Bernie Sanders in The Progressive: Democracy or Oligarchy?
http://www.progressive.org/news/2014/08/187809/democracy-or-oligarchy
Democracy or Oligarchy?
by Bernie Sanders
We are at a pivotal moment in American history. The major issue of our time is whether the United States of America retains its democratic foundation or whether we devolve into an oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires have almost absolute control over the political and economic life of the nation.
Tragically, we are headed on a perilous path toward the latter. When large corporations and a few wealthy families can spend unlimited sums of money to buy and sell politicians, it is now clear to most Americans that the foundation of American democracy is under severe attack.
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In the 2012 Presidential election, billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican candidates. The situation is so absurd that thirty-two major super PAC donors contributed more than all of the millions of Americans who wrote individual campaign checks of less than $200. More than 60 percent of all super PAC funds came from just 159 donors, who each gave more than $1 million, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Demos.
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The issue of campaign finance reform and the role of the Supreme Court may sound like a lawyers’ debate over abstract constitutional issues. The truth is, however, that there is no single issue more important to the needs of ordinary Americans than the issue of campaign finance. If we cannot control the power of the billionaire class to buy elections, there is no question that more and more people will be elected to office who see their role as protecting the needs of the rich and the powerful as opposed to protecting the middle class, the elderly, the children, the sick, the poor, and working families.
Where I disagree with Bernie is in his proposed "Democracy Is for People Amendment". His proposed Amendment would "reassert the role of Congress to set reasonable limits on campaign spending". I have no faith in Congress, and would not want to rely on them to set reasonable limits. Besides, Constitution Amendments are not "baby steps". Any such Amendment should fix the problem, not merely empower Congress to do so.
