By JOE D’ANNA
(The elder)
White Rock
The unholy alliance of the Republican Party (once branded The Party of Business), corporate interests, and rich conservatives permeates two branches of our government, many of the country’s institutions, and now it threatens our democracy.
The alliance indoctrinates us daily with information and misinformation from corporate lobbyists, corporate-funded free market/conservative think tanks, over 1,500 conservative radio stations, conservative newspaper chains, and chains of conservative TV stations – plus Fox “News”. At many universities conservative donors have veto power in the hiring of professors of business or law.
Congressional Republicans have consistently allied with corporate interests to oppose regulation of big businesses, including opposition to the curtailment of acid rain, ozone layer depletion, and – most recently – climate change. They shamelessly gave credence to Trump’s fraudulent election claims, over 150 unscrupulously voted to reject the 2020 election results Jan. 6, 2021 after the attack on the Capitol, they protected Trump from conviction at his impeachment trials, and they continue to support Trump as the Republican nominee for President (Did they forget their oath of office?). Senate Republicans have also blocked legislation to develop a code of ethics for our corporate-biased Supreme Court, and they have blocked constitutional amendments or legislation to undo the effects of the notorious Citizens United Decision by the Supreme Court.
The Citizens United decision by the Roberts Supreme Court in 2010 reversed century-old limits on campaign contributions, opening the floodgates for unlimited dark money and increasing, even more, the power of corporations and the super-rich to influence our elected officials. More recent decisions by the Roberts Court have weakened the government’s ability to enforce environmental and financial regulations that protect the people, and they have narrowed the legal definition of bribery.
The Court’s majority decision in Trump v United States (agreed upon by all – and only – Republican judicial appointees) was an abomination devoid of logic and any understanding of human nature. By legalizing “official acts”, regardless of intent, it clearly ignored the fact that one President (Trump) had already committed crimes in office, and he promises to do so again. Without accountability, there is no deterrence, and accountability was speciously removed for the President. Whereas some may say that Congress can impeach a President, we have already seen that recent Congressional Republicans lack the integrity or the will to do their job; Party loyalty supersedes patriotism.
Pathetically, our best hope to hold Trump and the Republicans accountable was squandered by President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. Neither Biden nor Garland ordered a complete unredacted investigative report of January 6, 2021 to the American people. Were it not for a few newspapers and the partial House Jan. 6 investigation, the American people would still be absolute mushrooms.
Trump is only the most recent, dangerous phenomenon. The Republican Party and its collaborators have been working since the Nixon administration to establish governmental rule by and for corporations (a corporatocracy), and they have largely succeeded. A Trump victory in November would be the coup de grace for corporatocracy and the end of democracy.
Remember the axiom, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. It will take constitutional amendments and years of effort to rectify the damage inflicted on our government and society by the Republican Party and its conservative corporate partners. We must work harder, insist on accountability, and persevere.