Agency is the power to do something, to make a difference on a given issue. With this in mind, I would like to consider the specific issue of campaign finance reform with compliments to Naomi Klein’s book, No Logo, and give agency a try.
I believe that this is a major issue in society because it affects how our country will be run. There are these Super PACS that are dictating the course of our elections because it belittles the voice of the lower and middle classes. The Super PAC has no restrictions on how much money it may raise for a candidate. However, the money that is raised by the Super PAC may not go directly to the candidate. This means that the Super PAC has to publish its own advertisement whether it is directed in a positive light for the candidate or to degrade his competitors.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Super PACS by a 5-4 vote. There was a lot of arguing going for both sides and the ultimate decision was made because super PACS are backed by the First Amendment. The First Amendment granting the rights to freedom of speech has revealed that Money is now the main contributor to giving the individual the ability to speak in the political process.
The main problem with money being a main source of speech is that not everyone has money. The United States is a representative state that allows for each citizen to have the right to vote, and give testimony on political processes. However, how can this be true when the voice of the people is not truly heard by the government? Based on the Supreme Court’s ruling, money is what yields freedom of speech in political processes. This cannot be true because the voice of the middle and lower classes is submerged beneath that of the elites. The elites have all the money and they are the ones that have the most political sway.
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| Downtown St. Paul |
The need for political equality is great. I come from a neighborhood whose voice is belittled because it is poor. I come from the ghetto in St. Paul (granted that my block is a few blocks away from the rougher parts of St. Paul but not directly in it). I see the troubles of the lower class and I see the issues that they face on a daily basis. I highly doubt that the government or even less likely, the rich see the struggles of the lower classes so why should they be the only ones that are making the decisions for them. Campaign finance reform is necessary so that the voice of the lower and middle classes can be heard. As of now, I see that their voice is hidden and left to the arbitrary will of the higher classes and the government. I highly doubt that the founding fathers wanted this type of America. All men are to be treated equally and all have the right to political equality. The very freedoms that the founding fathers fought for against the British rule are now present again. There needs to be equality.
Naomi Klein’s book, No Logo, addresses how big corporations have weaseled their way into many different affairs that should be out of their jurisdiction. The major corporations have the money and means to sway political affairs away from any legislation that would impede the progression of the company. There is a great need for reform so that the government does not become the puppet of major corporations and wealthy investors. I urge there be reform and that the Supreme Court reverse their decision because it is leads to unconstitutional events and political inequality.
I agree that these Super PACS are greatly influencing elections. Besides looking at how ridiculously huge the numbers are spent by each political party for presidential elections, the numbers also show that whoever spends the most money typically has more votes, and therefore wins. For example, although I'm sure that there were a lot of other reasons that voters voted for Obama to be president in the last election, most of the statistics I have looked at show that Obama's campaign spent 3 times more on advertising than did McCain's. And we know who won that election. This is just a correlational statistic, which doesn't mean that this causes any one to win, but it could very well be an influential factor!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both of you that it is ridiculous that money and campaign donations have become the major components of the political process. In a way, this ruins the representative political process almost entirely, and makes it thoroughly unfair. Is this the case because money and monetary donations are now considered free speech? Why should the spending and appropriation of money be considered free speech? Also, why in the hell are corporations now legally considered people due to recent court rulings?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me how much our world is influenced by advertising and money. For example, you need money to get a higher education, so you can get a higher paying job. Therefore, the people who have money to spend on a higher education will be the "money-makers" in society. It proves again that more often then not, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer". It is also unfortunate that the people most affected by the law are not the ones who make it. The law-makers are not poor and thus are less likely to pay attention to the poor.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up many excellent points in this blog. Along with you (and the other comments), I also think it is sad and quite frustrating that these days money has come to mean so much. Many people say that "money is power" sometimes without a second thought or without thinking about the truth to this statement. The society we live in seems to value money over all things, and people who have money seem to be getting rights that are based solely on that money—you are right when you say that this needs to change. Everyone should have the freedom to be heard, not just those who are rich or privileged.
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