TODAY IS ELECTION DAY!
Some say the system is broken, others say it is fixed.
There is a lot of consternation about the need to vote in any election. While factually true, few Americans may be willing to spend the time understanding the labyrinth of US Citizenship / state citizenship and who they really are. That understanding can take longer that it takes to digest this single page of observations. Understand that you vote each day and the illusion that you can only change things once every four years is why real change is futile. Common sense ought to prevail.
The corporate US is merely doing what you told it to do; maximize profits. You have the power to change the balance of power by not giving it away without some thought. Since the US is commercial in nature, it is for sale. – Even the sleepiest of voters should be able to discern this.
Therefore, it may be worth pondering how much it might take to purchase an election.
In shear bribery terms (Campaign Donations is the politically correct euphemism) you can make a case that it would only take $535 Million.
Half a billion dollars to control an economy of approximately $17 trillion dollars.
535 manila envelopes to the 535 members of the corporate congress.
If the economy were equally divided among the members of congress (which it is not) each congressman would represent or control about $31Billion of the economy. This number is just to put it in perspective. Some states have stronger economies and may be $50 Billion, some states less.
How much would I need to spend to control $31 billion dollars of the economy?
(It depends on how greedy I am)
The corporations who have the most to lose / gain will up the ante, but to minimize their costs, will collaborate with their competitors on this area and collectively agree that they will find one candidate from each party who support their agenda. The alignment of competitors is called a PAC – and is an industry specific alliance. The Finance PAC, the Pharma PAC, the Defense PAC, who each agree to only support the two PAC candidates. They win with either candidate, nothing new here. Most large corporations make equal contributions to both parties “in the spirit of promoting democracy” – but the motives are quite obvious. We have multiple PAC’s lobbying to congress.
Congress isn’t going to have a problem with this, as they have found a way to increase campaign contributions, this money is partially funneled back into the economy by printing banners, radio ads, smear campaigns, major tourism conventions, etc. By having two candidates (or “shills” if you view this process negatively, just recognize corporations are only doing what they must to protect their interests.) who will do the corporate bidding, we strengthen democracy and ‘free choice”. Now we can have two or more envelopes for each Congressman. And we stack them in two piles as we collect them. The biggest stack will probably get my vote.
As a congressman, I am doing the will of the people because if these corporations have this much money to give me, they must represent the peoples view. A reasonable man would conclude that if the corporation has such significant support from consumers, the consumers must want the corporation to succeed. There is no incentive to deviate from this rationale. In fact, listening to voters say they don’t want X, when they are buying products that support X, creates a moral dilemma. When faced with a stack of cash on one side of your office and a stack of letters on the other side, hmmmmm…what to do?
Over time this becomes a self funding process. If banks get their candidates elected, and then get laws passed to support banking profits, they will have more money to influence the elections. If wars are created, this creates demand for defense industries (that is their euphemism- the armed forces are usually FORCING people to do things, which is actually the definition of oppression. But if we call invading a country with military forces a "peacekeeping mission", it is generally accepted.)
I 
Americans still have some choice in the matter. We must “vote” with our money and no longer purchase / support large corporations – whose ONLY FUNCTION is to increase profits for shareholders, we regain our power. We may pay a bit more at the store for our choice, but the extra freedom we gain is exponential. (PLUS we save money by not having to invest in torches and pitchforks!!!!) The advice is spend wisely, and feel powerful, it is much more cost effective than paying the alternative hidden price. Instead of contributing $x to a political campaign invest it in your daily purchases for yourself, at least you know what you are getting.
Large corporations have little leeway in making decisions of conscious. They will face shareholder litigation if they hug trees or show a consistent bent towards off balance sheet considerations. Large corporations do make token charitable donations, and they showcase their generosity prominently. These gestures are appreciated, but can not be the guiding force behind policy and substance. Only the people with their daily vote can guide the market with their wallet.
Smaller corporations have more flexibility, but face similar pressures and if they lag the competition in share price due to “off balance sheet” decisions of conscious, they are acquired by larger corporations who will maximize profits by eliminating the practice. Private corporations and non profits are far more likely to do the right thing as they are not ruled by quarterly stock prices.
If you don’t like GMO’s in your food, quit purchasing products from firms that lobby for profit maximizing GMO’s. Where do you think they get their money? If you don’t like vaccines being forced upon you, quit supporting the firms that make them. It will take some effort on your part, but freedom is never free.
Our ability to choose is diminishing with corporate mergers and consolidations of power. The military industry is becoming / has become a major source of power and few people directly purchase from them. Withholding from them has become more difficult.
The elections do not occur once every four years, they occur EVERY day when you vote with your pocketbook. Shopping at big box stores may save you pennies, but what you give up in power is 100 times that. Your investment portfolio is a reflection of your wishes, if your holdings support the industrial complex, you will get what you ask for.
Government is always a reflection of the people. If you have a greedy government, ask yourself how did they get that way?
"It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt,
when they degenerate into a populace,
that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.
Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found.
The people themselves become the willing instruments
of their own debasement and ruin."
by:James Monroe
(1758-1831), 5th US President
Source: First Inaugural Address, 1817
Quit financing your own demise.
