Who is Threatening American Democracy?

119

July 13, 2008

Published in Kommentera
(Sweden) on 7 July 2008
by Andreas Gustavsson (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Magnus Akesson. Edited by .

Max Sanders, 19, just wanted to joke a bit when he posted a new “for sale” ad on eBay. There, he sold his vote in the coming American election. He wanted at least 10 dollars to vote according to the buyer's wish.

Now he is risking five years in prison. When attorneys in Minnesota heard about it in the bidding they invoked a 1983 law that makes it illegal to commoditize a vote.

"We are taking this very seriously. It is fundamentally wrong to sell your vote. People have died to defend this right. To then say 'I’m for sale' is shameful and wrong," a spokesman for the [Hennepin County] Attorney's Office stated.

True indeed, true indeed.

The bigger question is if the American Attorney's office is not trying to set an example with Sanders case. Wouldn’t it be better to save that energy to investigate how the American democracy is affected by powerful interests that spend an average of $16,279,069 (almost 100 million kroner) lobbying Congress every day they meet.

Max Sanders, 19, ville skoja till det lite när han lade upp en ny post på eBay. Han sålde där ut sin röst i det kommande presidentvalet. Minst tio dollar ville han ha för att rösta efter köparens önskemål.
Nu riskerar han fem års fängelse. För när åklagarna i Minnesota fick nys om budgivningen dammade de hastigt av en lag från 1983, som förbjuder medborgare att varufiera sin rösträtt.
– Vi tar det här allvarligt. Det är fundamentalt fel att sälja sin röst. Folk har dött för att försvara just den rättigheten. Att då säga ”Jag kan köpas” är rent ut sagt skamligt, tycker en talesperson för åklagarväsendet.
Som lägger till den politiska processen ska handla om idéer, inte om hur liten eller stor plånboken är.
Så sant, så sant.
Frågan är om det amerikanska rättsväsendet ska statuera exempel med Sanders. Kanske vore det bättre att spara energi till att utreda hur den demokratiska grundtanken påverkas av det faktum att mäktiga intressen lägger 16 279 069 dollar (nästan 100 miljoner kronor) på att lobba mot kongressen – varje dag som den sammanträder.
Detta enligt Center for Responsive Politics.

Andreas Gustavsson

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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