Is America for sale? Ever wonder how something like this can occur? This disconnect between Congress and regular Americans?
We understand that after the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling in 2010, capital, meaning money, now has enshrined rights in America, and from that point moving forward, the US government is controlled by whichever interest has the most cash.
Citizens United Reviewed
The 2010 Citizens United ruling fundamentally changed U.S. campaign finance laws. It established that corporations and unions have the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals.
This decision overturned parts of the McCain-Feingold Act, allowing these entities to spend unlimited amounts on independent political expenditures. The Court argued that independent expenditures do not lead to corruption or appearance.
This landmark ruling has significantly increased political spending and led to the rise of Super PACs, intensifying the role of money in American politics.
America For Sale
As we all know, big corporations have weaponized Congress to get precisely what they want, whether deregulation, tax loopholes, lax labor laws, etc.
But until very recently, we haven’t talked much about how foreign governments can do the same thing.
For example, right now, what groups like AIPAC are saying is that you either take our money and unconditionally support the country we support, or we will find someone else who will.
Do you want to understand what’s going on in Russia and Ukraine? You track what the lobbyists are doing and where they get their money.
Other countries like Saudi Arabia are figuring out that if you throw billions of dollars at the U.S. government, no problem can’t be figured out.
The same goes for China or other governmental or business interests with infinite capital to deploy.
Because it seems everything in America is for sale, including America itself.