US Democracy Can Simply Be Bought by Billionaires, Citizens United Lets Them Set Debate Terms, Thiel

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Sat Oct 22, 2022, 11:10 PM - Edit history (2)

- "In America, Democracy Can Simply Be Bought by the Billionaires. Citizens United lets billionaires set the terms of debate." MICHAEL WALDMAN. October 22, 2022 by Brennan Center for Justice.

The Guardian reported this week on the efforts of tech billionaire Peter Thiel to influence U.S. politics. It's an important piece about more than just this election cycle. Thiel's power shows what Citizens United has done to our democracy.

"Since Citizens United, just 12 mega-donors, eight of them billionaires, have paid one dollar out of every 13 spent in federal elections."

With three weeks to go until Election Day, outside groups have already spent some $1.3 billion to influence the outcome of the midterms. Thiel's nearly $30 million in donations account for only a fraction of that nearly unbelievable total, but he represents a very specific kind of influencer. As my colleague Chisun Lee told the Guardian, "Since Citizens United, just 12 mega-donors, eight of them billionaires, have paid one dollar out of every 13 spent in federal elections."

Billionaires are sponsoring candidates like prized racehorses. The situation is worrying—exceedingly worrying—but not unprecedented. During the Gilded Age, moneyed corporate interests held incredible sway over our government. Senators who represented the copper-rich state of Montana, for example, were referred to as "representing copper" rather than representing their constituents or the state itself. Copper magnate William A. Clark bought himself a seat in the Senate by plying the state's legislators—who, at the time, elected U.S. senators—with massive financial gifts. Once Clark's corrupt practices were revealed, his 1889 opponent (also, revealingly, a copper magnate) worked to have him removed from Congress. Clark came back in 1901, defeating—you guessed it—another wealthy mine owner to win a Senate seat.

The citizens of Montana finally took their government back in 1912, enacting a law that barred corporations from intervening financially in elections. That law stood for a century, until the Supreme Court struck it down as inconsistent with Citizens United, decided in 2010.

Shortly after the Citizens United ruling, President Obama asked Americans to "imagine the power this will give special interests over politicians."

We don't have to imagine any more—we're living it. Thiel is a particularly alarming example. Through massive donations to super PACs, which Citizens United brought to the fore, he's using his riches to force his fringe views into mainstream political discourse. He's supporting candidates who spread the false claim that fraud decided the 2020 election. And his money doesn't just force a certain type of candidate into the public eye—it also silences Thiel's ideological opponents. By working to defeat the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, for example, Thiel has deterred others from speaking out against the former president. Few politicians can afford to ignore Thiel and the threat his money holds.

We don't have to continue down this road. Many groups, including the Brennan Center, have proposed legislation to limit billionaires' influence over our elections without running afoul of Citizens United. We don't need a billionaire's approval. Like the people of Montana did in 1912, we can exercise the power we have as citizens and take back our government...

** Michael Waldman is President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving the systems of democracy and justice.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/10/22/america-democracy-can-simply-be-bought-billionaires
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- Also: The March Towards US Fascism Began with the Corporate Hijacking of Democracy
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/08/24/march-towards-us-fascism-began-corporate-hijacking-democracy

[Kid Berwyn]

1. There it is.

“ By working to defeat the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, for example, Thiel has deterred others from speaking out against the former president. Few politicians can afford to ignore Thiel and the threat his money holds.”

[appalachiablue]

2. 'Silencing ideological opponents,' & democracy. So many are unaware of the dangerous reality.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. Go back to taxing the ogliarches at 90%

Like in the 70's
And get rid of citizen united.
End donations and give each candidate a set amount for thier campaign

Break up media monopolies. Break them into very tiny pieces. Sell off some assets to give others a chance at running a media company.

Reinstate the fairness doctrine only make it apply to all media that is corporate.
Give it teeth so if a company blows of the law it will hurt them.

Get rid of electoral college.1 person 1 vote.outlaw gerrymandering.

Expand the supreme court

Arrest the treasonous billionairs and lock them up forever. For the crime of sedition.

Make laws that limit and contain billionairs power and assets

Tax churches.

Make the crime of sedition cost fascist ogliarches all thier money assets when they get to prison..

Make the locked. Up psychopath ogliarches too poor to buy our government again.

Yeah take those 12 ogliarches and jail them,take thier shit to pay off the republican debt.. and make them poor and powerless. They abused thier wealth to overturn our government.they are traitors.