The EXEGETIST: A Library Of Independent Political Thought. By: Jack H. Dawsey

American Corporations and the Supreme Court

Part- 1

 By: Jack Dawsey

The word, Corp’ocracy, (replacing the word Democracy), may soon appear in Webster’s New College Dictionary.  It’s because the United States Supreme Court’s most recent 5 to 4 decision (January 21^st, 2010) in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, removed long-established legal barriers preventing corporations and unions from spending unlimited sums of money to influence voters in political campaigns.  The court’s ruling actually stacks the deck against peoples of all political stripes because it enables corporations to buy our democracy.

President Franklin Roosevelt, 32^nd President of the United States, forewarned against such action.  He said that a government by organized money is just as evil as a government by organized mob.

The recent court ruling is a game-changer.  It will alter the makeup of the United States Congress.

Corporations were already beneficiaries of high-priced lobbyists, but now wield more influence than ever before imaginable.  With the court’s decision, there is no limit on corporate contributions and the multinationals can, in essence, buy the senator or congressman of their choice.  In the event a lawmaker was courageous enough to vote for legislation that favored a citizen over a corporation, they now have the legal green light to step in and lend support to an opponent.

For over 150-years the American school system has taught that the United States was a government “of, by, and for the people.”   The 16^th President rallied the nation to join in a great civil war so that this nation would not perish from the earth.  The court’s decision has set at naught Mr. Lincoln’s political assertion.

Once and for all, corporations will turn democracy on its head; thence, the name Corp’ocracy.

This nation will be exclusively owned by capitalists, and dictated by boards of directors from without.  Let me explain.

The once, industrialized United States has moved (with its jobs) to foreign soil.  Even their minimal paying jobs -including the lowly answering machine service- are in India, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic.

Baseballs, golf shoes, and other sports equipment -once made in America- are manufactured elsewhere.  The Texas giant Halliburton is in Dubai, (apparently where bedfellow Dick Cheney can retire in obscene luxury).  Countless others have relocated overseas.

In my opinion, the U.S. government has been hollowed out by republicans and democrats and their willing corporate minions, including their well organized PACS, lobbyists, and other “operative” organizations.  The court’s ruling legally seals the deal.  Meanwhile, we argue over which political party will take us to the dance in November.

The news media is about the only mega- corporation remaining on America soil, and that for a reason, for example.

If  you watch FOX your fair and balanced decisions are filtered through the eyes of a neo-conservative, Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO.  Or if you watch NBC, your mindset is fed the predisposition of General Electric, or the cable giant of Time/Warner, CNN.  Or, if you watch ABC your children are fed Disney’s Mickey Mouse fantasy.  And CBS reminds its programming staff that Edward R. Murrow is dead; therefore, he cannot haunt their liberal decisions.  The other giant, Viacom, is preparing our children for financial slavery by gorging them on a diet of MTV and B.E.T.  

When did Congress last approve legislation, (or the Supreme Court decided a case), where wealth was not at stake?   And now with the blessings of the high court, American corporations are on a perfect glide path to control the last remaining pillar of our democracy, the election.

I think the words of Justice John Stevens are probably correct.  He said in his dissent that the court’s ruling threatens the integrity of elected institutions around the nation.  dawseyjh@embarqmail.com

Next Installment, Part-2, “How We Got Here”

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