Our Democracy has been sold to moneyed interests. Obscene amounts spent, a hellava’ return on investment. Sen. Whitehouse details this history in his book “Captured.” Not just Congress, but courts (judges wined, dined and given seminars on “right decisions”), regulatory agencies (foxes in henhouse writing rules), state officials, civil courts (denying class action suits and anything that threatens corporations), even trade policy (investor state dispute settlement NAFTA rules – ISDS).
With Citizens United all stops are out on dark money. Corporations have one objective: make money for CEOs and investors. Many legislators have one objective: get re-elected and eventually become a highly paid lobbyist. Even if they believe in climate change, they fear being ousted.
Noam Chomsky’s documentary, “Requiem for the American Dream,” describes it: money=power=money=power... Big spenders hold the keys to the kingdom; “We, The People,” lose. Meanwhile climate change continues and threatens clean air, water, soil species (including us); life on this planet as we have known it.
Compare a rock on top of a hill, teetering back and forth. When it finally starts rolling downhill there is no stopping it. Consider the migrations when all near the water have to relocate.
Nature has her own rules and there is no “do-over”. What to do? Put a price on carbon for starters. See www.citizensclimatelobby.org for their revenue-neutral “Fee and Dividend” plan. The Citizens Climate Lobby exists to create political will for climate solutions. Check out the website; join the Durango chapter.
Marilyn McCord
Vallecito
