Unintended consequences of Citizens United

[Augiedog]

Across Southern states and local communities around the nation panic seems to have set in on the possibility of Sharia Law coming to your town, city or state. Attempts to prevent this are comical at best and phobic at their worst. But is it all that far fetched? Is it impossible? Not if you take the trail blazing possibilities of the Supreme (dummies) Court decision referred to as Citizens United into account. This decision clearly makes unclear who or what is controlling the elections and thus the laws made in America. Concealed foreign campaign contributions can, will and do influence who gets elected and what laws get enacted. Just look at how Wall Street has managed Congress if you have any doubts about the power of cash influence. The Citizens United decision seems to be purposely made to allow what would normally be considered an act of war, the subversion of the American electoral process and Congress itself, by foreign or criminal organizations. Every war is promulgated on economic factors, Citizens United is nothing less than an economic nuke awaiting triggering.

[Scuba]

1. Why do you think this is unintended?

[Johonny]

7. Because it absolute crushed the Republican party in 2012

Their presidential election was a farce. They had candidates floating around simply to absorb graft. They had candidates that were simply front men to billionaires behind the scenes. Obviously the next step in worry is that billionaires have no true nationality. They freely move themselves and their money around the world. They are more than willing to tank the US economy to boost their interests in China or Europe. More than that foreign powers have their own interests in this regard. People keep telling me Republicans have decided on their candidate and a repeat of 2012 is unlikely. Given the amount of money, egos, and differing ideals... it feel inevitable.

I pretty sure this wasn't what they expected. I pretty sure they thought collectively the big money would allow "them" to obtain unprecedented power. The problem is with the "them." Republicans always assumed they were all like minded but a party about selfishness had no ability to foresee this type of consequence.

[Scuba]

8. The big money is allowing 'them' to obtain unprecedented power, their 2012 setback notwithstanding.

[Johonny]

9. which "them"

The Republican Congress is hopelessly divided into camps of unlike minded representatives beholden to different money men. Some of them are willing to shut down congress, some of them aren't... They barely passed anything since taking power and frankly aren't off to an impressive start for a party marching on a mandate they appear like a group of idiots. This isn't what they imagined when Citizen's united ruling came down. They all thought they were in it together and by they they meant them, but they all can't stand each other because they all want each others money...

Who is the "them" winning from this? They've obtained congress, but who is "they." In some ways simply delaying and chipping at the country is a win for some people (the ultra rich), but in other ways the Republican party is powerless as a whole because it doesn't exist. It is one giant behind the scenes fight for power. Nationally they have no face, no party structure, and no actual policies.

I have no doubt the Democratic party is going to fall apart next. You already see it happening. There are too many they's and they all want to be the power behind the scene.

So it comes down to who won by this policy change. If you assume the vision was one king and a unified power structure then clearly Citizen United didn't work the way they thought. If you think of feudal Europe with each Lord fighting for his own self interest and the country as a whole swaying to their power battles, then I think that is closer to the result of Citizen United. You know who lost; the peasants. But who won?

[Scuba]

10. Good analysis. Agree that there is not (nor will there be) any one winner.

Also agree that the R's are fragmented, and could come apart, but the big, big money will always control their party. What we need to do is wrest our party away from those corporatists who have taken it from us.

[Nye Bevan]

2. So the theory here is that ISIS (for example) would agree to pay for ads supporting candidates,

and in exchange, the candidates would promise to enact Sharia law in the United States once they had been elected? There would be a couple of challenges here. It might be difficult to recruit candidates who can pretend to be reasonable people during the campaign but would not hesitate to vote for people to be stoned to death for adultery once elected. Also, I imagine that the president would be quite likely to veto any laws enacted that included the death penalty for being gay, or people's hands being chopped off for theft. So a veto-proof majority of these secretly pro-Sharia legislators would be required. And finally, the courts would be quite likely to overturn much of Sharia law as cruel and unusual punishment. Such as women being flogged for failing to wear a hijab.

I think you might be worrying unnecessarily.

[Augiedog]

4. Thank you

For completely destroying my premise that religion based law might be possible in America. I am relieved that Citizens United can have no consequences, no opportunity for foreign influence or intrigue. I'm amazed that I could have missed the notion that only Quran based laws of obvious genesis would or could be promulgated. Yes, I am relieved that I have been worrying unnecessarily. 😳

[Nye Bevan]

5. I'm not saying that Citizens United could not result in Sharia law coming to the United States.

And I'm not saying that you are wrong to worry about the thought of people being caught engaging in homosexual activity being dragged to Central Park in New York, buried up to their necks, and stoned to death by a braying mob. And people being banned from wearing shorts, even in the summer. And women being banned from driving. All I was trying to do was to point out that there are certain obstacles standing in the way of this "worst-case scenario" that you are so concerned about.

[Trillo]

3. Sharia Law

Doesn't seem that different from cops choking you to death because you handled a cigarette on a street corner.

[kydo]

6. I'd be more worried about the other religious nutters buying our goverment

You know, peeps with lots of cash that think their god is better then everyone else's god and support insane peeps like cruz, that pig lady, king, paul, and louie louie crazy louie. (just to name a few)

You know the right wing fundamental Christians? That's the group that I worry about. And to think we the citizens of the USA don't even have to look overseas for help on finding religious crazy, we got tons of them right here. Aren't we just so damn lucky?

Honestly the ruling is doing exactly what the people that wanted it, to do. Putting people with tons of money in more power.