http://www.christopherdombres.fr/serigraphies/
America’s Founding Fathers knew that arbitrary power can cause the pillars of democracy to crumble. They knew the ways in which a governor, a king, a tax collector, a soldier, a trading company, a colony, a prison official, could deprive the ordinary citizen of the essentials of liberty. The foundations of the liberal democracy they built were to protect citizens from this.
I wonder what they would say about the arbitrary powers of the Super PACs?
Money has always been able to capture the ear of politicians, and the more money the more influence. Hence, in the US, in Australia- a total of forty countries in all –there are laws meant to ensure that the sources of campaign financing are open to scrutiny.
But in America in 2010, something changed. Legislation to enable the creation of Super PACs (officially known as ‘independent-expenditure only committees’ was enacted. Super PACs may not make contributions to candidate campaigns or parties, but may engage in unlimited political spending independently of the campaigns. They can raise funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups without any legal limit on donation size. . Corporations that fund political causes have stockholders to answer to. Individuals (who now donate even larger amounts) do not.
In the 2012 presidential election campaign, most of the money given to super PACs came from wealthy individuals. The top 100 individuals who donated to super PACs in 2011–2012 accounted for more than 80% of the total money raised (close to $99 million), even though they numbered less than 3.7% of all contributors. Center for Responsive Politics
Super-rich individuals are taking over the political process. Timothy Noah calls these guys (yes, they are all men), the ‘crankocrats’. http://www.newrepublic.com/article/trb/magazine/102114/crankocracy-friess-simmons-oligarchs-election-america
Their wealth is going into repealing health care reform, making abortion illegal, restricting access to contraception, blocking climate change legislation, and cutting taxes for – (guess who?) the super-rich.
Everyone here except the handful of the extremely wealthy is frustrated with the mess. But just as many believe that there is nothing to be done against this power. It is truly arbitrary. But a new idea came on to the scene a few months ago.
The idea? Fighting money with money. Citizen-funded big money to fight the big money of special interests on both the left and the right. Money to fight to reform the system so that the arbitrary power of the super-rich is overcome. Not for any other issue, and not for the right or the left wing.
Mayday.org has raised $12 million in less than two months using crowd funding! This citizen money will press for fundamental reforms in the way elections are funded. https://mayday.us/the-plan/
America, the beautiful indeed!!
Nayano in America 