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If in America politicians are bought and paid for by large corporations, does it mean the country is no longer a democracy? Or is it still a democracy and the
by Joeri 4y ago
If in America politicians are bought and paid for by large corporations, does it mean the country is no longer a democracy?
Or is it still a democracy and the blame ultimately lies with voters who vote on corporate-backed candidates?
- BirAdam 4y agoThe USA is an oligarchy, with an illusion of choice.
- sbarre 4y agoHave you ever seen what happens when a non-corporate-backed (i.e. independent) candidate steps up for election? They are almost always out-spent and out-campaigned from all sides because both bought parties want to maintain the two-party system at all costs. There are exceptions of course, but not meaningfully. Blame Citizens United for all this. That decision marked the day the US completely stopped being a "by the people, for the people" country.
- BirAdam 4y agoOne could make the argument that the USA became an oligarchy during the 1896 Presidential election season. McKinley’s campaign was run by Mark Hanna, and the campaign managed to secure funding from Standard Oil as well as various mining companies. This doomed the Bryan campaign. I find it interesting that the McKinley administration launched the US into war against Spain, and the USA has thereafter been continually at war… so first modern campaign finance, modern press involvement, military-industrial complex, and so on. McKinley looks to be the first truly bought and paid for politician in the USA. The rich got what they wanted and the poor were sent to fight and die and slaughter the innocent in a poor nation (the Philippines in this case). Seems startlingly similar to the current state of the USA.
- dudul 4y agoMaybe one day we'll break free of the lie that election == democracy.