Democracy, Going, Going.. Gone
Posted 14th November 2000

Money in the bank translated into victory at the US polls this month. More than nine of every 10 congressional candidates with the most campaign cash won their races. With three races still too close to call Wednesday, 81% of Senate winners and 96% of House winners outspent their opponents, according to an Associated Press analysis of Federal Election Commission data. "The depressing thing about American democracy is I can check the fund-raising balances at the Federal Election Commission and tell you what the election results will be before the election," said Larry Makinson, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that studies money and campaigns.

The AP analysis found 26 of 32 Senate races and 417 of 433 House races won by the candidate with the most money to spend as of Oct. 18, the last date for which figures are available. Most candidates who were outspent by their opponents had help from outside sources to close the gap. The message is simple and uncomplicated, yet earth-shacking; absolutely everything is now for sale in America, to the highest bidder. The only mitigating factor against complete victory over the life-force by the US lead global economic machine is consumer resistance by a substantial and intelligent proportion of people, who don't buy it. Everything may be for sale, but without a buyer the out of control machinery of commerce grinds to a halt. Its an old answer for an old problem. Don't sell your life in order to buy into the machine.