9400ft
Robert ReichThe NRA buys off Congress. No action on guns.
The oil industry buys off Congress. No action on climate.
Insurance companies buy off Congress. No action on health care.
The list goes on...
Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction.
RevJeber@rbreich
The unaffiliated citizens of the United States ought to form our own Pac, since our "representatives" only represent for cash.
The unaffiliated citizens of the United States ought to form our own Pac, since our "representatives" only represent for cash.
Aaron
Nicole ParsonsIt's not even an American-owned oligarchy anymore.
Republicans are prepared to sell out democracy to the highest bidder.
Citizens United permits unlimited foreign donations via American corporations.
Russia:
https://www.voanews.com/a/report-democracies-at-risk-from-russian-money-meddling/6746880.html
https://theintercept.com/2022/10/11/mbs-saudi-oil-biden-october-surprise-election-interference/
China
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/06/guo-wengui-lin-wood-steve-bannon-million-maga-march/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/17/guo-wengui-disinformation-steve-bannon/
GOP political operative sentenced to 18 months over illegal Russian contributions to Trump campaign
A GOP political operative was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday for his involvement in transferring illegal campaign contributions from a Russian national to former President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. A Justice Department release states that Jesse Benton planned with another political adviser to send political contributions from the Russian national, who wanted…
Sane Thinker@Npars01 @hosford42 @jeber @rbreich I have bookmarked your post. It looks like a ton of good information. I read, I write, I blog. It's challenging keeping up. Citizens United has enabled so much destruction.
Havyhh2@rbreich @hosford42 @Npars01 @jeber Citizens United ruling has straight up been one of the, if not THE, most corrupting, destructive, corrosive events to American politics
@havvyhh2 @rbreich @hosford42 @jeber
It's not called the "Court that Koch Bought" for nothing.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_(organization)
https://www.britannica.com/event/Citizens-United-v-Federal-Election-Commission
Reminder, #KochNetwork is helping fund Putin's regime & the war on Ukraine
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/30/koch-industries-russia-investment-boycott/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/koch-industries-russia-ukraine-sanctions/
Koch Bros. are Exhibit A in Case Against Citizens United » Senator Bernie Sanders
BURLINGTON, Vt., May 31 – A plan by the Koch brothers, a right-wing conservative family, to spend $400 million on political campaigns this year is the latest evidence of the need to overturn a Supreme Court ruling that voided campaign finance laws, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today. Organizations related to Charles and David […]
WesDym@havvyhh2 I agree, though I expect SCOTUS would say the failure is with Congress or the People, for not constructing laws against it. In theory, at least, SCOTUS can only rule on the law as it is, not as it should be. Regardless, the problem is fixable through legislation or amendment, if the People can find the will to do so.
@wesdym You are correct....Congress can & should fix this....but unlikely by this Congress. Somehow it needs to get amplified as a serious issue
Laure@rbreich three nine year olds shot down is something they’ll just ignore
BlueBoomer
Jon Webb@rbreich I think there's a deeper problem, which is that our government has way too many checks and balances. Other countries have money issues too but stuff still gets done.
Blaidd_3.14159@rbreich Gun lobby money pays politicians to let children die.
🎓 Doc Freemo 
🇳🇱@rbreich One of the few times you arent wrong... congress being bought off by lobbiests is a legit concern for sure.
Grumble@rbreich I humbly suggest that the passivity of the US population is the root of our dysfunction.
The French have it right.
ScottinSoCal 🇺🇦 🕊 🏳🌈But SCOTUS assured us that allowing unlimited money in the campaign process couldn't possibly bring corruption. Because [mumble, mumble]
M&M@rbreich truly the Congress is a. Corporate corrupt body. Senate is a corporate elite body. Supreme Court is a selection of corporate dominate lawyers. All corrupt ! What is the solution except ?
scarlett@rbreich Nothing ever gets done with our gov't. Two steps forward, 50 tumbles backwards. We're in need of something big.
Esther2007@rbreich We keep reelecting the same politicians and expecting a different outcome.
Cool Xenu@rbreich If American citizens united to stop this, it would stop.
Victor Manuel@rbreich The solution is either to dissolve congress or elect CHATbots.GPTinstead of corrupt representatives.
Erik Haugen@durandon I just asked it how to fix healthcare: "Another approach could be to reduce government involvement in healthcare by privatizing healthcare services and eliminating government subsidies for healthcare. This could involve reducing the role of government in funding and regulating healthcare and allowing individuals to make their own choices about the healthcare services they receive." A+ would vote
@ech So the market would ensure that health services would assumingly optimize the quality and prices for the population? How is the inflation costs of health care in market economies?
Daniel Thomas Burosh@rbreich You’re skirting around the truth and giving the sleazebags a pass. The NRA doesn’t have the cash to “buy off” Congress anymore. Instead, inaction on guns is now part of congressional (mostly Republican) dogma. It’s about “MY FREEDUMZ” and all that far right shit. You can see it in the GOP justices too. They actually believe dead six-year-olds shot to pieces in classrooms is a fair trade for the right to pose with AR-15s in their Christmas photos. See Rep. Ogles latest on that.
Str8nger@rbreich sad but true. We have a government of, by & for, the donor class.
##EndCitizensUnited #GetMoneyOut #CampaignFinanceReform
##EndCitizensUnited #GetMoneyOut #CampaignFinanceReform
BradPatrick@rbreich Reverse Citizens United. Period.
Rory@rbreich Yup... It's gotten to a point where others will fight, not to combat this type of corruption, but to join in... I say others, but in reality, the only type I know of, that are responsible for this are....republicans...
SFborn1940@rbreich Hey kids, our "democracy" is a sham. Our Congress is corrupted with money and false ideology.
Gun crime is everywhere, every day.
Please save this country by getting rid of a rotten Congress and a political Supreme Court. It is up to you!
We older generations have failed.
Gun crime is everywhere, every day.
Please save this country by getting rid of a rotten Congress and a political Supreme Court. It is up to you!
We older generations have failed.
nedhamson@rbreich partly but voters and those who don’t bother to vote give their power away - if you want better government … take it with your vote!
@nedhamson
You never listened to George Carlin have you? The problem is not that people don't vote. The problem is that the system is so corrupt and run by money that our choices are terrible. I actually applaud those who do not vote. Especially in a presidential election where a person's vote may not even count.
You never listened to George Carlin have you? The problem is not that people don't vote. The problem is that the system is so corrupt and run by money that our choices are terrible. I actually applaud those who do not vote. Especially in a presidential election where a person's vote may not even count.
@Bringiton I have fallowed Carlin for years when he was with us and saw one of his shows. The people who don’t vote elect people like Trump by not voting.
@nedhamson
That is actually not true.
Donnie was only "elected" because of the "electoral college". He lost to Hillary by some 3 million votes, which were then ignored so that they could declare him the winner.
If the voice of the people actually mattered then Donnie would have never been in office. We need to change how we vote for president. We no longer have slavery so why do we have rules for voting for a president that came from slavery times?
@Bringiton Electoral College is an anchor around our necks for sure. If there had been more votes for Clinton in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Florida, Trump would have never been elected - meaning that if a good number of those who did not bother to vote in those states had voted... It would have been President Clinton.
@nedhamson
So it only matters what certain people in certain states do. That is a corrupt system. I have not voted in the presidential election once in the past twenty years and not once has my vote mattered at all. One person should equal one vote and where you live should not matter. Also why should my vote be tied to others in my state? The EC is racist since it favors rural white voters over minorities who live in cities. I will not be voting for president in 2024 and it won't matter again.
So it only matters what certain people in certain states do. That is a corrupt system. I have not voted in the presidential election once in the past twenty years and not once has my vote mattered at all. One person should equal one vote and where you live should not matter. Also why should my vote be tied to others in my state? The EC is racist since it favors rural white voters over minorities who live in cities. I will not be voting for president in 2024 and it won't matter again.
@Bringiton not voting matters under any system. I agree it should just be one vote, one person. The system can only get to being fair if people elect representatives who will vote to change the system, I think.
@nedhamson
Do you realize what it would take to get rid of the EC? It is in the Constitution so that would need to be changed. Frankly I think that they would find the EC to be unconstitutional based on the Equal Protection Clause. There is definitely an inherent contradiction in the Constitution.
Once again, I will say it again. I have not voted in a presidential election once in the past twenty years and it has not mattered because of the system. If we want democracy we need to demand it!
Grassroots Joe@Bringiton @nedhamson
We don't have to get rid of the EC to have the equivalent of a popular vote for President. It's still hard, but far from impossible.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact
In the meantime, any argument against voting, however "legitimate" makes it harder to get high potential & high value voters to vote in critical congressional/state/local elections & in battleground states. It's not how we win & overturn Citizens United.
We don't have to get rid of the EC to have the equivalent of a popular vote for President. It's still hard, but far from impossible.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact
In the meantime, any argument against voting, however "legitimate" makes it harder to get high potential & high value voters to vote in critical congressional/state/local elections & in battleground states. It's not how we win & overturn Citizens United.
@joeinwynnewood I am fully aware of the National Popular Vote initiative. A sort of way around the vestige of slavery known as the "electoral college".
I also agree that it is alright to vote in local, state and congressional elections. But that does not get the corrupt money element out of politics. The problem as I see it is that we continue to pay lip service to democracy while not really supporting actual democracy. The system needs to change and not by just a little.
Public funding...
@Bringiton
Great.
Not just sort of a way, a viable way that's being actively worked & is making progress.
It's not just "alright" to vote in other elections, it's really important to our day-to-day lives & our collective future. In particular, it's local/county/state officials who've started the public funding ball rolling and can speed it along.
It's hard enough to get people to vote in down ballot races when they come out to vote for president. Discouraging any voting is supremely unhelpful.
@joeinwynnewood
So you believe that people should participate in an election where rural white people have more voting power than urban minorities? You believe in participating in elections where your vote may not even count? I disagree because then we just get more of the same.
Presidential elections are a joke when the loser is declared the winner. It makes no sense at all.
People need to make up their own minds on voting and what elections they want to participate in. That is their right.
@Bringiton
You get the change you work for. All I hear you saying is someone else hasn't already fixed the problem for you so why bother.
I'm damn well sure that's not what Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin, John Lewis, Rosa Parks, MLK and thousands of people who fought for civil rights at great personal peril thought.
You get the change you work for. All I hear you saying is someone else hasn't already fixed the problem for you so why bother.
I'm damn well sure that's not what Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin, John Lewis, Rosa Parks, MLK and thousands of people who fought for civil rights at great personal peril thought.
@joeinwynnewood
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.
@joeinwynnewood
I don't see much progress on getting rid of the "electoral college", mainly because those people who benefit from it constantly make excuses for it. Heard them way too many times. And they will never admit that the EC came from slavery. The EC is basically reverse affirmative action at this point in time. It gives white people more voting power and that is exactly the reason that Donnie "won", even though he got 3 million less votes than Hillary.
It's called principles...
@Bringiton
You'll see the progress you work on.
You'll see the progress you work on.
@joeinwynnewood
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.
@nedhamson
The system stinks and is corrupt. The system will only change when we demand real change like getting the money out of politics.
The system stinks and is corrupt. The system will only change when we demand real change like getting the money out of politics.
Cynthia Morse Linton@Bringiton @nedhamson I agree that the EC is by its nature racist and should be removed. And I can’t tell people that voting is or is not the way to go…in the past. But in local and state votes, the differences are getting smaller and smaller. Your vote does count there, even if you lose. As for the federal, I get it. But my vote is my one voice and I will be damned if they will take that one voice from me.
captpayne@rbreich Corruption is the Rule in America, not the exception.
@rbreich
Our politicians are all bought and paid for.
Our politicians are all bought and paid for.
onecaliberal@rbreich anyone who@voted for the people can fuck off. They are evil ghouls who get off on child rape and murder.
Meanwhile in Canada@rbreich
Yes, it is. In Canada the maximum donation to a political candidate is $1,200. We still have corruption and problems, but this helps a lot.
Yes, it is. In Canada the maximum donation to a political candidate is $1,200. We still have corruption and problems, but this helps a lot.
brickbat@rbreich And SCOTUS has decided to allow the money in politics. They have ruined our nation and continue to do so.
lsitongiaThe People vote out Congress. Action on dysfunction.
Oh, wait, it doesn't work that way?
Stupidity is the nutrient for the root of our dysfunction.
Bob Hartman@rbreich Next you will be telling us that drug companies have lobbies. keep up the good work.
Woodchaz@rbreich
There was something about that in the Bible.
There was something about that in the Bible.
JP
Corruption by Thomas mapfumo official lyrics
Tim Ellis 🦝@rbreich See also: Realtors & housing, banks & student loans…
Andraa Uallas@rbreich what is the future though? We still have constructs like capitalism, monarchies etc. I love my country but does nationalism work in a modern world or should we be looking ahead as humanity?
@rbreich Made worse by a ludicrously unrepresentative Senate with a 60% vote threshold to get anything done. Until the US makes the Senate representative and eliminates the filibuster, the minority rule corruption and idiocy will continue.
Holy Bear@rbreich It's so hypocritical when republicans say they care about the lives of American lives yet they never actually do anything. Just a few weeks ago they were proposing to invade Mexico.