Freedom is not Free

Freedom is not Free

There was a time during the decline and fall of the Roman Empire when the empire could be bought and sold by individuals for a price. Our democracy was created as a Republic yet in 200+ years has evolved into an aristocracy. Money is power in America.

Freedom of Speech has been determined to include allowing unlimited funds to be donated to candidates and causes during election time. In this media oriented society money means paid ads on television and radio. We all know that a lie or exaggeration if repeated enough times sticks in the minds of the voters. So, if you have unlimited funds and are opposed by an individual or organization with limited funds you can spend your way to success at the polls. I am not saying that this always works but the odds do increase for success as you spend more money more effectively. I believe that this darwinian view of politics actually suppresses the Freedom of Speech as it removes the level playing field and creates an unnatural advantage for the person with the most money. A person with unlimited funds can actually out-shout the person with less money. We Americans say we believe in "fair play" but what we do in practice is very different. Whatever happened to the concept of equal time in the media and press to express opinions and views?