The Supreme Court today reversed decades of campaign finance laws and held that corporations and unions, as voluntary associations of individulas, have all the first amendment rights that individuals have.
First, I don’t think that’s a wild interpretation. It seems far more bizarre to argue that an individual loses his constituional rights when he associates with other individuals. That, it seems to me, goes to the very heart and soul of the first amendment.
However, I do understand–and even to some extent sympathize with–the instinctual revulsion at the idea that elections might be bought and candidates sold to the highest bidder. But that’s politics as usual. Indeed, that’s politics as the parties and politicians have designed it.
Second, laws limiting the abilities of corporations or unions from spening money on elections are pure mummery. When billions are at stake, the loopholes in the law will be found and they will be stretched wide. McCain-Feingold did nothing to slow or stop corproate influence in American electoral politics. All campaign finance laws serve to do is drive donations through opaque, circumlocuitous routes; transparency suffers and the electorate is denied information.
But really, if you want money out of politics, get politics out of money.
The President had this to say,
[The ruling] is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.
Big Oil (like Saudi Arabia? Where 14 year old girls are flogged and homosexuals crucified?) , big banks and big insurers marshal their power in Washington because Washington gives them hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money. This Administration and Congress have literally handed hundreds of billions of dollars in payouts to connected bankers and friendly corporate lobbyists.
Don’t want politicians being bought? Elect better politicians.
I found this video by Penn Jillet very moving. He was clearly very hurt and very rattled by the experience. In the end, however, I don’t think he’ll allow himself to be intimidated by his idol. As he says, the antidote to bad speech is more speech.
I especially like the line about Hitler. Tommy Smothers aksed him, “If Hitler had a talk show, you’d go on that show?”
Penn responded, “Yes, Tommy. Yes I would. And I’d speak the truth.”
I’ve always been a fan of Penn & Teller, but in the last few years I have become ever more impressed with them.
Regarding the latest kerfuffle between the White House and Fox News….
First, the mission of Fox News–like every other television news agency in the known universe–is to attract viewers and sell advertising. Journalism is not a mystical calling. Cable news programs do not provide either their hosts, guests, or viewers mystical enlightenment. CNN, MSNB, FOX, and Al Jazeira do not compete for TRUTH they compete for viewers. If Fox News leans to the right, it’s because that’s the market niche they’ve focused on. Rupert Murdoch is a businessman; if he could make more money by pandering to the left, he would. Why does Fox News lean to the right? Because that’s how they make money. Fox News is winning the competition for ratings. The White House is probably helping.
Second, the White House is behaving boorishly.
As ridiculous and offensive as some Fox “personalities” are, none of them wield a terrible swift sword. Barack Obama commands enormous actual power–he’s Commander in Chief of the U.S. Military. Fox News is a freaking television show. In his capacity as Chief Executive, the President exercises prosecutorial discretion over the entire federal legal apparatus. If you don’t like the President, tough. If you don’t like Fox News, change the channel.
Finally, so what if Fox News is partisan? Are we supposed to imagine that the White House isn’t partisan?
If democracy is ever to work (an open question) it requires vigorous debate. Not more toadying.
North Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years in a labor prison as they were found guilty of illegally entering the region, three months after they were arrested, the state-run news agency said on Monday.
The journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, were tried in the Central Court, North’s highest court in Pyongyang, from June 4 to 8. They both were found guilty of “hostile acts” in the communist state.
The two female journalists were taken into custody by the North Korean guards on March 17 while filming near the Tumen River, which separates North Korea and China.
“The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing,” the Korean Central News Agency reported, adding that they were sentenced to 12 years of reform through labor.
Lee and Ling work for Current, the Al Gore-sponsored TV/web outlet, whose home page as of this writing betrayed no interest in the verdict (an auto newsfeed linked to a wire story on a secondary page).
Gawker takes Al Gore to task for being silent on the matter:
Gore has been silent on the issue, Current.TV told their people to not say a word about it. It’s no less disconcerting that Gore was, according to the Page Six item, at a fundraiser for Andrew Cuomo earlier in the day, instead of working - doing something, anything - to free his employees from what’s probably the worst work-related trip of all time. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s now threatening to put North Korea back on our country’s list of “Terror States” as of this morning, and President Obama just told them that we’re not playin’ when it comes to nuclear proliferation as of yesterday. Things are absolutely getting worse, and it’s pretty clear that if North Korea views Ling and Lee as diplomatic pawns, our government sure as hell doesn’t.
Gore’s got several points of entry he can make: among the few political issues Pyongyang takes “public” is climate change. The North Korean government loves to have their asses kissed, and the Department of State hasn’t ruled out Gore’s involvement, so him coming simply as a diplomat couldn’t be a bad thing.
So what’s Gore waiting for? Our government’s approval? A PR angle? Whatever it is, it better come quick. There’s virtually no idea out there of what Ling and Lee are going through, or how they’re being treated. Ling and Lee could be fine. They could simply get deported, get off scot-free. But Lee’s got family in South Korea. Who, you know, North Korea doesn’t really like. Which is besides Americans, which Ling and Lee both are.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So, exactly which of the enumerated rights is our government interested in protecting?
Obama is expanding federal funding of religious organizations.
The govt. argued in opposition to the 2nd amendment in Heller.
Warrantless wiretaps continue apace, RICOH and drug laws have made a mockery of probable cause.
The court eviscerated the Fifth in Kelo.
In Harmelin v. Michigan, (1991), the Court upheld a life sentence without the possibility of parole for possession of 672 grams of cocaine.
The ninth is a joke.
The tenth is a charade.
So we’re left with the third, the sixth, and the seventh.
I have too many projects. Can't keep up with all of my self-imposed writing commitments. I have to shelve a project this week. ...2009/04/06
The whole idea of our government is this: If enough people get together and act in concert, they can take something and not pay for it. #pjo...2009/04/03
To grasp the true meaning of socialism, imagine a world where everything is designed by the post office, even the sleaze. #pjo...2009/04/03
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. #pjo...2009/04/03
A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat. #pjo...2009/04/03
Every government is a parliament of whores. The trouble is, in a democracy, the whores are us. #pjo...2009/04/03
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