Whose Voice Matters in America - Really???

Supreme Court Says Corporations and Unions ARE People

(Citizens United v. the FEC)

That 5-4 ruling is proving precisely what many predicted and feared including this statement in part from the dissent of Justice John Paul Stevens (recently retired):

“We find no basis for the proposition that, in the context of political speech, the government may impose restrictions on certain disfavored speakers. The court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation.”

This also in part from MotherJones.com (complete article here):

"In a year packed with populist uprisings, in which Time named "the protester" its person of the year, the fight against Citizens United is gaining momentum with battle fronts in Congress, statehouses, city halls, and the homes of hundreds of Americans. The decision, handed down in January 2010 by the court's five conservative justices, effectively gave corporations the same free speech rights as people, gutted key provisions of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, and green-lighted unlimited spending by corporations and labor unions in American elections. Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a pro-reform campaign finance organization, called it "the most radical and destructive campaign finance decision in Supreme Court history."

The question if or course can or will the movement to repeal Citizens work - it certainly will not for 2012, which is on track to set and shatter all previous record for campaign funding. Worst of all, we will never know where most of the big money comes from, but we have an idea when we see headline like this from the Washington Post: "In race for campaign funds from billionaires, Romney outpaces Obama."

Or stories telling us that one individual can or my have already given $20 million to one candidate.

Representative democracy - yes; in theory, but no in practice. If anyone thinks that a Bill Gates, Ross Perot, Michael Bloomberg, or the Koch brothers speaks for them, then may I suggest they need to reexamine what representative government truly means. I may agree with a millionaire and his/her ideas, but their money does not translate into them expressing my wishes and dreams and desires about the country or our collective future - not by a long shot.

This Congress right now has over 250 members who are millionaires. The top 25 have incomes well above $25 million: #25 on the list has $31 million. The top #1 is somewhat over $250 million. Representative government - maybe, but representing whom?

Unless and until we change the current system (which BTW those in office defend and write the rules for), then nothing is apt to change. In fact, I would argue, it will get worse. Just wait until we see how 2012 is tallied.