(ThyBlackMan.com) Money is ruining politics!
What do you mean?
The Supreme Court removed virtually every barrier to restrict the flow of money into politics.
What’s wrong with that? Why shouldn’t everyone be able to spend as much as they want to back any candidate they want? What’s wrong with that?
I can’t believe you’re saying that. Money corrupts politics! People are buying their way into office!
Hey, in case you haven’t noticed, this is a capitalist system, isn’t it?
So? So what?
So capital, money, makes the world go round. Any attempt to restrict its flow into the political process is silly, and besides, it’s bound to fail.
So you don’t think money corrupts politics and politicians?
Money corrupts everything. Why should politics be any different? You might as well say take money out of economics.
So you don’t have any problem with the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, that allowed the creation of Super-PACs to which people can give unlimited amounts? And these super-PACs, which are supposedly separate 
from the candidates, really aren’t. They do his bidding. They do his dirty work, with all sorts of negative attack ads allowing the candidate to look like he is above the fray, when really he’s the one behind it all.
You would like to completely remove money from politics?
That’s right. We should have the government pay for political campaigns.
The government? Don’t we have enough debt as it is? And how would candidates be selected?
What do you mean?
Well, without money as a filter, there would be dozens if not hundreds of candidates for every office. How would we sort through them? What would we do have a debate tournament for each position? And so the best speaker wins?
What’s wrong with that?
What’s right with it? Politicians have to get things done. And getting things done takes money and influence. And, again, this is a capitalist system. If not money, then what other marker would you choose besides being glib?
But don’t you see that a candidate can bombard his opponent with relentless negative ads, if he has a big enough Super-Pac, and tear him to shreds.
Is that so?
Yes it is. Hasn’t it happened time and time again?
But tell me. What does it say about someone who would change their mind about a candidate, not based on what they read or know or think about the individual, but based on a 30 second TV spot?
That people are stupid.
Then maybe we need a more educated citizenry, not less money in politics.
Yeah. But that takes time. In the meantime we have to rein in these Super-Pacs. We have to. The Supreme Court made a big mistake.
I think they knew just what they were doing. And I agree with them.
How can you? Look at Romney. The man is literally buying his way into the White House!
Say what? Haven’t you been reading the newspapers? My man is taking a drubbing.
For now, but you wait and see when all is said and done and he finishes unleashing his money men on the opposition.
But his opponents have their money men, too. Don’t they? And look at how the Republicans are tearing each other to shreds. Yes, they have access to unlimited funds. But that has only translated into an endless primary process in which millions upon millions are being spent to expose each other’s weaknesses. The best way to contest free speech is with more free speech. And isn’t that what we see happening?
But come the general election, Big Business wants the Republicans to win, and they will give unbelievable amounts of money to whoever the Republican candidate is.
Oh yeah? Well what about Obama? He’s no slouch when it comes to raising money. And didn’t he recently say that he too was setting up a Super-Pac?
That’s only because he had to. He has to fight fire with fire.
So be it. Plus he has all the little people behind him. I think he is going to do just fine.
Maybe. But this is a special year. The Democrats don’t have anyone running against the president, and he is a breakthrough candidate because of what his presidency symbolizes. But what about the future?
Let the future take care of the future. What will be will be.
I don’t know. I don’t know. It seems to make a lot of sense the way you put things. But that’s your spin.
The way I put things? Well how do you see it? What’s your take, bottom line?
I say these Supreme Court justices are die-hard Republican conservatives, and they are just out to try and see to it that Republicans retake the White House.
I don’t know what was in their hearts. But I do know what they decided. And that’s all we can be sure of. And from where I sit I think everything is turning out as it should. I think truth will win out in the end.
We’ll see. We’ll see…..
(Based on a conversation between Victor Langhorne and Arthur Lewin)
Staff Writer; Arthur Lewin & Victor Langhorne
