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Sunday, October 19th, 2014

How Billionaire Oligarchs Are Becoming Their Own Political Parties

Author:     Jim Rutenberg
Source:     The New York Times
Publication Date:     17 October 14
 Link: How Billionaire Oligarchs Are Becoming Their Own Political Parties
Stephan:   Thanks to a corrupted conservative wing of the Supreme Court -- Citizens United and the voter suppression decision --  the manipulated ignorance and fear of a enfeebled electorate bombarded with disinformation agitprop, American democracy is literally being purchased by a group of oligarchs. In essence, as this report lays out they have become the dominant political interests in the United States. The only defense again this is an informed, passionately committed voter population. Sadly, we don't seem to be able to muster such a force. The coming election and the 2016 election may be the last time democracy has a chance in the U.S.    
Oligarchs state maps

States where oligarch money is in play and possibly determinant Credit: The New York Times

Money Ball

Statewide races in which Tom Steyer’s NextGen and the Koch Brothers’ Americans for Prosperity support opposing candidates.

In August, Tom Steyer and seven campaign advisers sat in a small conference room in Coral Gables, Fla., trying to figure out how to save the world. Steyer, who is 57, has a fortune of roughly $1.5 billion, and his advisers were among the most talented political operatives in the United States. Steyer is especially concerned about climate change, and his immediate goal, the object of discussion that day, was to replace the sitting governor of Florida, Rick Scott, a Republican who has questioned the very existence of anthropogenic climate change, with Charlie Crist, the previous governor, whose environmental views hew more closely to Steyer’s.

 The lead Florida strategist, Nick Baldick, was running through the campaign numbers. “There’s a problem here,” he said, brandishing […]

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1 Comment

  1. Rev. Dean Rose on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 4:45 am

    I believe what we really need is to pool our progressive talents and money and purchase TV networks and news conglomerates of our own to get the news out. We could do it as a non-profit for our country’s benefit. Anyone interested???