Yes, I'm a member and have donated multiple times.

@Bierbasstard
That must be done through legislation. Agree but who will bell the cat? In other words, how will you get majority in both houses ever and how would you still fight the capitalists called the Republicans to do anything their friends called - the Job Creators??

The good of corporate personhood does not out weigh the bad. Corporate personhood served to further corrupt our government and ecconomic systems. Corporate personhood, it seems to me, shelters actual living persons in charge of corprations from liability. Further, it is un-necessary to have Corporate personhood because living individuals could enter into contracts on behalf of their corporate entities.

It's even more than that.
It will also require overhauling the courts.
Especially now.

@KKGator True, because it's not just Citizen's United to overturn. There is also Buckley v. Valeo from the 1970s. That one ruled that money equaled free speech.

A third party is a "good idea," but will never happen with the existing political structure. Almost always, a vote for a third party is either a wasted vote or a vote for the opposing party. Or both.

I get those via email

@Emerald So do I. I'm old-fashioned and still call them letters.

Things are changing. (It damn well took long enough.)

Damn good question, brother. Of course, it will take time. Perhaps the next administration will have the opportunity to balance things out. Also, there's a certain momentum for impeaching one justice whose confirmation process was badly mishandled...and whose reputation is badly besmirched because of previous nasty behaviors.

I have trouble considering I'm saying this but...

It might be a time for our next congress to increase the number of justices on the SCOTUS to counter the damage done to our courts recently.
How's that for your scary thought for the day?

Of course there are a lot of people that consider the recent right shift of our courts a good thing -- for me even more scary.

@mischl

1. Hoping to get our justices is an impossibility
2. Hoping to get a majority in both houses to pass a SCOTUS proof legislation is an impossibility
3. Hoping to even get our own democrats to vote on our own bill is almost an impossibility. There are always red state democrats who chicken out just like they did on Obamacare.

I do not want to be negative but I know how we keep hoping for bigger things when the infrastructure bill that both parties agree on has not passed in the last 11 years. The Civil Engineers Association has been crying out loud that it is just a matter of time that a dam here or a bridge there will break and people will be killed. They still cannot wake up from petty bickering for years.

While this is the sad state of affairs, the presidential candidates are promising a pie in the sky, free healthcare to all, free education for all, shiny roads, reduce poverty, eliminate homelessness, higher taxes on the rich.... and all fanatic followers are jumping with joy. It is amazing to me how we believe that they not going to fuck us over and over again until our children will be totally enslaved on the corporate plantations in white callers for life.

@RichCC Pete Buttigieg has suggested that we increase the number of justices to 11 and 5 should be rotated.

@St-Sinner Why is this a pie in the sky when 'merca is virtually the only advanced country on this planet that does not have those benefits for it's citizens?

@jlynn37
Not "a pie in the sky" when you are talking in principle. We can talk about a lot of dreams and promising even an own home in a shining city on a shining hill to everybody.

But my point is...

1. What is possible in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland etc. is not possible based on where our nation is today.
2. We have a nation dominated and controlled by capitalists - you will not be able to unshackle by just winning presidency, a republican senate will harass and frustrate you every day and make you a lame duck president like they to Obama in the second term
3. The Nordic countries have been progressive societies. The people were willing and ready when the idea was proposed. We are still a 50:50 country with a strong religious voter population in the South and in red states. We have not won with Obamacare even with a Democratic President, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House for 3 years. Obamacare is almost dismantled and they have not stopped destroying it
4. People like big ideas, big dreams, catchy lines, revolutionary ideas, revenge, victory, the look and smell of it all to address their frustrations but... what about a little pragmatism? Why not keep feet on the ground and tell us how you will actually do it if when Obama could not get even his SCOTUS appointee through the senate. It was not even brought to the floor by McConnell.

@St-Sinner What you're pointing out is that democracy is not necessarily the best way to run a government. In fact, it's a BAD way to govern a country--until you compare it to all the other ways.

@St-Sinner ...Well if Pete's on board, it must be good. /meaningless_comment

Seriously. I don't know that much about Pete except that he seems to be anti-discrimination including anti-anti-prolife, and of course that he's gay and is apparently intelligent and well educated.

The biggest worry I have about him might be that I hope a little for a post-tRump time of healing rather than pushing forward new initiatives. (And I know that's an emotional reaction on my part caused by fatigue as much as anything else.). I'm afraid the right would be able to mobilize against him.

I'm ok with adding to the SCOTUS but I'm nervous about adding more complexity to our already fragile political situation.

@RichCC

I have been following Buttieg closely since his first break out in the CNN Town Hall in Austin about 5 to 6 months ago. Everything about Buttigieg is good except one thing will not work for him.

1. His policies are good, they are pragmatic, sounds and well thought out
2. His campaign is strong and effective
3. His debating is strong
4. He is blunder free so far
5. His fund raising is at the top above Bernie, Warren and Biden
6. His administrate experience is good
7. His education is strong
8. His military experience is good
9. He is a Washington outsider
10. He comes across sincere and motivated wanting to bring big reforms and just not promise free everything

But sadly, his gay demographic will lose tons of votes in the South. I do not know what his calculation was behind jumping in to begin with. America can elect a candidate up to Governor or Senator but not a gay, Mormon, atheist, Hindu, or Jewish demographic for another 30 years. It can happen in Northern European countries but not here (yet)

@mischl
No, I am saying that with all its faults the American democracy is better than the most except the British and Northern European countries. I am not suggesting an alternative to a democracy. But we have deep rooted structural problems. No term limits for U.S. Congress members is one.

The British Parliament's ruling party MPs voted against its own prime minister 5 times and the Supreme Court did it once too. Can you imagine that happening here?

@St-Sinner (I'll try not to let the autocorrect 'help' me this time. Sorry)
Thanks for confirming my impressions.
I like him but I'm a little afraid for him in America these days.

@St-Sinner I am for the "short straw out doctrine".

At the beginning of every term, the supreme court justices draw straws. Shot man/woman gets das boot and a new justice is appointed by the president.

A 2 term president can clear out the court completely (if the luck of the staws is with him/her). Then the next 2 term pres can undo everything.... assuming the straws align properly.

@moosepucky does it not over politicize the SCOTUS in the first term and the second? What if a justice wants to stay and prove his loyalty by voting on all cases in president's favor?

We are talking about making it impartial but this will make it more partial?