The Secret Big-Money Takeover of America - Robert Reich

[kpete]

The Secret Big-Money Takeover of America
Robert Reich
Thursday, October 7, 2010

..........................

Credit the Supreme Court’s grotesque decision in Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission, which opened the floodgates. (Even though 8 of 9 members of the Court also held disclosure laws constitutional, the decision invited the creation of shadowy “nonprofits” that don’t have to reveal anything.)

According to FEC data, only 32 percent of groups paying for election ads are disclosing the names of their donors. By comparison, in the 2006 midterm, 97 percent disclosed; in 2008, almost half disclosed.

.............................

Maybe the Disclose Bill can get passed in lame-duck session. Maybe the IRS will make sure Karl Rove’s and other supposed nonprofits aren’t sham political units. Maybe pigs will learn to fly.

In the meantime we face an election that marks an even sharper turn toward plutocratic capitalism than before – a government by and for the rich and big corporations — and away from democratic capitalism.

.................

We must act. We need a movement to take back our democracy. (If tea partiers were true to their principles, they’d join it.) As Martin Luther King once said, the greatest tragedy is “not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

What can you do?

1. Read Justice Steven’s dissent in the Citizens United case, so you’re fully informed about the majority’s pernicious illogic.

2. Use every opportunity to speak out against this decision, and embarrass and condemn the right-wing Justices who supported it.

3. In this and subsequent elections, back candidates for congress and president who vow to put Justices on the Court who will reverse it.

4. Demand that the IRS enforce the law and pull the plug on Karl Rove and other sham nonprofits.

5. If you have a Republican senator, insist that he or she support the Disclose Act. If they won’t, campaign against them.

6. Support public financing of elections.

7. Join an organization like Common Cause, that’s committed to doing all this and getting big money out of politics. (Personal note: I’m so outraged at what’s happening that I just became chairman of Common Cause.)

8. Send this post to your friends (including any tea partiers you may know).

more:
http://robertreich.org/post/1263581986

[Deep13]

1. marking for future reference. nt

[spanone]

2. we are witnessing the end of this democracy.

[DirkGently]

3. Reich is spot-on, as per usual. This issue could not be more critical.

[ixion]

4. It was only a 'secret' if you weren't paying attention

Otherwise, it's pretty obvious, in my opinion.

[bvar22]

5. You can thank the sensible "Centrist" Democrats for this.

Google "Gang of 14".
The Republicans could NOT have done this without the active help of the Centrist "Democrats".

[xchrom]

6. thank you mr reich. nt

[Octafish]

7. K&R and keep it pinned at the top.

It's the sensible thing to do.

[lonestarnot]

8. K and R!

Common Cause!

[ThomWV]

9. K&R, particularly after reading Steven's dissent, as recommended.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. K&R

I'm hitting the wall of outrage fatigue again.

[marketbreakaway]

11. I disagree

Sorry but I disagree with some of Mr. Reich comments. The one comment that I strongly agree with is backing of public financing of elections.

Here is the part that I did not like: "We need a movement to take back our democracy."

This is not a democracy. It is a republic. However the more democratic we become, the more the politicians try to buy our votes with government grandiose as we all belly up to the public trough.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the fact that the military/industrial machine is out there lobbying to continue useless wars forever and ever as they too are feeding at that same trough. So, in general, I understand Reich's sentiments.

Is disclosure the way? I don't think so. But now I've talked myself into a circle.

A POX ON ALL POLITICS!

[TexasObserver]

12. Yes, we do have a democracy. A representative democracy.

Your use of that language is a "tell."

I realize the right loves to say "we don't have a democracy, we have a republic," but that's bullshit. We have a democracy. A representative democracy. It's a democracy that has been badly undermined by people who like to say "we don't have a democracy, we have a republic."

That's a Republican meme, and the reason they use it is because republic is similar to Republican and democracy is similar to Democrats. It's right up with Bob Dole's "Democrat wars" as bullshit GOP lines.

[marketbreakaway]

13. Republic or Democracy?

I certainly hope that you are wrong because democracies always fail. They break up in chaos. Always. Let me find some evidence for that bit of trivia... Okay, found something interesting. I'll post it at the bottom of this note...

But you are wrong. Come on, the Senate is fixed at 100 and it is a millionaire's club.

Special interests own each and every house member.

President's are ALWAYS members of giant political parties whose blessing is needed for political success.

Judge's come from those same political parties and are usually ideological club members.

State and local elected officials are mostly local celebrities and wealthy people such as lawyers.

No way democracy. This is a republic.

Don't want to admit it is a republic because the word sounds like republican????? Come on!

You lost me on your reference to Bob Dole. I'll google it.

The following is believed to be a quote from Tytler in the late 1700's:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.

[KG]

18. 'democracies always fail'

really? name a few that have have failed.

[TexasObserver]

20. Non democracies have failed in the modern era.

Japan
Germany
Italy
USSR
China

to name a few.

[marketbreakaway]

21. Here you go TO

history of democracy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy

[marketbreakaway]

23. Whoops - posted answer incorrectly

Sorry KG, I posted this answer to another post. I'll post again here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy

[TexasObserver]

19. Please stop watching Glenn Beck.

Or stop using his material, if you can't.

You sound like Pat Buchanan.

I don't give a damn what someone who didn't understand democracy said about it 300 years ago. He's an idiot.

Every line you've used has been grist of the anti democratic since long before Bob Dole first lost his natural boner.

[marketbreakaway]

22. Wow - Texas Observer is not very polite

Okay T.O.,

You have now several times insulted me personally. You have very little to say beyond "you sound conservative".

Well, this is NOT the Liberal Underground, this is the Democratic Underground.

I for one believe that MY democratic party has been hijacked by people who repeat talking points without thinking for themselves. You are apparently one of those people. For instance, I am aware of Glen Beck, I have even read an extended article about him recently in the New York Times. But I do not watch commercial television. I read.

So, since I have your attention, I'll spew a few more "anti-democratic" things at you.

1. You are right, in modern times capitalistic 'democracy' has survived but big government socialist systems have failed (see your own list of countries that have failed in modern times).

2. Keynsian economics has failed. We need government to partner with private enterprise but not the way it was done by this congress. It needs to be a long run vision target. Think rail roads in the 1800's. Think highways in the 1950's. Today it could be coast to coast nuclear power grid to get us off of coal in a way that creates long term domestic jobs.

3. While I am spewing anti-democratic stuff at you, nuclear is another. Wind and solar are childish pipe dreams. Nuclear is real and competitive with coal and oil.

4. Oh, I'm getting warmed up now. Obamacare SUCKS. If he had the courage to push it we could have had Medicare for everyone. But NO... he had to stay above the fray... Nothing would be better than what we got.

5. So, while I am bashing the president, WHY ARE WE STILL FIGHTING TWO WARS???????

Okay, TO, sorry if any DEMOCRAT who has ideas different than you is an anti-democratic, Glen Beck watching, B.S. spewing hack, but we EXIST!

[TexasObserver]

24. Your comments don't alter my opinion, but bolster it.

Have a nice stay.

[zenprole]

14. Unconvincing

For the younger folk on DU, please be aware that Mr. Reich kept his mouth obediently shut in the 90's when he was in a fine position to raise a stink when it counted; as a cabinet member in the Clinton Administration, when the assault on average people by the wealthy was in full bloom. That's what it's like for marquee liberals - there's justice on one hand and in the other career options. Write a hand-wringing memoir and then get on with life far away from the sharp end.

While his article is technically accurate, its shrillness has the flavor of the arsonist who calls 911. "I know where the fire is! Help me put it out!" Nice going, Mr. Secretary. When it comes to it, will you come give us a speech on the barricades?

[L0oniX]

17. +1

[Faryn Balyncd]

15. +1000

[xxqqqzme]

16. great list

Needs to be re-read from time to time.

[Fumesucker]

25. Changed my mind, going to make it an OP.. Deleted