Avant le Deluge

[mimus]

Running for office has become incredibly expensive, and candidates have to
get money somewhere. The Democrats get a lot of it from the unions, and
the Republicans a lot of it from rich individuals and corporations.

No doubt there are some rich unions and people of charitable soul who
will give money expecting nothing in return, but they are scarce. A big
political contribution usually is seen as an investment. It's a scandal
everyone admits . . . . But it's worse now because running for office
costs more.

Public cynicism about politics and politicians already runs high. If this
is not cleaned up, the political system will come apart . . . with
influence, dominance, and even control put up for sale to the highest
bidder.

David Brinkley
November 16, 1971
"Proem" to the American plutocratic studies classic _The Washington
Pay-Off_ (1972)

--

Conservatism = plutocracy + theocracy + hypocrisy
Liberalism = plutocracy + psychosociocracy + hypocrisy

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8878

http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/supporting/2006/PSI.gasandoilspec.062606.pdf

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/04/summers/index.html