Now, you may look at that title and think it's rediculous that a fast food chain would be sponsering the midterm elections this year, but it really is not that far fetched thanks to the Citizens United v Federal Elections Comission case the Supreme Court ruled on earlier this year. What this ruling did was let corporations unlimitedly fund campaign ads because the court ruled that corporations are protected under the First Amendment. Last I checked this First Amendment said this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since when are corporations considered people? Are they living breathing things? Can they give birth? Can they use the bathroom? I didn't think so. Corporations already have great influence in government through lobbying groups, do they really need to have a say in who is elected? We're quickly moving from a democracy, the rule of the many, to an oligarchy, the rule of the few. And what makes it worse is that these corporations aren't directly funding this commercials, but in hiding through fake groups with clever names that make it seem like they really care, such as Americans for Prosperity or 60Plus.org. On the surface, this groups seem legitimate, but once you go deeper you begin to notice that Americans for Prosperity was founded by the Koch brothers as a means for trying to lessen regulations on businesses. 60Plus.org is a cover for Big Pharma to try to dismantle the healthcare reform act, which they call ObamaCare or the healthcare take over, which it is not (but that's a discussion for a later entry.
We need to take this election back from the corporations because we're the majorty and we have the power. If we continue on this path, we will have the socialist revolution the Republicans have feared because the have nots will rise up against the haves. I hope it doesn't come to that.
Post Script: When I wrote this, I used McDonalds in the title because I thought it was so stupid that it was funny. Turns out that not only is it stupid, but it's true. According to ThinkProgress (
link to story here) a Canton, OH McDonald's recently handed out flyers advising the employees to vote for Republican candidates:
Well, there is alot in this post that needs to be talked through, but first and foremost:
ReplyDeletewe were not intended to be a democracy. we were founded as a constitutional republic. 51% of people could vote to take my entire paycheck and give it to transgendered hispanic muslims with AIDS, that doesn't give the idea any validity. no, the founders were well aware of the horrors of democracry and sought to prevent it.
"democracry is two wolves and a lamb deciding on what to have for dinner. liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." --ben franklin
i'm not surprised, however, that basics such as this are not taught in Academia.
So, you're in favor of letting the few decide for many? Interesting...
ReplyDeleteQuite the opposite. I'm in favor of personal choice, personal responsibility and private property rights. The defeat of Prop 19 in California is an example of democracry encroaching on these.
ReplyDelete