Has The United States Entered A Period Of Fascism?
Progressive activist groups have been warning that the Citizens United case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that independent expenditures of unlimited amounts of money from unnamed sources can be made to support or oppose federal elections, threatens to unravel the fabric of democracy in the United States. They charge that international corporations, and even foreign powers, can now purchase such dominating media presence that they can determine the outcome of congressional elections.
Now, U.S. Representative John Hall is sounding his own alarm as part of the movement against independent expenditures. He suggests that the newly unleashed power of corporations to manipulate elections is leading the United States toward textbook fascism: “I learned when I was in social studies class in school that corporate ownership or corporate control of government is called Fascism. So that’s really the question— is that the destination if this court decision goes unchecked?”
Of course, independent expenditures can only be used to buy elections when voters neglect to inform themselves independently about the issues that matter most to them. As much as corporate money is a problem, citizen apathy, laziness and credulity is essential for the growth of fascism to occur.
