https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDsPWmioSHg
Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is an “Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery”
Thom Hartmann talks with President Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States (1977 to 1981) / Humanitarian / Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 / Author of many books, including his latest, A Full Life...Reflections at Ninety, Website: http://books.simonandschuster.com
July 30 2015
Former president Jimmy Carter said Tuesday on the nationally syndicated radio show the Thom Hartmann Program that the United States is now an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” has created “a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.” Both Democrats and Republicans, Carter said, “look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves.”
Carter was responding to a question from Hartmann about recent Supreme Court decisions on campaign financing like Citizens United.
Transcript:
HARTMANN: Our Supreme Court has now said, “unlimited money in politics.” It seems like a violation of principles of democracy. … Your thoughts on that?
CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over. … The incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody’s who’s already in Congress has a lot more to sell to an avid contributor than somebody who’s just a challenger.
Last edited by Carol on Sun Aug 02, 2015 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total