For the purpose of discussion, let us assume that Jefferson is completely correct. How does that change today's situation? Can we set the clock back? Is not the horse now out of the barn? It is unclear what is the efficacy of expressing nostalgia for warnings that the barn door should be closed BEFORE the horse gets out. Are we saying that closing the doors now will be a satisfactory homage to warning that the doors should have been closed from the beginning? Has anyone proposed some feasible manner for the recapture of the hores?
But, I think there is an even more fundamental question. Any sort of change to the system that would modify corporate rights would run smack dab into the supreme court and their interpretation of the constitution. And the current supreme court is not going to allow corporations to be politically emasculated. In short, the current court is of the opinion that the horse has a natural right to roam freely and that barn doors should never be closed even when the horse is inside.
Which leads us to yet a further question.... does the supreme court matter in any meaningful way? Does it matter who is confirmed and sitting on the court? Are Scalia and Thomas interchangeable cogs with Ginsberg et al?
I ask this question because I have been assure numerous times on this forum that the supreme court is irrelevant... and that it does not matter who is nominated to sit there. And so... again... whether we have Obama nominating Soitomayer... or Bush nominating Harriet Meyers... there is no difference whatsoever.... because Obama and Bush are really just the same. (just ask Doug)
So, let me re-phrase the dilemma that I pose in explicit terms.
Does the supreme court matter?
If you say yes... then I say that Obama has made a difference on this issue and is therefore not a failure.
If you say no... then I show how the supreme court is central to the issues surrounding corporate influence that you have claimed to be central to our problems.
