US ends political campaign spending limits

[manuelamabee]

good job..more powers!

[JohananRaatz]

Citizen's United vs. FEC was a good thing! Thank you Roberts Court!

Class-baiting Dems are now obsolete: watch?v=wlzmMIIHudw

[chorgaparada]

K.O to american democracy

[tHecOmMeNtErSrEtUrN]

I think people should stop getting bought out, and start looking for candidates that don't have much money, of course they would rather not, and so the problem goes on.

[tHecOmMeNtErSrEtUrN]

@AlJazeeraEnglish

Why are the comments allowed on this, but not any other videos?

[BlackRepublican2010]

One question, Mr President-Didn't you go back on your promise to use public financing to run for President, so in essence, you could outspend your opponent without limit? President Obama if you research your campaign contributions, most of them were from these huge corporations! Simply because you know your policies, President Obama, are bad for the American dream & that every big donor is now turning on you, does not mean it is bad for America.

[BlackRepublican2010]

And one last question, how low of an opinion of the American Peoples' intelligence do you have if you believe they can be influenced by corporate commercials instead of your Hollywood Socialist thugs? VOTE REPUBLICAN! PROUD BLACK REPUBLICAN!

[johnfox3]

This is whats wrong with the US constitution

[meadbert]

If Corporations have no free speech, then the New York Times, MSNBC and YouTube have no free speech. Congress could censor every newspaper article, every television broadcast and even what we post on YouTube. This would be incompatible with a free society. The Supreme Court was correct to defend our liberties.

[foolish54]

This is wrong, only George Soros, Barbara Streisand, Oprah Winfrey and Oliver Stone et al, should be able to influence elections. "Damn the unwashed masses"

[newsradiohead]

This demonstrates that whether you are a liberal, conservative, libertarian, Democrat, Republican or Tea Party person, we have to stand united against this ruling. We can't let labels divide us. It is a clear and present danger to everyone unless.

[TheGranule]

the 5 of the 9 Justices of the SCOUS have not upheld their Oath and should be Impeached. They have made the US an international laughing stock and endangered the independent survival of the US. They should be Impeached.

[TheGranule]

The Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America includes these words..."I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.."

This foolish decision the 5 to 4 majority of the SCOUS has made the enemies of the United States a part of our electoral system.

[rullau]

A corporation is not a person. Corporation are entities very similar to monarchies, there is no freedom to speech, there is usually one King or CEO that decides. A democracy is plural, and gives the rights to we the people, No Unions, No Corporation, or any other entity. Our Nation is being destroyed by this kind of decisions, Our representatives are selling their souls to these special interest.

[Ioustinos44]

It's like they don't think special interests, corporations, and unions don't have massive influence outweighing the average citizen's already.

[youcrackpot]

Corporations have no allegiance to the US-only to their bottom line. A corporation with major interests and holdings in China would have an allegiance to China rather than the US and yet the SC gave freedom of speech and influence over our elected officials and over our election process to these corporations.

Are Republikans too stupid to anticipate the terrible consequences this might have?

[youcrackpot]

Next, the Supreme Court will require US citizens to watch the Exxon Republikan National Convention in 2012. If you don't watch it, you will be arrested for abridging the corporations right to free speech.

[Dahnje]

They so dislike Obama that they have now changed the rules at the expense of the nation. They are not considering the real dangers. It's martyrdom for immediate political success.

[TheGranule]

The Arabs understand perfectly. Now billions of dollars from their corporations which are tied to the Major International Oil Companies can buy elections in the US.

The Supreme Court has sold us to harsh rulers who do not love our country, and laugh at our foolishness.

It might be time to impeach some of the Justices for not holding to their oath to protect the Constitution.

[BoomeR911104]

Well, here it goes. The Supreme Court is as corrupt as the thieves on Wall Street. Do not bother going out and voting. The campagin races are going to be about who dumps the most cash on one candidate. Everyone who actually cares about their future should be outraged by this. Don't you all see, Washington has been highjacked by big corporations in broad daylight. Take advantage of few Ammendments we have left and buy a gun. The government is bailing out the wrong people. It has abonded Americans

[MrWestlifecolor]

danger, danger toxic greed never ever trust those goddam GOP you theifs

[TheAerialbomb]

Aramco, a corporation owned by the Saudi Arabian government, will have enormously more influence in choosing your senator than you will.

[Squatchmichael]

We have judges appointed by presidents, choosing to interpret the constitution as applying personal liberties guaranteed by the first amendment to corporations. They have no fear of being voted out; they have life time appointments; thus, I interpret this decision as being a personal favor granted to GOP candidates. This is probably the most important decision to democracy in a decade, and underscores how our capitalist democracy is turning into a corporatist one. Its short term thinking

[LAX324]

@Squatchmichael This decision is so big I just don't understand why no one is dicussing it. It'll be a matter of time before corporations can start voting in elections and before they just put their name on the freaking ballot. They won't even need candidates. Corps will just run for office.

[duffer29]

you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

[AgnesBojaxhiu2000]

the wsj-foxnews-rushie ECONOMIC FREEFALL neocons is the obstruction politico of NO .. the manson i mean murdoch family (bod & largest shareholder) are led by foreigners mostly from australia & rupert's wife's born in chicom Xuzhou .. meocons CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH so they lie & lie .. take political contributions ... now domestic corporations can spend unlimited billions on campaigns against the little guy because the meocon-chicom spending isn't enough ... join the fox news sponsor boycott

[MotorsportLegends]

With this ruling by corporate puppet majority the silent coup has become irreversable barring a Constitutional Amendment, which is an impossibility considering the amount of graft already intrenched in the US political system and a public desensitized towards moral obligation and distracted by entertainment, PR news, materialism, and guttural pursits such as porn.

Is there a nation in the world one can immigrate to out of reach of the corporate NWO? I would like to know.

[MatthewDaSmitdog]

Damn, this is disgusting.

At this point, I don't know who to trust in the world anymore, quite frankly, I'd rather die free than live under the corporate tyranny that the $upreme Court has unleashed into America, hate to say it, but this country is done, absoultely done.

[lauradet]

I am shocked! Why isn't the tea party crying and moaning about this? They must think this is good for America. What a joke.

[LAX324]

The tea party is full of racists and idiots. They protest at things that they shouldn't and don't protest at things that they should

[TheAerialbomb]

I couldn't agree more with what you say. I don't think teabaggers understand what happened. Who's going to explain it to them, the same corporations that fund their rallies...I think not.

[Boomer1949]

I spoke to a tea party person about this last Friday when I learned about it. She said "good, now the Unions will have some competition". Another right winger remarked that he didn't really keep up with anything that didn't involve Obama. On the flip side, when trying to discuss this with a self proclaimed Dem, she told me she wasn't interested in Politics and put her head phones on and turned up the volume...we are so screwed.

[geo1671]

'Senate/Congress wear their corporate logo sponsorship patches on their clothes so that we can clearly see who they represent, ala NASCAR. Corporations can sponsor public buildings like the Dyncorp Capitol Building, Goldman Sachs White House, Walmart Justice building, or the Chrysler Pentagon.

You know the old saying, "Money talks and Bullshit Walks"? Apparently, the (flesh and blood) People of this Nation are the Bullshit." Get cracking--photo shop needed :^/

[TheAerialbomb]

The Republicans and Teabaggers think this is a win for them only because they sell at a deep discount to the corporate interests. However, they will we swept up and tossed aside and they won't even know what hit them. For a Court to always claim they follow the original Constitution, this was an odd ruling.

[franklinjonesii]

My question since the ruling has been how does the tea party feel about this? I googled it, and have turned up nothing. ALL those fools with fascism signs and the sort SCREAMING at Obama, but, when the court rules a FASCIST ruling, they are QUIET! It makes no sense to me.

[TheAerialbomb]

Because they don't understand what FASCISM means. The signs they carried meant "we hate blacks" no matter what was printed on the signs. The tea party are sheep being led around by big corporations that paint pretty buses. These fools think these $300K buses fall from the sky at their rallys.

[MotorsportLegends]

That's right. If Hitler really ran the government the stimulis would have actually created JOBS for people in FACTORIES along with INFRASTRUCTURE actually being built. There would be no need for unions because the government would force business and labor to work towards realizing common goals instead of behaving like adversaries. Politicial indoctination through mass media and corporate funded fearmongering has replaced actual free speech and thought in the country...

[Boomer1949]

Well, that may have been the way it was..who knows what this country will look like in 5 or 6 years.

[SmokePropaganda]

proof that the REAL terrorists have been within our own government all along.

Fascism is the merger of corporations media and government.

[TheAerialbomb]

This is start of the end of America.

[blingbling65943]

I think the end started 30 years ago when we elected men who believed corporations can do what ever they want

[lancerhammer]

Sorry, not but (wrong word). Correction is buy.

Now us companies can buy an senator, congresspeople and president they want. So if the NRA wanted to have the price of guns reduced and certain cop killer ammunition available statewide, they just bank in billions into any candidate they want to assist them!

And I thought that americans are far more mature in politics.

[Boomer1949]

Don't forget the flip side of your vision.  Any candidate or sitting Senator or Rep, will get a bug in his ear that if they don't play ball...they're out. things will move very smoothly through congress from now on.

[lancerhammer]

How would things move smoothly in congress? Hopefully a dictator will fund a us corporation to cash in billions into the next election.

[Boomer1949]

No, they aren't that stupid. With a bug in one ear "your out" and a bug in another ear "your in" the votes will go very well in Congress. The circus of a real gov body will continue for the dumbed down masses.

[ghtyvn]

Wow. Dose this Country even care about itself any more????

[marcomariaz26]

Corporations are not people, thus are not covered by the First Amendment.

[baileysmooth]

HAHA America has destroyed it's own democracy.

[jfkjrlover]

How is this funny? Why do Australians have such animosity toward Americans? Apart from the accents, they're the same people! I'm an Armenian living in the U.S. and my heart is broken over this. This decision will have adverse consequences for millions of honest, good people and you find this funny because of some indoctrinated hatred you have for hundreds of millions of people you don't even know? Stupid child.

[lancerhammer]

Americans are indeed stupid! Now money indeed can but the presidency and the country!

[thehoopoe]

Burger King / Palin 2012!!

Hamburgler for Senate

Election by brought to you by Tostitos!

[LAX324]

LOL

[candie866]

we're doomed

[itheuser]

If this doesn't motivate you to political action, then i really don't know what will.

[lindabebe835]

The people need to stand together and financially support those decent, moral individuals who wish to hold a political position. I will not give up!! any corporation who contributes campaign money to a slug, should be boycotted. We are not powerless. Agreed it makes things more difficult. Just goes to show you Wall Street is in Bed with the Nobama and the rest of the crooks in the administration.

[LAX324]

@lindabebe835 This is beyond just giving money. They can create the politicians whole campaign without a politician spending a dime. Foreign corporations can decide who our leaders are. I'm still in shock.

[lindabebe835]

You are right. This is sick. Not sure what we can do about it. Things are changing for the worse so fast. I pray for this country. I guess that was just one more thing to accomplish before one world gov't. Not sure our lives will ever be the same.

[LAX324]

@lindabebe835 One world gov't. I used to laugh at that whole idea of New World Order, but maybe those conspirarcy theorists weren't joking. Congress will have to implement some kind of legislation to curtail this or foreign corps in China or Germany could decide who are leaders should be, what our legislation should be etc.

[lindabebe835]

Isn't that funny. I used to laugh at many conspiracy theories, myself.  Only problem is now some of them are actually coming true and others are on their way to becoming a reality. Scary times.

[hofnerman1]

I wish that more people would wake up. The truth is out there and never more so right in front of our eyes!

[MrBucketBot]

Oh man. We're fucked. How could this have happened? This better change...

[LAX324]

@MrBucketBot I'm actually surprised this hasn't gotten more press and criticism in the media. This is insane. The corporations will now have absolute control over our elections.

[lindabebe835]

Yeah, the administration tell the media what to put out, they control the media. They are trying to keep the people asleep. Good thing for utube. Not sure how long though before the gov't tries to impose on it though. They can't stand the truth getting out.

[Boomer1949]

The media is owned by special interest corporations, they aren't going to put out any information on this than they have to and believe me the spin will be "it's good and no bad will come from it".

[LAX324]

@Boomer1949 Yeah I know. The only person ranting about it was Keith Oblermann and he went into epileptic shock over the decision. LOL. He kept going on and on about it which is good but I'm angry that other news stations especially CNN ignored it. It's a huge decision.

[MotorsportLegends]

Then the following Sunday his parent network's Meet The Press show spent less than two minutes on the topic. Why? Because the networks are starving for advertising revenue since viewership has fallen in deference to internet-based news sources. The more money spent on political advertising, the higher the returns.

[eriet1]

motorsportlegends meet he press and all the other networks didnt spend any time on this is because they are corporations and they love this decision.

[Maiyanna]

I'm canceling my cable tv.

[lastdaywatchers]

Too see with 100% ACCURACY what will become of the "Health Care Option" and how the Bank will "finding ways around Obama financial reforms"

See the post titled "The Forward Action of Obama"

[MotorsportLegends]

To quote SlipKnot;

"All Hope is Gone"

[jotunobsidianeyes]

Goodbye sweet republic.

[catch89]

What's most infuriating is that the scope of the ruling could have been limited to the case at hand, but the conservatives on the court were determined to make more sweeping changes to campaign finance laws going back a century. Notice that Sotomayor dissented from the ruling, making the right's cries of judicial activism over the summer ring even more hollow. This is judicial activism at its most shocking and destructive. The Roberts Court has brought disgrace upon the judiciary.

[shellius]

This is now full-blown fascism, the merging of corporations and government.  Republican-appointed justices did this.

[Smaug84]

Corporate lobbying and corporate person-hood are probably the most damaging things in our political system.

[jfkjrlover]

This is why health care in this country is not universal! God damn these rich, white, male corporate execs!! It's their fault so many fools believe that death panels exist and that people will have to wait months to see a doctor if this country nationalizes health care!

[subpoprec]

Well, that's just the problem. LLCs ARE technically individuals under the law. So, the supreme court ruled appropriately in accordance with the law. However, LLCs SHOULDN'T be treated as individuals with all of the rights afforded to a citizen. It's jacked. Everyone is office is already bought out and this is going to make it even worse. What a shame.

[jjkarrington]

One person = One Vote.

One corporation = as many votes as they can buy.

One person advertising contribution = $10 - 1000

One Exxon = $500 million in political advertising

This is the coup de grace for democracy in the US.

[shellius]

Sadly, I think you're right. This is a horrible day for politics in the U.S.

[JohananRaatz]

@jjkarrington Yes and that is a good thing! If we don't wait down the democracy with corporate power it ends up going for socialism.

Class-baiting Dems are now obsolete: watch?v=wlzmMIIHudw

[RubenRMunoz]

Well America, get ready to get hammered with a prescription filled a right wing tv commercial agenda. Collective programming courtesy of our Supreme Court, they feel after all it is the American Way. it is now law for corporations to spend an unlimited amount of money convincing you of their position

[LoveThyPitBull]

Ah most jobs are already over seas because most Americans claim to want American made product, but few want the price tag that comes with it.

[LoveThyPitBull]

EXACTLY

[c141bstarlifter]

looks like our supreme court has been corrupted.

[Delta4ms]

So Corporations are persons. Does this mean we can lock them up when they do something wrong?

[moali68]

Great coverage as usual.

Glad to have comments turned on.

[motorolarules]

Stop watching TV where the propaganda will be aired and it will not matter what they run on TV, what they say. A dead end

[Imperiused]

I totally agree. People should get off their asses and actually participate and educate themselves... Then it won't matter how much corps spend. It'll just be a supreme waste of money.

[raoultesla]

Gonna go online and list for wife in Europe, Japan, Russia. @ least their corruption is understood to be part of the political process. Not the disregard for the constitution we are sold.

[fatmaggi]

Trouble with a capital T south of the border my fellow Canadians...as if we didn't have enough of our own....

[JeffWilsonMusic]

Any Canadian women wanna get hitched?

[DillonX]

This USSC decision has caused me to join the tea party movement -- the court in essence is turning over the country to the top 5%.

I'm not sure this can be stopped now - BUT WE MUST TRY or the country will need a revolution - or for states to be leaving.

[agitcam]

It is way past time to end the personhood of corporations. If this isn't done there isn't much chance for this nation or the world. It's either the corporations or the people. If the people don't win this battle then the result will be a world of corporate slaves.

[Redfox161616]

This is just Coruption at its best

[professoroftruth]

It doesn't look good for the USA

[psychosolodiver]

Ron Paul did quite well with only contributions from individuals.

[rickbar123]

ITS OVER

[mistashaft21]

We are in BIG TROUBLE. This may be in fact the beginning of the END

[SXJULIE]

As usual, important news gotten by an American from non American news.

In addition, this is the most devastating change in law to come along since removing News from the news.

Because of the American Sheeple Affect, this law will essentially impose more Republicans in office to deregulate every aspect of our lives, making the rich richer, poor poorer, and making us all very sick by ever more pollution/dereg.

Getting more and more interested in leaving this place.

[Ccolebrooked]

I love aljazeera english. It's the only news that reports on shit I wanna hear about.

[LoveThyPitBull]

@SXJULIE

Oh no getting government out of our lives, say it ain't so. So making the rich poorer is a good thing? So who is going to hire you? The poor? Who is going to pay the 60+% of taxes the rich pay? The poor? or add more to the middle class hard worker?

The rich are like the government......a necessary evil.

[SXJULIE]

You don't make an ounce of sense.  You don't even reply to my main point. You also are a brainwashed moron. Thanks for showing your ignorance.

[LoveThyPitBull]

Negative, all you did was show you much you need the government in your life. You are upset about possible deregulation in peoples lives. If you want a socialist government Europe really is a nice place.

You need to be told what to do and how to live. This makes you the brainwashed fool.

[SXJULIE]

Troll.

[LoveThyPitBull]

Douche

[historywillabsolve]

Marx was right.. every society is a class dictatorship, in the USA it is the bourgeoisie (moneyed class) that calls the shots.

[yousefamar]

@historywillabsolve I was thinking the exact same thing!

[blingbling65943]

If corporations are people, then why can't they vote? Isn't that violating their 14 amendment?

[blingbling65943]

If corporations are people, is a meager of two companies considered Same-Sex marriage.

[blingbling65943]

Wow, just as we can look back on the repeal of Glass-Steagall as an event that Doomed our economy, we will look back on today as the day that doomed our Republic.

[paulgrim96]

Bingo blingbling65943.

And now the pols will be FORCED to whore themselves to corporate interests or lose the election. Democracy took a KO punch on the chin. And since when did we begin to equate bribery with free speech?

[MacPr0xnxx0]

Politics is all about Money

[navtel]

it's all over now.. the money brokers have won..

[gvi341984]

Money is the poison in politics

[Artist1974CH]

The only people who are happy about this are the ignorant right-wingers!

[zentonil]

You are so blinded by your petty divisions.

[Artist1974CH]

Zentonil, you're the one is blind! The Supreme Court judges who mostly voted for this B.S were RIGHT-WINGERS !

[zanzalot]

The only judges that voted were right-wingers.

[zentonil]

It's so easy to package the world in a black/white, left/right, right/wrong package, but you do nothing to help the situation by stupifying the issue. You don't think there are plenty of right-wing free market advocates who oppose corporate hegemony?

[Artist1974CH]

zentonil, what's wrong your "feelings" got hurt?

[zentonil]

How predictable. You obviously have no intellectual way to defend such an absurd position so you resort to acting like a clown. Congratulations on being another mindless shill.

Is this where Im suppose to call you a typical liberal?? haha

[Artist1974CH]

Hahahahaha. Good one Zentonil! You're da big man now! I know you love attacking me because you are bored. Also you started telling me about some "Right-wing support Free Market." I don't see what's that got to do with 5 right-wing bastard judges making a stupid decision! I am so sorry that you are bored in your basement. Go outside and get some fresh air if the air does not smell like ass in your neighborhood.

[Artist1974CH]

Zentonil, i just opened up your comment after someone marked it as a spam. I think the reason that person did it because you were complaining about nothing. There are people who are hurting by this Supreme Court decision, and here you are complaining about my comment. I am closing this argument with you, and I don't want to hear anything from you again! Good day. I am re-closing your comment now.

[Kinkspace]

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse...

[jfkjrlover]

I know. First Scott Brown, now this horse shit and this is 10 times worse! I swear as soon as I get my Bachelors I'm moving to a wonderful socialist country somewhere in Europe.