Community Members

Democracy on the Line

Published on 09/18/09 - 0 Comments

September 9, 2009. The day Democracy stood before the death panel. Will she survive?
Most Americans sense that our form of government has been in slow but continuous decline as big money special interests have invaded and permanently occupied Washington. The lure of easy campaign cash and seven figure lobbying jobs entices lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. And as a direct result, legislation has become increasingly corrupted with provisions written by and for corporate special interests.

This mafia-like stranglehold on all levels of government yields billions in subsidies, no-bid contracts, tax credits, and favorable legislation - all funded by working Americans. This broad daylight fleecing of ordinary and increasingly voiceless citizens makes the rich richer, the poor poorer and angrier, and ensures that the American Dream is more dream than reality.

Bad enough. But capitalism instinctively demands growth; enough is never enough - which brings us back to September 9th. Corporate special interests, fronted by an organization ironically calling itself “Citizens United”, are quietly orchestrating a virtual coup. They have brought a case against the Federal Elections Commission claiming that corporations have a free speech guaranteed right to spend unlimited money to support or attack political candidates. September 9th is the day Citizens United vs. the FEC was heard by the Supreme Court. And if comments by Justice Alito are an early indication of the pending decision, corporations are about to be handed the keys to every political office in the nation.

If the court rules in favor of Citizens United, the electoral and legislative processes will become fully owned and operated by big money. The voice of the people will be rendered mute. Citizenship will degrade into irrelevant corporate serfdom. The Constitution will become quaint. Democracy will be dead.

The corporate news media has and will continue to downplay this case since media outlets stand to reap billions from unrestricted corporate media buys. And ordinary citizens have few options for action. Unlike the other two branches of government, no mechanism exists for the American people to vote out or even communicate with the Supreme Court. All we can do is wait and hope that the corporate godfathers haven’t offered the Supremes a backroom deal they can't refuse. Helplessly we watch as the same forces of capitalism that made America rich and strong, steadily squeeze the breath out of Democracy in an out-of-control quest for profits.