The secretive influence of corporate cash on politics is both real and provable
Real and provable if our corporate MSM had any interest in so doing, ever.
What we all suspect every time we hear figures about the mass of dark money in politics.
The pervasive influence of corporate cash in the democratic process, and the extraordinary lengths to which politicians, lobbyists and even judges go to solicit money, are laid bare in sealed court documents leaked to the Guardian.
The John Doe files amount to 1,500 pages of largely unseen material gathered in evidence by prosecutors investigating alleged irregularities in political fundraising. Last year the Wisconsin supreme court ordered that all the documents should be destroyed, though a set survived that has now been obtained by the news organisation.
The files open a window on a world that is very rarely glimpsed by the public, in which millions of dollars are secretly donated by major corporations and super-wealthy individuals to third-party groups in an attempt to sway elections. They speak to a visceral theme of the 2016 presidential cycle: the distortion of American democracy by big business that has been slammed by both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.
Destroyed, ha.
I don't believe Scott Walker is anywhere near the head of the queue.
When Hillary Clinton says "that money doesn't influence her" I cringe inside, the Clintons are always first in line with the gold begging bowl.
It needs to be realized that the whole political/corporate love-fest is corrupt from top to bottom, not the small donors but the mega bucks handlers and their clients, both foreign an domestic.
I don't care which side of the aisle the politician inhabits for show they should be made to wear the logos of their sponsors.
The Clintons claimed they were penniless after their time in the White House yet suddenly they are swimming in multi-millions and have a mega sized "charity" to run. Nepotism and/or Cronyism, they never heard of the words.
We are talking about the very roots of our democracy here, not which "Party" to select by worthless votes. Most of the show is pretence and make believe so that "we" believe that these assholes actually stand for something concrete. Triangulation-bipartisanship were specifically designed to hide this sham.
No children [the 99%] you cant have "free" stuff, we [the elite] want it all.
Well, we are back from our extended vacation/sabbatical [first in quite a few years] and back to the same old same old.
Comments
Welcome back,
things didn't get better while you were gone. I hope you de stressed enough to get through this election.
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
I'm ignoring the election and staying on the issues
The election/coronation process is a farce.
I am really trying...
To extricate myself from this election. I have been political active since the Howard Dean campaign in 2004. I now realize it is all a farce. I think energy is much better placed in working on the issues, as you say. Better for sanity too.
Democrats, we tried to warn you. How is that guilt and shame working out?
You think the campaign is a farce?
A little bird overheard this conversation earlier today:
Young Go-Getter: I've got an idea for a reality show that will break all viewer records. It's Big Brother meets The Borgias. It will make Duck Dynasty look like The Mountain Men.
J.B.: Let's hear it, kid. I'm always ready to pump up those ratings and those advertising rates.
YGG: We divide the White House right down the middle. On one side, we move in the Trumps. On the other side, we move in the Clintons. Hillary and Donald share the Oval Office week-by-week.
There's just one problem.
J.B.: That's a strong idea there, young whippersnapper. Remember that problems are just opportunites to make things better!
YGG: Our location people are having a hard time arranging for the venue. There's some hastle about a "Constitution" or something. They're worried about elections and some college.
J.B.: (laughing) Don't worry about that. We'll take care of it. (laughter turns dark)
An appropriate term for this is Kayfabe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe
Compensated Spokes Model for Big Poor.
Match fixing on a global scale
Docs Destroyed By Wisconsin Supreme Court
But of course it was the very judges whose job it is to ensure "Justice" american style. Hide everything from the commoners.
This election is the perfect symbolism of the state of america's kleptocracy -- The Con-Woman Vs. The Con-Man.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Exactly, it would be funny if it wasn't so important
Hillary has managed the perfect marriage
Neo-con and Neo-lib.
Donald has managed the perfect divorce - fiction from reality.
glitterscale
Pharmaceutical and oil industries are a case in point
Evene in "progressive" MSNBC their to advertisers are these 2 industries that pump a lot of cash into politics. You'll never hear much about global warming or the cost of drugs but you can see their massive advertising budgets.
How Much of Big Pharma's Massive Profits Are Used to Influence Politicians?
Oil & Gas: Top Recipients
[video:https://youtu.be/lidAyPg7zQw?list=PL28D8DEA7DF23B2B6]
[video:https://youtu.be/vu0rXFhsM8w]
[video:https://youtu.be/16qJDgsDx4E]
The political revolution continues
No, no. You're mistaken. It was Russia.
It's always Russia.
It's a very knotty problem,
since money is such an intrinsic part of how society operates. Of course politicians crave it, because it translates into power, or the ability to get things done. But everybody wants more money, not just politicians. Money buys influence, up and down the line. No matter what you want to get done, someone will do it for you if you give them enough money.
Unless it is illegal. Like giving someone money to kill your spouse is illegal. And really, giving money to politicians should be illegal... verboten, punishable by law. Unfortunately it is not illegal, primarily because politicians as a class, do not want it to be illegal. Nor do the politicians' paymasters want it to be illegal.
But I wonder... how would a political system, a Government in fact, even function without the benefit off private financing? I don't know of any place this has ever been tried, except where capitalism was outlawed entirely.
native
Most documents are digital these days
Why the heck anyone thinks they can be "destroyed" is beyond me.
It's not even like this is new. Back in the days of the IBM antitrust suit, the judge kept making inane requests that IBM would exploit to make him look bad. Once, the judge requested all documents that IBM had on some subject, not realizing that even in the 1970s, a lot of it was electronic and some of it was machine generated. The semis started backing up to his chambers a few days later...
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
Hey welcome back...
hope you had a good time.
Have you seen this?
[video:https://youtu.be/lhe286ky-9A align:center]
Thoughts.....?
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote