As an American citizen, I believe that it is my responsibility to participate fully and actively in the democratic process and to stand up for the policies and values I believe in. That is why I have decided to spend $45 million per month on the 2024 election, and why I encourage everyone who cares about democracy to do the same.
I must admit, I had not originally planned to spend $45 million a month on the election. As recently as last week, I had planned on spending a significantly more modest sum, in the range of -- say -- a hundred bucks. But then I read that Elon Musk had announced plans to spend $45 million a month on the 2024 elections, and I realized the extent to which I was shirking my own responsibilities as a citizen.
You see, $45 million may sound like a lot of money. But according to the Supreme Court, it's not. It's a lot of speech. And speech is the very lifeblood of our democracy. It is through speech that we represent our interests, argue for our beliefs, and settle our disputes. Elon Musk understand this. His commitment to purchase around $180 million worth of speech between now and November stands as a shining example of engaged citizenship and democratic participation.
Yet tragically it seems that few of us are prepared to emulate Elon’s example. To the contrary, in spite of the vital need for robust political engagement on issues from immigration to the economy to the environment and women’s rights -- issues that affect all of us -- the average American seems content to engage in as little as $25 or $50 worth of speech per election, which in the context of Musk's $45 million a month in loquaciousness is basically no speech at all.
We can do better, and we must. Indeed, we must each do $45 million/month better if we are to return our democracy to full and vibrant health, for surely the Founding Fathers intended that all citizens should have a voice in the a public square, a chance to be heard by our fellow citizens and representatives. That is why the constitution guarantees every one of us, regardless of race, sex, religion, or income level, an equal right to spend $45 million a month on political speech. But it is up to us to exercise that right -- or cede our fortunes to those who will.
I have heard the excuses: "I'm too busy." "Politics just doesn't interest me." "I don't have $45 million." The list goes on. But the truth is, if you believe in America, then there really is no excuse for not spending $45 million per month and joining the great American experiment that is our democracy.
So if you are frustrated at the gridlock in Washington, don't just wait and hope things improve. Stand up and speak $45 million/month worth of your mind! If you are a young person concerned about climate change, or a woman concerned about your right to choose, or a family worried about losing health care, or a voter terrified of the threat that unchecked oligarchic wealth poses to democracy -- don't give in to hopelessness. America needs to hear $45 million/month worth of your story!
Don't wait for others to act. Be the $45 million/month of change you want to see in the world.
Together, we can speak trillions of dollars worth of truth to power. The choice is ours to make. But in making that choice, we must never forget the immortal words of the ancients, now permanently enshrined in law by our Supreme Court: Pecunia loquitur, merda taurorum ambulat.
(Money talks, bulls**t walks)
NOTE: This was first published here following the announcement in 2016 that the Koch Brothers would spend $900 million on the 2016 election. Tragically, it needed almost no updating for 2024. Only the names of the corrupt oligarchs have changed.