THE BILLIONAIRE'S BALLOT
HOW MONEY BECAME THE MVP OF MODERN POLITICS
In the grand theater of American democracy, where the stage is draped in red, white, and blue, and the actors deliver impassioned soliloquies about liberty and justice for all, there’s an undeniable truth lurking backstage: the candidate with the fattest wallet often gets top billing. Yes, folks, welcome to the United States of America, where elections are less about ideas and more about the almighty dollar. It’s hard to believe, but we’ve turned democracy into a retail system. And just like at the mall, the one who spends the most usually leaves with the prize.
Money Talks, and It Says "Vote for Me"
Let’s not kid ourselves. The correlation between campaign spending and winning is as predictable as a rom-com plot. Studies show that candidates who outspend their opponents win about 90% of the time in House races. In Senate contests, it’s a similar story. Why? Because money buys ads, consultants, rallies, and those awkward photo ops where candidates pretend to enjoy eating corn dogs at state fairs.
Sure, incumbents have a built-in advantage—they’ve already got the donor Rolodex and a head start on fundraising. But let’s not ignore the elephant (and donkey) in the room: big money isn’t coming from Grandma’s cookie jar. It’s coming from billionaires, corporations, and Super PACs with names like “Americans for Prosperity” (read: "Billionaires for More Billions"). Thanks to the 2010 Citizens United ruling, these entities can now funnel unlimited cash into campaigns, turning elections into financial arms races.
The Oligarchs’ Shopping Spree
So, what are these deep-pocketed donors buying? A better America? Hardly. They’re buying a government that works for them, not us. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane to see what their investments have yielded so far:
1. **Shipping Jobs Overseas**: Remember when America was the manufacturing powerhouse of the world? Neither do I. That’s because our oligarchic overlords decided they could make more money by outsourcing jobs to countries with cheaper labor. And voilà! Factories closed, towns crumbled, and billionaires added another zero to their bank accounts.
2. **Privatization Bonanza**: Public education? Privatize it. Healthcare? Privatize that too. Social Security and Medicare? They’re next on the chopping block. The mantra is simple: if it can be privatized and profited from, it will be.
3. **Union Busting**: Billionaires hate unions like cats hate water. Why? Because unions demand fair wages and benefits, which cut into profits. So, they’ve spent decades dismantling organized labor, leaving workers with fewer protections and stagnant wages.
4. **Tax Loopholes Galore**: Paying taxes is for suckers—or so say the ultra-rich. With armies of accountants and lobbyists, they’ve rigged the tax code to ensure they pay less than you do. Some even manage to pay nothing at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Meanwhile, you’re stuck wondering why your refund barely covers a week’s worth of groceries.
5. **Authoritarian Allies**: Let’s not forget their love affair with authoritarian regimes. After all, nothing says “freedom” like cozying up to leaders who suppress dissent and exploit their citizens for cheap labor.
Democracy on Life Support
Now, you might be wondering: where are our elected officials in all this? Aren’t they supposed to represent us? Well, technically, yes. But in practice, many of them are living in the pockets of billionaires like a well-trained hunting hound curled up in its master’s lap.
Once upon a time, politicians at least pretended to hide their allegiance to big money. But now? They flaunt it. Take the tech bros like Elon Musk and others who openly champion a privatized, profit-driven America where public services are relics of the past. They don’t even bother with subtlety anymore—it’s all yachts and Twitter tirades now.
The Most Expensive Show on Earth
Let’s talk numbers for a moment. The 2020 U.S. presidential election was the most expensive in history, with Democratic candidates alone spending a jaw-dropping $3.16 billion. That’s billion with a “B.” For context, that’s more than the GDP of some small countries. And what did all that money buy us? A divided nation still arguing over whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
And it’s not just presidential races breaking the bank. Congressional campaigns are also ballooning in cost, making it nearly impossible for candidates without billionaire backers to compete. It’s like trying to win Monopoly when someone else owns Boardwalk, Park Place, and half the railroads before you even roll the dice.
What Can We Do?
So, how do we fix this mess? Campaign finance reform would be a good start—perhaps limits on donations or public funding for elections. But good luck getting that passed when the people who would vote on it are the same ones benefiting from the current system.
Another option is to support grassroots candidates who rely on small-dollar donations rather than billionaire sugar daddies. It’s not easy—they face an uphill battle against well-funded opponents—but every movement starts somewhere.
Finally, we need to stay informed and hold our leaders accountable. Call them out when they prioritize corporate donors over constituents. Demand transparency in campaign financing. And for heaven’s sake, vote in every election—not just the big ones.
Curtain Call
In the end, American democracy is starting to feel less like a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” and more like a Broadway production bankrolled by a handful of wealthy producers. The rest of us? We’re just the audience—paying for overpriced tickets and hoping for a happy ending.
But here’s the thing about democracy: it’s not a spectator sport. If we want to reclaim it from the clutches of billionaires and Super PACs, we need to get off the sidelines and into the game. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves living in a neo-feudal society where the rich call all the shots and the rest of us are just serfs scrolling through TikTok during our lunch breaks.
The choice is ours—wallet or ballot? Let’s make it count.
THE UNITED STATES OF OLIGARCHIA https://open.substack.com/pub/ru4people/p/the-united-states-of-oligarchia?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
