• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

Under Cover of Dark(ness) Money

by TK Logan - May 20, 2017

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin
Cover of Dark(ness) Money
link

The simple fact that the one of “largest, most complex dark money networks” is backed by the Koch brothers should tell you something about dark money. Namely, that it ain’t good. Just ask yourself when the last time you heard the Koch brothers were up to good ? (Sure, ‘good’ is a relative term, but, c’mon, it’s the Koch brothers!) And in politics, as with nearly any endeavor you might consider, things done ‘under the covers’ can be widely assumed to be employed for purposes and agendas that suit only a fraction of the population. In this case, the Koch brothers and their coterie of .001%ers.

Like most things in the modern land of US politics the issue of dark money seems to be a non-starter. If people are willing to overlook what’s coming out of the current White House administration, well, it’d be a fine sight indeed to see them up in arms over something as little known and misunderstood as dark money. To begin with, it sounds more like a plot point in whatever movie Tom Cruise stars in next than a problem plaguing the political landscape. It could even be the title. Dark Money starring Tom Cruise. (Tom Cruise if you’re reading this I’m completely fine with taking producer credits!)

While there are “promising strategies” proposed by the SEC to staunch the flow of  this corporate dark money, next to little (as in nothing) has actually been done about it. It’s a practice that’s not only unfair to the public at large but also, and perhaps especially so, the shareholders in the corporations giving these dark money donations (as companies rarely share freely the destination of their pledges). In other words, if you’re interested in buying stock in a company and you were a staunch anti-abortion proponent would you want to give your money to a company that donates to causes and politicians that might promote pro-abortion views and laws? Or vice versa?

Of course not. At least those of us with any sort of moral compass, no matter what political direction it may blow.

Likewise, even if you’re simply a civilian consumer, you’ll more than likely want to to be privy to where your hard-earned dollars are going. Most human beings with even a modicum of logical based  reasoning abilities have no interest in helping fill the coffers of companies and corporations that are willing to gamble where their monetary support might be headed, via these dark money donations.

Cover of Dark(ness) Money
link

Let’s say you’re very much in favor of gay rights and love to shop at Target, both due to their publicly acknowledged support of gay rights and because, thank God, it’s not Wal-Mart. How do you think you would feel if you discovered they had betrayed you? That they had given, say, $150,000 to a cause that ended up backing a political candidate running on an anti-gay marriage platform?

For those who weren’t aware, this is exactly what happened in 2010 when Target gave money to MN Forward. True, what happened to the money once it left Target’s pockets was largely unknown and out of  their control. But that’s the rub. If they don’t know themselves what pipes this dark money is funneling through then no one down the chain, the investors, the mes and yous, those of us that companies like Target, in the end, answer to, can’s possibly know either.

The good news is dark money donations are in decline, at least they were for the 2016 election cycle. And while it’s true that these types of donations have never been an overly large slice of the election campaign spending pie (roughly 5%) the recent drop of nearly half that is very significant (2.9%). We’re living in a political climate where politicians are more and more winning their races on razor thin margins and often, though not always (hello, Hillary Clinton), a little extra money can go a really long way.

Dark money isn’t going anywhere soon unless the SEC finally manages to hammer out a regulated crackdown and make full disclosure the law of the land. It stinks, not knowing where your money is going. That you might just very well be handing money to a business that is betraying your beliefs and what you thought were their beliefs as well. Just some of the things you might want to consider before next plunking your money down at a store you like to shop at or you look into buying some stocks.

Oh, wait. That’s right. You can’t.

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Election Transparency, Money Politics, Political Lobbying

About TK Logan

TK Logan writes for Democracy Chronicles from his home in Kentucky. Checkout the rest of our international team of authors as well. Together, they help cover free and fair elections on every continent with a focus on election reform in the United States.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | DC AUTHORS | Under Cover of Dark(ness) Money

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

A Dangerous Reprise Of American Exceptionalism In Ukraine

By Jamie Lampidis May 15, 2022

The stakes are too high to cave into Putin’s phantasmatic imperial play, and too high to believe that this war can be won by arming Ukrainians.

On The Coming End Of Roe v. Wade

By Peter J. Dellolio May 11, 2022

Anyone who says that the evolution of law has nothing to do with politics is either very corrupt or very stupid. Laws evolved through the centuries.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

Goodbye Roe v. Wade, Goodbye Rule Of Law

By Andrew Straw May 5, 2022

Congress should impeach judges who act like that because it is not good behavior, and they were asked not to act that way when they were confirmed.

PODCAST: Debating The Future Of Debates

By Jenna Spinelle May 4, 2022

We love a good debate — and have certainly had plenty of them on this show. But how effective are they in today’s media and political landscape?

What “Pro-Palestine” Student Groups Get Wrong

By David Anderson, J.D. May 3, 2022

Back then – as now – this fit into a “colonialist” narrative of European Jews oppressing Arabs – an easy, eye pleasing but intellectually lazy fit.

Examining Government As A “Necessary Evil”

By Gary Berton April 29, 2022

Thomas Paine defines government as separate from society, and indeed if society functioned perfectly there would be no need for government.

Ukrainian And Polish History: Fighting The Empires

By Maxim Sidorenko April 26, 2022

On February 24th, Russia started an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It has become one more attempt of the empire to demolish the Ukrainian state.

PODCAST: What Student Debt Says About Democratic Institutions

By Jenna Spinelle April 26, 2022

In a new book, Josh Mitchell draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families.

Aging White Men Who Commit Voter Fraud Have Nothing To Fear

By Steve Schneider April 22, 2022

The sentences stand in contrast with the actions of the Governor who recently got the state legislature to create an election integrity police force.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

Kenyan 'Cartooning For Peace' To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

Kenyan ‘Cartooning For Peace’ To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

May 17, 2022

Cartooning is an art that has been playing a major role in illustrating stories in different ways, from health to politics, and even sports.

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers' Anxiety, Even Online

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers’ Anxiety, Even Online

May 17, 2022

Organizational leader’s tweets can influence employee anxieties and this effect is more prominent since the rise of COVID-19, study.

North Korea Cracks Down On 'Capitalist' Pop Culture

North Korea Cracks Down On ‘Capitalist’ Pop Culture

May 6, 2022

North Korea has increased its campaign against “capitalist” style clothing, others, in broader crackdown on foreign pop culture.

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

May 6, 2022

Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo joined other celebrities making a final push for voters in Brazil to register to vote.

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

April 26, 2022

There are paper cups with eight different kinds of M&M near the entrance to Amalga Distillery in Juneau for a mock ranked choice vote.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy