2010-01-21: Supremes Side With Corps, Against Individuals
A bitterly divided Supreme Court vastly increased the power of big business and unions to influence government decisions Thursday by freeing them to spend their millions directly to sway elections for president and Congress.
The ruling reversed a century-long trend to limit the political muscle of corporations, organized labor and their massive war chests. It also recast the political landscape just as crucial midterm election campaigns are getting under way.
In its sweeping 5-4 ruling, the court set the stage for a wave of likely repercussions ? from new pressures on lawmakers to heed special interest demands to increasingly boisterous campaigns featuring highly charged ads that drown out candidate voices.
In a blow to citizens all over the country, the US Supreme Court gave those who are part of a corporation--managers, executives, and shareholders primarily--a bigger voice in what happens in this nation than the rest of us have. Why? Because those who control a corporate organization also control its campaign choices. That relatively small group of people now have an almost unlimited ability to influence campaigns and candidates (and therefore Presidents and Congressmembers, as well as government agencies that report to those elected officials), while the rest of us have limited amounts that we are allowed to contribute (even if we had the resources to do so).
I sincerely hope that Congress gets riled up and starts working out how to limit the influence of organizations in politics. You'll note that I did not specifically mention "corporate business organizations". This is because all corporate organizations can now overrule what you and I wish--businesses, unions, non-profit groups, and political advocacy organizations--and turn our elected representatives against the very people who elected them.
This is a sad day, because it means that we'll have to push for another decade or two in order to remove this preferential treatment for those involved in corporate organizations. Let me make it simple:
- You as an individual: laws limit your maximum campaign contribution
- You as an individual: limited quantity of funds to devote to campaigns, limited time to pursue political purposes
- You as CEO of XYZ Corp: court disallows limits on corp's maximum campaign contribution
- You as CEO of XYZ Corp: nature of corporations enables you to amass large quantities of funds (and time) to devote to campaigns and other political purposes
Let's work to replace the entire Congressional contingent (vote "NO" on incumbents), so that they will know that we want pro-individual, not pro-corporate judges for the next seven openings on the court. This is the only way to get control of our nation back from the corporations. While you're at it, make sure the candidates for office who get your votes are people who will also stand up for individuals against corporations.<.p>
Disclaimer: I write this as an individual, not as a representative of any company or organization. This is purely my own view, and may not agree with the view of any other person or organization.
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