Case Study: Dark Money

Background

Based on the documentation provided here and elsewhere on Persagen.com, there appears to be a consistent, decades-long pattern of billionaire-funded disruptive influences affecting commerce, privatization of public utilities, restrictions on civil rights and liberties, and appropriation of mass media and political structures (legislative; judicial). A notable figure in this trend is Mitch McConnell, e.g. through the 2003 Supreme Court of the United States decision in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. McConnell continued to lead opposition to stricter campaign finance laws, culminating in the Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC, that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. Citizens United v. FEC paved the way for staggering quantities of anonymous "dark money" donations to Super Political Action Committees (Super PACs), leading to the aforementioned societal disruptions.

Politically, Mitch McConnell used tactics such as the filibuster to hinder judicial appointments to United States federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States - notable during Barack Obama's administration. Conversely, during the Trump administration McConnell has been instrumental in appointing a plethora of conservative justices. Those justices have been been central in advancing disruptive influencers' long-standing agendae, including privatization (schools; debt; prisons; infrastructure; post office), restrictions on civil rights and liberties (free speech; right to protest; vote suppression), access to information (fake news and disinformation impede rational discussion, resulting in noise, acrimony and dissent, and stagnation), restrictions on self-determination (LGBT; abortion; access to healthcare; informed decision), to name a few examples.

Given the societal and environmental challenges affecting all of humanity, it is imperative that we understand the forces that contribute to those challenges in order to affect solutions to those challenges.

Background

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Additional Reading

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