Citizens United allowing foreign influence on US elections/policy - OPINION (1 Viewer)

[GMRfellowtraveller]

Caveat: I write ‘OPINION’ bc i heard this on Fresh Air, but have not dove down for deeper research
The interview was of a man who’s investigating Ukraine’s influence on US (vs the vice versa that we’ve been hearing about last few) months)
Giulliani playing both sides - along with Manafort, et al were the major focus
BUT
Terry Gross asked about Citizens United and their influence on this - the interviewee said that while specific paper trails are hard to find, the uptick in contributions form US subsidiaries of foreign companies is very apparent
And that this along with foreign countries bankrolling DC “think tanks” and hiring lobbyists to imbed with US media and write favorable opinion pieces without disclosing ties to the favored country, all point to a tidal shift in foreign influence on US policy

Now obviously the knee jerk ‘it has always been thus’ has SOME merit - in fact FARA (foreign agent registration act) was put in place to check the influence of German propaganda in the run up to WW2; BUT all of that pales in comparison to what is in place and possible these days post Citizens United

 

[JimEverett]

Caveat: I write ‘OPINION’ bc i heard this on Fresh Air, but have not dove down for deeper research
The interview was of a man who’s investigating Ukraine’s influence on US (vs the vice versa that we’ve been hearing about last few) months)
Giulliani playing both sides - along with Manafort, et al were the major focus
BUT
Terry Gross asked about Citizens United and their influence on this - the interviewee said that while specific paper trails are hard to find, the uptick in contributions form US subsidiaries of foreign companies is very apparent
And that this along with foreign countries bankrolling DC “think tanks” and hiring lobbyists to imbed with US media and write favorable opinion pieces without disclosing ties to the favored country, all point to a tidal shift in foreign influence on US policy

Now obviously the knee jerk ‘it has always been thus’ has SOME merit - in fact FARA (foreign agent registration act) was put in place to check the influence of German propaganda in the run up to WW2; BUT all of that pales in comparison to what is in place and possible these days post Citizens United

How would CItizens United affect bankrolling DC think tanks or lobbyists?

 

[RegularChuck]

It stands to reason that if you allow money to influence politics than foreign money will find its way into it as well. Legal or not.

 

[GMRfellowtraveller]

How would CItizens United affect bankrolling DC think tanks or lobbyists?

“And that this along with...”
Tied them together as influences
Not saying that the 2 followed the1st

 

[JimEverett]

“And that this along with...”
Tied them together as influences
Not saying that the 2 followed the1st

My bad. I guess I was too quickly looking to fight