In unprecedented candor American politicians talk about how they feel obliged to satisfy the donors of their campaigns. Never before it was that transparent that it is possible and common to pay for laws your democratic representatives will vote for.
“My donors are basically saying, ‘Get it done or don’t ever call me again,’” Republican Congress man from New York, Chris Collins, confesses in regards to US’ new tax bill that has just passed the United States’ congress couple of days ago. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham makes clear that if the tax plan – that primarily serves the richest of American society on cost of the lower and middle class – is not ratified “The financial contributions will stop”.
And Gary Cohn, former Goldman Sachs President and now a leading economic adviser at the White House to President Trump, is even bragging that “The most excited group out there are big CEOs, about our tax plan”.
Money buys elections by financing advertising and air time. We see this phenomenon in all western democracies. The ones who raise the biggest amount of money – like Barack Obama in 2008 or the Austrian Sebastian Kurz in 2017 – are likely to make the race. What’s new is the shameless candor of talking frankly that those elected are indebted to fulfill their donors goals.
What Graham, Cohn and Collins are telling the public is nothing else that in present America you can buy a bill by donating enough money to political candidates. No matter if this might be the right thing to do for the majority of the people.
For the development of our democratic system this means a severe threat since our representatives demonstrate their dependency on their financiers openly despite that they were obliged to serve the needs and will of their voters and the majority.
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