his campaign manager Jim Messina said. To do otherwise, he added, would be to "unilaterally disarm" in the face of all those Republican super PAC millions. So much for Obama's stand on campaign finance reform -- everybody else is doing it, he seems to say, so why don't you show me the money, too?
When all is said and done, this race for the White House may cost more than two billion dollars. What's getting trampled into dust are the voices of people who aren't rich, not to mention what's left of our democracy.
It's become a situation where the contest is how much you can destroy the system, rather than how much you can make it work. It makes no difference if you have a 'D' or an 'R' after your name. There's no sense that this is about democracy, and after the election you have to work together, and knit the country together.
These gargantuan super PAC contributions are not an end in themselves. They are the means to gain control of government -- and the nation state -- for a reason. The French writer and economist Frederic Bastiat said it plainly: "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." That's what the Super PACs are bidding on. For the rest of us, the ship may already have sailed.
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Watching what's happening to our democracy is like watching the cruise ship Costa Concordia founder and sink slowly into the sea off the coast of Italy, as the passengers, shorn of life vests, scramb...
Watching what's happening to our democracy is like watching the cruise ship Costa Concordia founder and sink slowly into the sea off the coast of Italy, as the passengers, shorn of life vests, scramb...
While Romney's "Get Santorum" message itself is as spicy as vanilla ice cream, the money that Romney is prepared to invest in his latest all-out-attack is going to buy plenty of scoops. The Romney super PAC has already dropped $500,000 into Michigan to begin mounting attack ads. The no-brainer way of attacking Santorum is to go after him on his extreme social positions. Unfortunately, now that Romney has decided to be a hardline conservative, that option is not open to him. So, Santorum may struggle with this attack, but his struggle won't be on the merits -- it will be because Romney drowns out his counter argument.
While Romney's "Get Santorum" message itself is as spicy as vanilla ice cream, the money that Romney is prepared to invest in his latest all-out-attack is going to buy plenty of scoops. The Romney super PAC has already dropped $500,000 into Michigan to begin mounting attack ads. The no-brainer way of attacking Santorum is to go after him on his extreme social positions. Unfortunately, now that Romney has decided to be a hardline conservative, that option is not open to him. So, Santorum may struggle with this attack, but his struggle won't be on the merits -- it will be because Romney drowns out his counter argument.
If you want to know how the moneyed class, who prospered during the Bush and Clinton years, found a way to kill or water down nearly everything it objected to in the Obama years, look no further than the grip of the 1% of the 1% on our political system.
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It seems no one is going to going to be able to stop this waste of money being spent - money we give with low taxes, loopholes and refunds to profitable companies. Money we taxpayers give to break our own democratic system?
09:02 PM on 02/15/2012 It would be nice if the Super PACs would direct the money donated to making change in our country on a personal level such as creating transitionary housing for those displaced by the economic downturn in the name of the individual they support. This would likely give them as much air time as they are purchasing and make a lasting change for the good of those they seek to govern.
05:32 PM on 02/15/2012 Once again, you have called the oligarchs out. It is so obvious, when we aren't looking at the distractions put in place to make us miss what's in front of our collective American faces. 'Distractions' such as the useless TV programming [i.e., reality, entertainment shows], too much info on things that are not profitable, enlightening or useful for our daily lives. Then, there's the media - the networks and cable companies are part of the PACs, so what are they really going to broadcast? Keep up the good work, Bill and Mike. Your voices are needed more than ever.
02:30 PM on 02/15/2012 Money is a force. It's energy can be used for good and bad. Politically we are facing the similar abusive and corruptive issues of money, which gave rise to the 16th century protestant reformation.
What seems to confuse most is the power of freedom. Ask someone if they should have the freedom to do what they want with "their money" and they will shout... Heck yeah! Ask 'em if that freedom includes using money to take away someone else's notion of freedom and then things get wobbly.
We're not very good at understanding or deciding what's good or fair for society. Each person's notion of good and fair is completely different. We've used Sky-Gods, divine leaders, warriors, generals, dictators, scholars, sages and shaman. Healthy democracy allows each and everyone to voice their opinion and act. It's one of the better methods we've got for guiding society. Un-checked money is a thumb on the scale. It provides privilege for the few that have more money at their disposal. Like they say follow the money. Money isn't free speech. Money is the energy. Fortunately there are other energies that can manifest to eventually balance unchecked money energy.
Mr. Moyer's & Company are raising excellent questions and awareness about this big hot mess we got going on lately. He does't scream or carry on like a cable television carnival barker. His approach is more contemplative. His return to PBS is a blessing.
Ban Super Pacs, regular Pacs and any/all donations or contributions to any specific political candidate, group or cause over $100. Contributions to the cost of politics can be unlimited, but all such $$ goes into a pot that is shared equally by all legitimate candidates, defined as anyone that gathers an appropriate # of support signatures (depending on whether the race is local, State or National).
But Bill, guess who the single largest contributors to political campaigns are? Labor Unions!!! And they outspend Wall Street by almost 2 to 1. And lets not forget big oil and AARP and the list goes on and on. Are there members of the 1% that seek to influence politics for their own benefit? Of course there are, but they are not alone.
In an open economic system, there is always going to be a trend to inequality. There will always be a 1%!!! Lets worry less about that and more about sensible policies for necessary things that the capitalist system does not do well, like saftey nets and regulatory regimes. Let the market take care of the rest. This means you will have wild success, but also miserable failure. The system doesn't work without both.
11:17 AM on 02/15/2012 "There will always be a 1%!!! Lets worry less about that and more about sensible policies for necessary things that the capitalist system does not do well, like saftey nets and regulatory regimes."
Yes, but safety nets and regulations eminently necessary under the harshness of the system are the targets for elimination through incessant obstructive tactics by the political lapdogs for our Plutocracy. are they not? The free marketeers actually want no regulations nor standards of quality and safety but the freedom to produce what and how they will and let the customer through competition determine the future of those products. Worse, the system itself is based on the premise that all citizens must fend for themselves in a predator Darwinian society in which government is virtually absent, except of course to quell dissenting marches and demonstrations at home and to protect the plutocrats' corporate investments overseas which may involve wars to bring our freedoms to those huddled masses who "coincidentally" live in countries with strategic minerals.
05:44 PM on 02/15/2012 Sorry, kittrick, but your facts are simply wrong, in fact, the exact opposite of what you claim. The financial investment and real estate sector -- Wall Street -- has been the single largest political contributor of this election cycle -- $142,252,611. Labors unions have contributed a tiny bit more than ONE-SEVENTH of that amount -- $21,469,557. Lawyers, the energy industry, health care and electronics -- each of these groups has contributed more than the unions. You can see the figures at the Center for Responsive Politic's website: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/index.
09:15 AM on 02/15/2012 So well put, Bill. Problem is you are about the only media figure swimming in the sea of reality. None, and I do mean none, acknowledge the reality of our situation. Americans are so utterly distracted by the media induced anger and misinformation, it is really easy for them to get away with the absolute theft of what was amerika.
Look at what is happening in Greece now, our country is in just as bad shape and we are closer to collapse than anyone will acknowledge. but, really, who cares?
04:56 PM on 02/15/2012 None acknowledge the reality of the situation? None except Stephen Colbert, who created a Super PAC just to show what a harmful addition this is to American politics.
So while Obama is right that it would be foolish for them to not use Super PACs themselves to fight those who are using them without shame, Democrats are actually admitting they are bad and trying to do something about them. But the 1% has a lot of money to throw into lobbying against that, and a lot of gullible Fox News viewers willing to be their pawns.
08:51 AM on 02/15/2012 Exactly the point I have been making here for a long time. This country has become the country of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. Our Constitution is no longer valid, the middle class have lost their war against the fat cats and the Republipunk party is helping this transformation 100%. Why the people don't wake up, smell the roses, and get these anti-American rodents out of public office is beyond me. I wish Gingrich's idea comes true and these anti-American fat cats start a colony on the moon or Mars or wherever, take their goals that is destroying the framework of America with them, and allow the remaining citizens who wish for the goals and ideals of our founders to stay here, fix the destruction the Republipunks have heaped on us over the last three decades, and restore this nation to greatness.
03:20 PM on 02/15/2012 "Why the people don't wake up, smell the roses, and get these anti-American rodents out of public office is beyond me."
08:47 AM on 02/15/2012 The politicians write the laws (or maybe the lobbyists) and will never change a system that benefits them.We the people have no voice in these matters except for an increasingly suspect vote every few years. Taking to the streets, like OWS, is our only hope. When I see a billionaire behind a candidate I picture a dog collar and leash.... Obama doesn't need to spend a dime, he has my vote already.
08:37 AM on 02/15/2012 I hope the Republican primaries cost those super PAC's billions and they can fight it out all the way to the convention, it is fun watching those fat cats spend their money on a wager that could cost them plenty and gain nothing. The more money spent on wasted promises and false facts just seems like a justice served for a good cause, so i say let them spend their money it's a free country, just don't expect anything in return because ultimately it takes votes to win. So unless the super PAC's are planning on giving the American voter a few hundred dollars to vote for their special interests it is still a gamble at best!
08:34 AM on 02/15/2012 No one. Repeat no one in the United States of America gives money to anyone without expecting something in return.
When I donated to Obama, I expected Obama to win election with it and then lead the country in a way I liked, for instance. Is there something wrong with that?
08:28 AM on 02/15/2012 Not only money ! In Tennessee and other states Republicans are sending out State Employees to all Elections Offices and taking with the Computer Codes they are installing in those machines !!
08:25 AM on 02/15/2012 Yes, 2012 will be the battle of the billionaire bucks in politics. But there's always a counter force at work. Just maybe it will force more folks to have to think past the simplistic type of bumper sticker sloganeering that big bucks buy. Indeed, let's hope that forcing the electorate to become more knowledgeable will end up being an unindented consequence.
It's opacity that throws the process overboard, not money. You'll not eliminate money unless you eliminate money as a medium of exchange.
07:34 AM on 02/15/2012 So the authors want to make us believe that presidents from the pre-SuperPAC era were just ordinary Joes for whom money didn't matter?
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