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This film by Steve Cowan explores what it takes to stay in a political office and the impact that money has on the elected leaders. Getting into politics might not be as easy and as glamorous as it seems because a political career has the potential to destroy a person’s integrity, no matter how well-meaning and focused he or she might be.
According to one commentator, “everyday every US senator wakes up and thinks ‘today I have to raise $20K or at the end of the next election cycle I won’t have a job.’” Sounds stressful? It sure is. But the real question is, if this is true, then who is the government really working for? Seems like it might be working for whomever has the most money. And so, if it’s not working for the people, what can the people do to take it back?
When it comes to healthy foods, farming and agriculture , medication and health care, alternative fuels and even the prison system, money talks. Many politicians no longer act in the best interest of constituents. A lot of times they make decisions based on what is most convenient for the shareholders.
Millions of dollars every year go into lobbying and awareness raising. But who really decides which issues are presented to the public? How is a constituent to know whether he or she is hearing the truth and not just a biased opinion designed to benefit some large corporation?
It’s a well-known fact that a lot of senators shape their voting record based on where the juiciest checks are coming from. But most members of congress sincerely believe that they have the willpower to say no to whomever is writing the check. However the sad reality is that so much money needs to be raised, that in the end most of them simply succumb to the requests of their largest donors.
Can this be changed or is it just too hard? Can politicians say no to money when they know that their political career depends on it? Watch this thought-provoking documentary for free.
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