10 Ways to Stop Corporate Dominance of Politics

http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/10-ways-to-stop-corporate-dominance-of-politics?fb_ref=likebutton&fb_source=profile_oneline

The recent Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited corporate spending in politics just may be the straw that breaks the plutocracy’s back.

Pro-democracy groups, business leaders, and elected representatives are proposing mechanisms to prevent or counter the millions of dollars that corporations can now draw from their treasuries to push for government action favorable to their bottom line. The outrage ignited by the Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission extends to President Obama, who has promised that repairing the damage will be a priority for his administration.

But what can be done to limit or reverse the effect of the Court’s decision? Here are 10 ideas:

1. Amend the U.S. Constitution to declare that corporations are not persons and do not have the rights of human beings. Since the First Amendment case for corporate spending as a free speech right rests on corporations being considered “persons,” the proposed amendment would strike at the core of the ruling’s justification. The push for the 28th Amendment is coming from the grassroots, where a prairie fire is catching on from groups such as Public Citizen, Voter Action, and the Campaign to Legalize Democracy.

More at the link --

Unless we elect a seriously progressive majority to both chambers of Congress, there's zero chance of such a constitutional amendment. Zero. No Republican would ever vote for such a thing, and a lot of Democrats wouldn't either.

I'll go look at the others, but it's likely that all of them would require that we elect legislators who would go along with the ideas. We won't do that if we're bickering among ourselves, either. It will take a huge push to educated voters and get them to the polls. I'm not seeing that push.

Edit to add: I've checked. All ten require congressional action, at a minimum. That's what we need to do, then. Start by electing good people to Congress. We can start that process today, if we're willing to. It will take several election cycles.

That agenda and those specific proposals NEED to be "out there" where concerned Americans can SEE and HEAR them.

"We don't have the votes :cry: "
is NOT a good reason for NOT talking about these issues,
or having the few Democrats who are Progressive adding these amendments to every session of Congress,
and having them entered in the Congressional record as often as possible.
It will offer an opportunity for voters to determine which politicians are really on our side.


If these aren't out there being discussed and being Put on the Table BY party members,
they will NEVER have a chance of being implemented.
Supporting these proposals would actually make a good Primary Platform for REAL Democrats.

Of course, if they do this, they run the risk of being Weinered.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their EXCUSES!

the chances of implementing them. What did I get wrong? Do we not need to elect more progressive legislators? I don't see how anything is going to happen unless we make that a priority.

1) Like you suggest, elect more mainstream FDR/LBJ "Democrats" through campaigns and the Primary process,
but to also hold the Democratic party "leadership" accountable when they interfere in Democratic Party Primaries by funding & supporting Chamber of Commerce Approved Anti-LABOR DLC "Centrist" candidates.

SEE: Arkansas Primary, 2010

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=160&topic_id=14207


2)Use our collective Working Class power (as LABOR is now doing, and as was proposed at NetRoots Nation) to single out and withhold support and funds from "Democrats" who vote against the Working Class and other traditional Democratic issues,
and call them out as publicly as possible on their betrayals.


I want to see the day when the Democratic Party FEARS their Working Class base like they do in Europe.
You can't be for "Free Trade" and Pro-LABOR at the same time.


Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their EXCUSES.

The odds for getting politicians not only on the federal but state levels to vote by 2/3rds to approve such an ammendment is slim to none and slim is about to head out of town. Believing politicians will "disarm" is a fool's dream...too many gravy trains connected the "election economy".

As long as we're putting dreams out there, here's two of mine...

1.) Limit the length of the campagin season...ala how the British do it. Permit only 90 days before the primaries and general election for campaigning. I can't imagine even a Meg Whitman spending half as much as she did over a two year period.

2.) Prohibit political advertising from the public airwaves. Yes, prohibit it! Force politicians to make news or reach out face to face to voters rather than campaign by soundbite. It also would level the playing field a bit giving lesser known candidates a better chance.

Again, these are only dreams...only dreams...

I'm not holding my breath.

Except...