9 Comments

I read on Twitter in one of my fits and spurts of sleep, someone suggested we are no long a democracy but have become a corporate oligarchy. This seems to be the case from following these charts. When politics become a money shell game, the one exact truth that comes out, is the voter, the citizen, loses big. It surpress- es our vote in a whole different perspective. Good reporting.

Expand full comment
founding

We all "know" it, but it's nice to see it in printable form. The Corporations sucking us dry and doing the most damage to the Planet are the ones feeding the machine.

Expand full comment

Fossil fuels. Health insurance/pharmaceuticals. Telecom. Tobacco. Not terribly surprising these industries are represented among the "most wanted" list above. They've been putting their profits above the public welfare as a general rule.

Expand full comment

Horrible.

This is "Exhibit A" in any case for how our brand if "capitalism" is antithetical to democracy.

The system has been perverted so we have neither fair economic competition (to create the best economic growth for society) nor a system that brings our the best ideas (democracy) for social growth.

And that these companies and "leaders" are so blatant shows just how deep the rot is.

Thanks Judd, for trying to raise awareness!

Expand full comment

Thank you for this. Now we can see how these corporations directly support voter suppression and gerrymandering, all with the full approval of our "unbiased" Supreme Court.

And then people wonder why I am so pessimistic about this country's future?

Expand full comment

More huge lies from corporations that claim to "donate evenly to both sides of the aisle". We all knew that was crap from the jump but this needs to be called out. It's very clear that these corporations only care about looking good to the public and then turn around and do the exact opposite in secret. Keep exposing these people for who they truly are and what they truly care about. Disenfranchising voters who would vote against them.

Expand full comment

Thankfully I don’t work for a large corporation, but I wonder how the PAC money is collected from employees. Do they know they’re funding anti democratic legislators/initiatives? Do they know their own company presidents (like Stankley) have decided that matters like (THEIR OWN) voting rights are best left to politicians (at least that’s how I read the quote from him)?

On another topic entirely - how very heartening to read today that Cleveland Clinic and Sinai Hospital of NYC have taken their own second looks at the horrifying FDA approval process for anti-Alzheimer’s drugs. Very courageous, and I hope my local Northwestern Hospital (Chicago) will do the same.

Expand full comment

So, can I ask: what if corporations donated based on their marketing/PR positions vs “donating evenly to both sides” (questionable) as they say they do? What would /Republicans do? Maybe pass favorable consumer laws to punish their capitalist lackeys?

Expand full comment

As Mitt Romney said “Corporations are people, too!” So it is a corporate responsibility to take a stand in a participatory democracy to preserve and expand voting rights. Otherwise Citizens United says you are shirking your responsibilities as good citizens. This goes for corporate political donations: it is right and just to take a stand and put your money where your mouth is.

Expand full comment