Tonight's State of the Union address, like most, will be far more notable for what is not said, than what is. The true state of the union--genuine measures of the health of our democracy--will be carefully avoided.
A striking new poster produced by Public Campaign better captures the spirit of reality, showing a photo of President Bush speaking to the merged floors of Congress and the stock market--or what Public Campaign likes to call the trading floor of Congress, where politicians exchange US tax dollars for campaign contributions from wealthy special interests.
Beneath the photo are a series of thirteen charts detailing how massive corporate campaign contributions have essentially bought important arms of the government, what they're getting for their investments and what the vast majority of Americans pay in higher taxes, dirty air and water as a consequence. The poster is available now. It makes for a great gift, especially to a school or library. And check out the Nation Online's special section on electoral reform activism for ways you can get involved in the struggle for fair elections.
Peter Rothberg
Tonight’s State of the Union address, like most, will be far more notable for what is not said, than what is. The true state of the union–genuine measures of the health of our democracy–will be carefully avoided.
A striking new poster produced by Public Campaign better captures the spirit of reality, showing a photo of President Bush speaking to the merged floors of Congress and the stock market–or what Public Campaign likes to call the trading floor of Congress, where politicians exchange US tax dollars for campaign contributions from wealthy special interests.
Beneath the photo are a series of thirteen charts detailing how massive corporate campaign contributions have essentially bought important arms of the government, what they’re getting for their investments and what the vast majority of Americans pay in higher taxes, dirty air and water as a consequence. The poster is available now. It makes for a great gift, especially to a school or library. And check out the Nation Online’s special section on electoral reform activism for ways you can get involved in the struggle for fair elections.
Peter RothbergTwitterPeter Rothberg is the The Nation’s associate publisher.