This is so important! Thanks for posting it!

We talked about the problem of money in politics when I was in college several decades ago. Very little has changed. Historically, in probably every society known, there has been a nexus between political power and economic power. While this video suggests that the "answer" is obvious, it's in fact a very difficult problem to solve. How do you go about separating political power from economic power?

Our legislators spend a huge percentage of their time trying to raise campaign funds. The best money-raisers use some of the funds to gain a position of dominance and influence over other legislators. Every legislator uses some or all of the funds he raises to influence voters so that he can retain or improve his position - he calls it "getting his message out." The people who contribute funds to our legislators have their ear and thus have a greater than normal level of influence in government.

If we outlaw campaign contributions entirely, would these legislators still want to retain or improve their political positions? Of course they would. What strategy would they use to influence voters so that they can retain or improve their political positions? Who would have their ears? Well, common sense suggests that they would pay the greatest attention to the political activists who could best help them retain or improve their political positions. In other words, they would still favor some citizens over others. There would still be a ten or twenty percent of the population whose voices would have a much larger than average influence with lawmakers. Who would those people be in your legislative district? I suspect that the wealthiest and the most politically active persons in the district would retain the greatest influence with legislators. I am not sure how different things would be, but I suspect that there might be some improvement.

And, legislators often think about their own personal futures. Do you suspect that citizens who could provide that legislator with a cushy job might have a more than normal level of influence over that legislator? How could we prevent that?

Personally, I think that political campaigns should be publicly financed. I think it would help.. However, I doubt that it would improve things quite as much as a lot of people might think. The nexus between political power and economic power has always been an important part of the human landscape.

It details 10 things greedy Capitalists do to kill Democracy. Just IMO that film ought to be required viewing for ALL voters before they can cast a ballot.

Americans have been allowing themselves to be royally SCREWED by these bastards for DECADES. It's time to say in unequivocal terms: NO more!

They already control the entire US gov't. They're about to codify control of all world gov'ts into law via TPP and TTIP and other 'free' trade agreements.

We can't afford anymore politicians who coddle, conspire with, and get their money from these greedy bastards in exchange for political favors.

ENOUGH.