Posted on 06/27/2012 6:34:26 AM PDT by An American!
America is in uncharted territory now that Citizens United has taken hold in the 2012 elections. It has some people questioning whether or not the United States of America is still a democracy.
Since the Supreme Court declared corporations human beings (people) in the 2009 Citizens United case, more than U.S. elections have changed. Millionaires, corporations, and secret donor Super PACs are now allowed to spend an unlimited amount of money to influence the outcome of U.S. political campaigns.
The majority of Citizens United funding is coming from conservative groups that are backing Republican candidates. With enough negative TV ads against Democrats, the millionaire-funded Super PACs can literally “brainwash” the electorate enough to take control of the U.S. government. While some people may believe that unlimited campaign spending by millionaires is just another form of freedom, others suggest that it signals the end of democracy in America.
To understand what Citizens United has really done to America, a short visit to a dictionary can be an eye-opener.
Democracy: Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
Oligarchy: A form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
Plutocracy: The rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy; a government or state in which the wealthy class rules; a class or group ruling, or exercising power or influence, by virtue of its wealth.
Based on the definitions above, America currently has some elements of oligarchy, plutocracy and democracy. It is also fair to say that America is also in a transition period, as Citizens United takes effect. But after the next election that will change, because all three cannot coexist for any length of time.
What is likely to emerge after the 2012 elections will be plutocracy controlled by oligarchy, which, if allowed to follow its natural course, will gradually suffocate what is left of democracy.
SNIP...the rest of this gibberish is at the link
I forgot to give credit to most of the good writing in my comment above. It came from http://www.garymcleod.org/republic.htm
Correct. We never have been and we still are a Republic.
“THE USA is a REPUBLIC!”....
Ahhhhh we use to be but the constitution hasn’t been observed for a while and state sovereignty has been destroyed. Established as a constitutional representative republic. I have no idea what we are now... Actually we are closer to a democracy that we may think.
Very well and succinctly put.
Both of you guys beat me to the Republic not Democracy correction.
Allowing people (including in the form of PACs or corporations) to buy PAID ADVERTISING to add a little balance to the 24/7 propaganda of the alphabet news isn't exactly leveling the playing field. It is just allowing a diversity of opinion which would otherwise not be present.
The problem is idiots are actually influenced by advertising put out by the media, the candidates and superpacs. They’re too stupid to do a little bit of research.
All these evil corporations can do is talk to you. They can’t grab your arm and make you vote for someone against your will.
WHAT????? When did that happen? I guess I must have forgotten that’s how it was from the beginning.
And why are these clowns complaining anyway? Unions have been cranking out the cash for years and not a whimper or any hue and cry about that.
Helping keep mankind warm for 65 years.
The USA is not, never has been, and pray God never will be a “democracy”!
The founders universally abhorred the idea of a democracy and rejected it out of hand!
yup and right to the point
I know. This tires me to no end. We have stopped teaching the future generations what we really are, so they don't understand how it should be working.
Thanks for the link to an excellent article and website.
Sadly An American, I say you are correct. We Americans have failed.
YES! I’m sick of this “democracy” BS!!
Say the “Pledge of Allegiance” if you know it...,”And to the REPUBLIC for which it stands one nation UNDER GOD”....
The dips did not even offer what we actually are as an option. We are a constitutional republic. They cannot be taken seriously when they don’t even know the basic form of the government of the Nation.
They propose two options, both of which are illegal under the constitution - China style fascism or Soviet style marxism.
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