The Day Capitalism ate Democracy (and burped)

So, unless you happen to be living in a cave you probably read about this debacle.

The SC only had to decide on whether Citizens United, a right-wing non-profit's political hit movie on Hillary ran afoul of McCain-Feingold. Instead, the conservatives on the SC decided very shamefully that the broader question of whether Corporations looked uncannily like human beings and thus merited First Amendment protection, had to be decided now. And whoa, in fact decided that Corporations could do whatever the fuck they wanted to swing elections. Cause they are no different from you and me.

Why now, you ask, when the Health Care bill is on life-support and the 2010 mid-term elections round the corner? If you're like me, you may wonder if perhaps the Corporatists organized this effort. Maybe the usual culprits got together, big banks and big Pharma, and decided, hey, we better get control over members of Congress before their sorry asses make any more trouble for us.

Rants aside, one of Anthony Kennedy's (he is after all supposedly the swing vote) arguments is that if the First Amendment can be applied to you and me, it could also be applied to associations of citizens:

"If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech."

So, a corporation is an association of citizens? Are you shitting me? An association? Kind of like, uhh, people who spontaneously get together and march down a street protesting a war? A group of similar-thinking individuals who have a bone to pick with someone or something? Who have a fire in their butts? What absolute, unvarnished, rubbish!

Does a wretched cashier who gets paid minimum wage working at a Wal-mart store qualify as a citizen in this grand association? Does he get any say in determining who Wal-mart decides to lobby for or against?

Since the SC overturned a law dating all the way to 1907 (whatever happened to the idea of respecting settled law!) on constitutional grounds, I suspect that that's it. Congress cannot make any law overturning this decision unless the Constitution is specifically amended. And good luck with that people!

If I could take a moment and speculate foolishly on how the future will play out in this country, it is this: Capitalism will turn into uber-Capitalism, the difference between the haves and the have-nots already historically high will become ridiculously high. Civil disobedience will return to mainstream America, and who knows maybe even a revolution in my lifetime. Maybe America will prove Marx right about the possibility of unequal distribution of power and of income, and its disposition to depression and unemployment, ultimately leading to the demise of Capitalism.