RIP Liberal Democracy?

[kalm]

These political soul searching pieces are popular right now. Would the demise of liberal democracy be a bad thing? Will the working class simply stay loyal to the more authoritarian leaders they helped elect or will they demand true populist policies that directly benefit them? Will they even be allowed a voice to advocate for those policies?

We are used to hearing stirring defenses of “democracy” from those who oppose corrupt or authoritarian forces. Joe Biden made defense of democracy a central theme of his time in office. So what do we make of the fact that the very structures and processes of democracy have so often yielded victories to those who would dismantle so many of the institutions and norms on which democracy rests?

Far-right leaders are winning across the globe. Blaming ‘the economy’ or ‘the left-behinds’ won’t cut it

We should not respond to the popularity and electoral ascension of Modi, Trump, or Prabowo – or for that matter Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the Philippines, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Javier Milei of Argentina, or Giorgia Meloni in Italy – as anti-democracy phenomena.

More accurately, these electoral events are rejections of liberal democracy, not democracy in general. Voters across the globe are using democracy to turn against the values of tolerance, justice, fairness, openness, science and the rule of law.

Liberal values never had deep roots anywhere in the world, even in places like North America and western Europe where one might assume they had because of post-second world war pronouncements by the center-left and center-right forces that took turns running both regions until just this decade. Liberalism has been applauded, but it was never secured or adequately defended by its supporters or beneficiaries. By the turn of the century, too many just assumed that liberalism, capitalism and democracy were all that was left.

As a planet we have not come to terms with the consequences of three catastrophic moments of the 21st century that combined to shake the foundations of all we had once believed was solid: the Islamist terrorist attacks on the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Spain between 2001 and 2015 and the subsequent brutal invasions and crackdowns on Muslim countries and people, shook many out of what little tolerance they had for religious difference; the global economic collapse of 2008 to 2010, which wiped out trillions of dollars of wealth from middle classes around the world and dislocated millions from homes and jobs has left a deep bruise in faith in the future and caused real pain to families; the Covid pandemic that killed 10 million people between 2020 and 2022 and has never ceased its deadly spread, left us unable to comprehend such grief or heal from the social and economic disruption the lockdowns caused.

Is it any wonder that after those three global traumas so many in every part of the world have lost faith in the tenets and promises of liberalism and its various applications, including globalization, financialization and equality?

Those of us who do value the dignity and lives of those different from ourselves, who hold out hope for a decent future free of corruption and power imbalances and who wish for a better and more stable standard of living for the great majority of people instead of the wealthy few should occasionally step back from the urgent work of winning the next election here or there. We should realize that the malignancy we must fight is not a party or even a collection of parties.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... SApp_Other

[houndawg]

These political soul searching pieces are popular right now. Would the demise of liberal democracy be a bad thing? Will the working class simply stay loyal to the more authoritarian leaders they helped elect or will they demand true populist policies that directly benefit them? Will they even be allowed a voice to advocate for those policies?

We are used to hearing stirring defenses of “democracy” from those who oppose corrupt or authoritarian forces. Joe Biden made defense of democracy a central theme of his time in office. So what do we make of the fact that the very structures and processes of democracy have so often yielded victories to those who would dismantle so many of the institutions and norms on which democracy rests?

Far-right leaders are winning across the globe. Blaming ‘the economy’ or ‘the left-behinds’ won’t cut it

We should not respond to the popularity and electoral ascension of Modi, Trump, or Prabowo – or for that matter Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the Philippines, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Javier Milei of Argentina, or Giorgia Meloni in Italy – as anti-democracy phenomena.

More accurately, these electoral events are rejections of liberal democracy, not democracy in general. Voters across the globe are using democracy to turn against the values of tolerance, justice, fairness, openness, science and the rule of law.

Liberal values never had deep roots anywhere in the world, even in places like North America and western Europe where one might assume they had because of post-second world war pronouncements by the center-left and center-right forces that took turns running both regions until just this decade. Liberalism has been applauded, but it was never secured or adequately defended by its supporters or beneficiaries. By the turn of the century, too many just assumed that liberalism, capitalism and democracy were all that was left.

As a planet we have not come to terms with the consequences of three catastrophic moments of the 21st century that combined to shake the foundations of all we had once believed was solid: the Islamist terrorist attacks on the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Spain between 2001 and 2015 and the subsequent brutal invasions and crackdowns on Muslim countries and people, shook many out of what little tolerance they had for religious difference; the global economic collapse of 2008 to 2010, which wiped out trillions of dollars of wealth from middle classes around the world and dislocated millions from homes and jobs has left a deep bruise in faith in the future and caused real pain to families; the Covid pandemic that killed 10 million people between 2020 and 2022 and has never ceased its deadly spread, left us unable to comprehend such grief or heal from the social and economic disruption the lockdowns caused.

Is it any wonder that after those three global traumas so many in every part of the world have lost faith in the tenets and promises of liberalism and its various applications, including globalization, financialization and equality?

Those of us who do value the dignity and lives of those different from ourselves, who hold out hope for a decent future free of corruption and power imbalances and who wish for a better and more stable standard of living for the great majority of people instead of the wealthy few should occasionally step back from the urgent work of winning the next election here or there. We should realize that the malignancy we must fight is not a party or even a collection of parties.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... SApp_Other

The working class doesn't want to think about it so they'll pretty much do as their media requests - they don't matter much. Jeff Bezos matters, Elon Musk matters, Harlan Crow matters

Citizens United is the cancer that killed democracy in the US and we didn't catch it when it was still treatable, so now we have to employ more invasive measures like shooting the cancer cells. Luigi's treatment plan has shown promising results in an early trial although experts caution against reading too much into results because of the small sample size. What is needed now is funding to support further trials by independent experts to see if they can replicate Luigi's results.

[kalm]

These political soul searching pieces are popular right now. Would the demise of liberal democracy be a bad thing? Will the working class simply stay loyal to the more authoritarian leaders they helped elect or will they demand true populist policies that directly benefit them? Will they even be allowed a voice to advocate for those policies?



https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... SApp_Other

The working class doesn't want to think about it so they'll pretty much do as their media requests - they don't matter much. Jeff Bezos matters, Elon Musk matters, Harlan Crow matters

Citizens United is the cancer that killed democracy in the US and we didn't catch it when it was still treatable, so now we have to employ more invasive measures like shooting the cancer cells. Luigi's treatment plan has shown promising results in an early trial although experts caution against reading too much into results because of the small sample size. What is needed now is funding to support further trials by independent experts to see if they can replicate Luigi's results.

Interesting analogy.

Carter said we are becoming an oligarchy backnin 2010 thanks to Citizens United and campaign funding.

Another issue he was prescient about.

[Pwns]

I used to have "we get the government we deserve" in my sig line for a long time. I think what I overlooked was just how bad our media ecosystem is. The pandemic year was a real eye-opener for me. It's fine to not give anti-vax people the mic when the evidence piles up that the vaccines are safe, but shutting down any discussion of a lab-leak theory as "racist", not being forthright about masks early in the pandemic, and not condemning the Floyd riots while others had curfews and were told to distance themselves outdoors just made bad situation worse.

And what happens when people hate legacy media? They turn to smaller amateur outlets that promote conspiracy theories and other nonsense. I don't think I have to explain why that's bad.

Any democracy where the trust in elite media is abysmal and has a legislature that has a 25% approval rating on a good day is headed to ruin, and it doesn't matter how many social media posts you censor.

[houndawg]

The working class doesn't want to think about it so they'll pretty much do as their media requests - they don't matter much. Jeff Bezos matters, Elon Musk matters, Harlan Crow matters

Citizens United is the cancer that killed democracy in the US and we didn't catch it when it was still treatable, so now we have to employ more invasive measures like shooting the cancer cells. Luigi's treatment plan has shown promising results in an early trial although experts caution against reading too much into results because of the small sample size. What is needed now is funding to support further trials by independent experts to see if they can replicate Luigi's results.

Interesting analogy.

Carter said we are becoming an oligarchy backnin 2010 thanks to Citizens United and campaign funding.

Another issue he was prescient about.

Nobody was listening here

[BDKJMU]

The working class doesn't want to think about it so they'll pretty much do as their media requests - they don't matter much. Jeff Bezos matters, Elon Musk matters, Harlan Crow matters

Citizens United is the cancer that killed democracy in the US and we didn't catch it when it was still treatable, so now we have to employ more invasive measures like shooting the cancer cells. Luigi's treatment plan has shown promising results in an early trial although experts caution against reading too much into results because of the small sample size. What is needed now is funding to support further trials by independent experts to see if they can replicate Luigi's results.

Interesting analogy.

Carter said we are becoming an oligarchy backnin 2010 thanks to Citizens United and campaign funding.

Another issue he was prescient about.

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

[kalm]

Interesting analogy.

Carter said we are becoming an oligarchy backnin 2010 thanks to Citizens United and campaign funding.

Another issue he was prescient about.

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

Direct contributions and the top fundraiser for national office seats wins something like 90% of the time.

Do they count buying up 1000’s of radio stations, TV networks and local stations, and newspapers? How about social media platforms.

Do you honestly think there is no ROI be it monetarily or deregulatory to legally bribing (again thanks SCOTUS going back to the 70’s) candidates. Musk gave hundreds of millions out of altruism and sharing your political beliefs?

Bwhahahaha!

[BDKJMU]

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

Direct contributions and the top fundraiser for national office seats wins something like 90% of the time.

Do they count buying up 1000’s of radio stations, TV networks and local stations, and newspapers? How about social media platforms.

Do you honestly think there is no ROI be it monetarily or deregulatory to legally bribing (again thanks SCOTUS going back to the 70’s) candidates. Musk gave hundreds of millions out of altruism and sharing your political beliefs?

Bwhahahaha!

Lol if you think the right controls the majority of the traditional MSM . The left no longer has a stranglehold on it that they used to pre Fox. Still only 1 major circulation conservative paper (WSJ).

As far as social media, the left had a 100% stranglehold until Elon bought X. The Tech bros at Trump’s Inauguration doesn’t change that.

The only thing the right has had a majority of is talk radio. The left does little talk radio because they suck at it.

$$$ will never be regulated out of politics. Everyone is free to consume whatever media they want and vote for who they want. The only people complaining about Citizens United are butthurt libs after an election they get their ass kicked in..

[BDKJMU]

[kalm]

Direct contributions and the top fundraiser for national office seats wins something like 90% of the time.

Do they count buying up 1000’s of radio stations, TV networks and local stations, and newspapers? How about social media platforms.

Do you honestly think there is no ROI be it monetarily or deregulatory to legally bribing (again thanks SCOTUS going back to the 70’s) candidates. Musk gave hundreds of millions out of altruism and sharing your political beliefs?

Bwhahahaha!

Lol if you think the right controls the majority of the traditional MSM . The left no longer has a stranglehold on it that they used to pre Fox. Still only 1 major circulation conservative paper (WSJ).

As far as social media, the left had a 100% stranglehold until Elon bought X. The Tech bros at Trump’s Inauguration doesn’t change that.

The only thing the right has had a majority of is talk radio. The left does little talk radio because they suck at it.

$$$ will never be regulated out of politics. Everyone is free to consume whatever media they want and vote for who they want. The only people complaining about Citizens United are butthurt libs after an election they get their ass kicked in..

Wow…that’s quite the narrow and pro corruption take on media ownership influence, and campaign finance.

Even the right acknowledges the huge factor social media played in their favor during the last election. WaPo and LA Times are censoring their own editorial departments in favor of the right. Zuck either has always been a weirdo libertarian right leaning guy or succumbed to threats. This helps going forward. Sinclair controls a massive amount of local TV news. (See below). I Heart Radio (formerly clear Chanel) own a massive amount of talk radio.

If you don’t think their influence is and has been substantial you understand very little about American politics.

It’s actually not that complicated to get money/bribery out of politics.

Start with corporations are still not people despite what the SCOTUS sophists and you think.

Criminalize ANY campaign contributions above ___$’s.

Local TV news shows collectively attract 25 million nightly viewers, far more than national cable programs such as Fox News and MSNBC. And that’s been attractive to major media conglomerates, which have been snapping up local TV stations in recent years. As of 2016, five big companies controlled 37% of these stations.

Now, a new study shows that the trend toward conglomerate ownership is causing local stations to focus more on national politics at the expense of local politics. At least in the case of the nation’s biggest local TV conglomerate, a corporate takeover also made stations slant more to the right politically — even as the stations lost viewers.

Coauthored by Gregory J. Martin at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Joshua McCrain at Emory University, the study focused on the impact of one conglomerate in particular: Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 191 stations that reach almost 40% of the U.S. population.

Since 1990, Sinclair has been on a buying binge that took it from being a bit player to the nation’s biggest owner of local stations. It also has attracted attention for its conservative political leaning. During the 2016 election campaign, for example, Sinclair stations aired 15 “exclusive” interviews with Donald Trump. In 2017, it hired a former Trump White House official as its chief political analyst and made his commentaries must-run on all stations. Last year, all of its anchors were ordered to read an identical script that echoed Trump’s rhetoric about “fake news”

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/m ... wing-slant

[BDKJMU]

Lol if you think the right controls the majority of the traditional MSM . The left no longer has a stranglehold on it that they used to pre Fox. Still only 1 major circulation conservative paper (WSJ).

As far as social media, the left had a 100% stranglehold until Elon bought X. The Tech bros at Trump’s Inauguration doesn’t change that.

The only thing the right has had a majority of is talk radio. The left does little talk radio because they suck at it.

$$$ will never be regulated out of politics. Everyone is free to consume whatever media they want and vote for who they want. The only people complaining about Citizens United are butthurt libs after an election they get their ass kicked in..

Wow…that’s quite the narrow and pro corruption take on media ownership influence, and campaign finance.

Even the right acknowledges the huge factor social media played in their favor during the last election. WaPo and LA Times are censoring their own editorial departments in favor of the right. Zuck either has always been a weirdo libertarian right leaning guy or succumbed to threats. This helps going forward. Sinclair controls a massive amount of local TV news. (See below). I Heart Radio (formerly clear Chanel) own a massive amount of talk radio.

If you don’t think their influence is and has been substantial you understand very little about American politics.

It’s actually not that complicated to get money/bribery out of politics.

Start with corporations are still not people despite what the SCOTUS sophists and you think.

Criminalize ANY campaign contributions above ___$’s.

Local TV news shows collectively attract 25 million nightly viewers, far more than national cable programs such as Fox News and MSNBC. And that’s been attractive to major media conglomerates, which have been snapping up local TV stations in recent years. As of 2016, five big companies controlled 37% of these stations.

Now, a new study shows that the trend toward conglomerate ownership is causing local stations to focus more on national politics at the expense of local politics. At least in the case of the nation’s biggest local TV conglomerate, a corporate takeover also made stations slant more to the right politically — even as the stations lost viewers.

Coauthored by Gregory J. Martin at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Joshua McCrain at Emory University, the study focused on the impact of one conglomerate in particular: Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 191 stations that reach almost 40% of the U.S. population.

Since 1990, Sinclair has been on a buying binge that took it from being a bit player to the nation’s biggest owner of local stations. It also has attracted attention for its conservative political leaning. During the 2016 election campaign, for example, Sinclair stations aired 15 “exclusive” interviews with Donald Trump. In 2017, it hired a former Trump White House official as its chief political analyst and made his commentaries must-run on all stations. Last year, all of its anchors were ordered to read an identical script that echoed Trump’s rhetoric about “fake news”

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/m ... wing-slant

Waah so one election the left doesn’t 100% control social media. You can claim Zuck is some weirdo libertarian right leaning but it was obvious from Fakebooks censorship through 2020 election (ex Hunters laptop) and Covid that they are uber left. Almost everyone there votes left.
X until Elon bought X it was uber left.
Google/Youtube is uber left. Ex look at their AI rollout a couple years ago.
Anyone who claims that Big Tech and Big Social media doesn’t lean left is clearly clueless about Big Tech amd Big social media.

No. I and anyone else should be able to spend whatever the fvck we want on an election. Its our $$$, not the govts.

Local has always leaned left. Maybe not to the degree national. Talk radio has always been solid right.

Again, this lib butthurt about Citizens United always flares up after donks get their ass kicked. Gee, I don’t remember hearing too much about it after the previous 3 elections (2018, 2020 & 2022). I wonder why.

[kalm]

Wow…that’s quite the narrow and pro corruption take on media ownership influence, and campaign finance.

Even the right acknowledges the huge factor social media played in their favor during the last election. WaPo and LA Times are censoring their own editorial departments in favor of the right. Zuck either has always been a weirdo libertarian right leaning guy or succumbed to threats. This helps going forward. Sinclair controls a massive amount of local TV news. (See below). I Heart Radio (formerly clear Chanel) own a massive amount of talk radio.

If you don’t think their influence is and has been substantial you understand very little about American politics.

It’s actually not that complicated to get money/bribery out of politics.

Start with corporations are still not people despite what the SCOTUS sophists and you think.

Criminalize ANY campaign contributions above ___$’s.




https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/m ... wing-slant

Waah so one election the left doesn’t control social media…

No. I and anyone else should be able to spend whatever the fvck we want on an election. Its our $$$, not the govts.

Local has always leaned left. Maybe not to the degree national. Talk radio has always been solid right.

Again, this lib butthurt about Citizens United always flares up after donks get their ass kicked. Gee, I don’t remember hearing too much about it after the previous 3 elections (2018, 2020 & 2022). I wonder why.

Wrongx4!

(Betcha didn’t read the Stanford study did ya? Or have forgotten the huge success of the R’s from state houses to D.C. starting in 2010. Or believe the Democrats to be anything other than a pro-corporate, right leaning, centrist party. Unless you don’t believe the Overton window has shifted and we are a blessedly right wing country. You can’t have it 6 different ways my man.

I can see I’ve struck a nerve. But hey…don’t feel bad. Kudos to the right for taking full advantage of the corruptive and shitty existing laws. Don't apologize for success.

[BDKJMU]

As I was editing above about Big Tech & social media:

You can claim Zuck is some weirdo libertarian right leaning but it was obvious from Fakebooks censorship through 2020 election (ex Hunters laptop) and Covid that they are uber left. Almost everyone who works there votes left. What did that one survey show? 97%?

X until Elon bought X it was uber left.

Google/Youtube is uber left. Ex look no further than their AI rollout a couple years ago.

Anyone who claims that Big Tech and Big Social media doesn’t lean heavily left is clearly clueless about Big Tech amd Big social media.

Waah so one election the left doesn’t control social media…

No. I and anyone else should be able to spend whatever the fvck we want on an election. Its our $$$, not the govts.

Local has always leaned left. Maybe not to the degree national. Talk radio has always been solid right.

Again, this lib butthurt about Citizens United always flares up after donks get their ass kicked. Gee, I don’t remember hearing too much about it after the previous 3 elections (2018, 2020 & 2022). I wonder why.

Wrongx4!

(Betcha didn’t read the Stanford study did ya? Or have forgotten the huge success of the R’s from state houses to D.C. starting in 2010. Or believe the Democrats to be anything other than a pro-corporate, right leaning, centrist party. Unless you don’t believe the Overton window has shifted and we are a blessedly right wing country. You can’t have it 6 different ways my man.

I can see I’ve struck a nerve. But hey…don’t feel bad. Kudos to the right for taking full advantage of the corruptive and shitty existing laws. Don't apologize for success.

Nope.
MSM still leans heavily left.
Big Tech still leans heavily left.
The left 100% controlled social media before the last election, and still controls it sans twitter.

You can keep about Citizens United like you have on here for years to restrict Americans freedoms to spend our $$$ like we see fit. That isn’t going to change.

[kalm]

As I was editing above about Big Tech & social media:

You can claim Zuck is some weirdo libertarian right leaning but it was obvious from Fakebooks censorship through 2020 election (ex Hunters laptop) and Covid that they are uber left. Almost everyone who works there votes left. What did that one survey show? 97%?

X until Elon bought X it was uber left.

Google/Youtube is uber left. Ex look no further than their AI rollout a couple years ago.

Anyone who claims that Big Tech and Big Social media doesn’t lean heavily left is clearly clueless about Big Tech amd Big social media.

Wrongx4!

(Betcha didn’t read the Stanford study did ya? Or have forgotten the huge success of the R’s from state houses to D.C. starting in 2010. Or believe the Democrats to be anything other than a pro-corporate, right leaning, centrist party. Unless you don’t believe the Overton window has shifted and we are a blessedly right wing country. You can’t have it 6 different ways my man.

I can see I’ve struck a nerve. But hey…don’t feel bad. Kudos to the right for taking full advantage of the corruptive and shitty existing laws. Don't apologize for success.

Nope.
MSM still leans heavily left.
Big Tech still leans heavily left.
The left 100% controlled social media before the last election, and still controls it sans twitter.

You can keep about Citizens United like you have on here for years to restrict Americans freedoms to spend our $$$ like we see fit. That isn’t going to change.

Still triggered and unable to substantiate. Not a surprise.

[BDKJMU]

As I was editing above about Big Tech & social media:





Nope.
MSM still leans heavily left.
Big Tech still leans heavily left.
The left 100% controlled social media before the last election, and still controls it sans twitter.

You can keep about Citizens United like you have on here for years to restrict Americans freedoms to spend our $$$ like we see fit. That isn’t going to change.

Still triggered and unable to substantiate. Not a surprise.

Wrong. You keep getting your ass kicked on Citizens United like you have on here for years, yet are so triggered you keep coming back for more beatings.

Please do keep it up though.

[kalm]

Still triggered and unable to substantiate. Not a surprise.

Wrong. You keep getting your ass kicked on Citizens United like you have on here for years, yet are so triggered you keep coming back for more beatings.

Please do keep it up though.

Yeah….who honestly thinks a corporation is a human being and that unrestricted campaign donations are not a “quid pro quo”, and that legalized corruption isn’t still corruptive?

I won this debate from the start.

[BDKJMU]

Wrong. You keep getting your ass kicked on Citizens United like you have on here for years, yet are so triggered you keep coming back for more beatings.

Please do keep it up though.

Yeah….who honestly thinks a corporation is a human being and that unrestricted campaign donations are not a “quid pro quo”, and that legalized corruption isn’t still corruptive?

I won this debate from the start.

Why do you hate free speech? You want to criminalize someone spending their own $$$ to advance a cause or candidate.

Lol you haven’t won jack. It was just others besides me (GF comes to mind, and there were others) kicking your azz on Citizens United over the last 15 years.

[BDKJMU]

Belated Happy 15 year anniversary of Citizens United! (1/21/10). Thank goodness there were 5 SCOTUS judges who stood for the Constitution and stood for free speech.

Has anyone been so butthurt for so long over a SCOTUS decision as Kalm has over Citizens United? 15 years of butthurt. Wow.

[kalm]

Yeah….who honestly thinks a corporation is a human being and that unrestricted campaign donations are not a “quid pro quo”, and that legalized corruption isn’t still corruptive?

I won this debate from the start.

Why do you hate free speech? You want to criminalize someone spending their own $$$ to advance a cause or candidate.

Lol you haven’t won jack. It was just others besides me (GF comes to mind, and there were others) kicking your azz on Citizens United over the last 15 years.

Money is not speech silly. Keep trying!

[houndawg]

Interesting analogy.

Carter said we are becoming an oligarchy backnin 2010 thanks to Citizens United and campaign funding.

Another issue he was prescient about.

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

He was so. So was your ol' pal houndawg, right here, 10 years ago. You can look it up right here in the archives. Of course its a bittersweet victory lap but these are the times we live in. Price of eggs was supposed to come down yesterday too.

[kalm]

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

He was so. So was your ol' pal houndawg, right here, 10 years ago. You can look it up right here in the archives. Of course its a bittersweet victory lap but these are the times we live in. Price of eggs was supposed to come down yesterday too.

Poor BDK….there’s no escape….

[BDKJMU]

Why do you hate free speech? You want to criminalize someone spending their own $$$ to advance a cause or candidate.

Lol you haven’t won jack. It was just others besides me (GF comes to mind, and there were others) kicking your azz on Citizens United over the last 15 years.

Money is not speech silly. Keep trying!

[BDKJMU]

BS. Carter wasn’t prescient about shit. Citizens United was nothing more than a victory for free speech, because $$$ = speech. But more $$$ doesn’t mean going to win the win an election.

Conks and Trump were massively outspent in 2016, and look what happened.

Conks and Trump massively outspent in 2024, with the majority of billionaires backing Harris, and look what happened.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/ ... n-updated/
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/31/democr ... ection-day

He was so. So was your ol' pal houndawg, right here, 10 years ago. You can look it up right here in the archives. Of course its a bittersweet victory lap but these are the times we live in. Price of eggs was supposed to come down yesterday too.

They are. Thank you Trump!

[UNI88]

He was so. So was your ol' pal houndawg, right here, 10 years ago. You can look it up right here in the archives. Of course its a bittersweet victory lap but these are the times we live in. Price of eggs was supposed to come down yesterday too.

They are. Thank you Trump!

49 days after he promised ...