Context:
Rep. Jamaal Bowman loses New York primary to pro-Israel George Latimer, most expensive primary race ever
Cenk and Ana are American heroes.
I’ve never liked their videos. They do a lot of juvenile stuff, like mocking impressions, which is kind of grating to me. They’ve also been doing a lot of sus stuff lately, such as crime fearmongering, making a big deal about the term “birthing-persons,” and running for president. Makes me think there’s some amount of grift their doing.
They’re crowd funded. I don’t know what to tell you. Better than corporate funded MSNBCNNPR.
It really is insane. Just imagine a different PAC whose sole purpose is to advocate for any other foreign nation - and not just the obvious “baddies” like Russia, China, etc. - spending millions of dollars to oppose the election of congress members who don’t follow their agenda, and then openly bragging about it on social media. People would lose their goddamn minds, and rightfully so.
You can see which country spends money in US politics on OpenSecrets, actually.
Link for 2023 spending: https://www.opensecrets.org/fara?cycle=2023
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Country | 2023 Spending
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Liberia $235,465,089
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Saudi Arabia $93,058,680
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China $85,378,704
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Japan $69,410,221
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Hong Kong $55,957,695
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Bahamas $52,861,943
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Marshall Islands $45,711,184
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United Arab Emirates $40,491,794
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South Korea $30,982,223
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Canada $21,529,601
Yes, but those figures are very broad and primarily involve activities related to public relations, tourism and trade agreements. AIPAC is different.
Not only does AIPAC directly involve itself in US elections, it is not registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which puts extra scrutiny on where the money comes from and how it is spent.
Sure, but even in other categories AIPAC is far from a top-player from what I understand.
Here are the numbers for the 2022 cycle, since 2024 isn’t done yet I found 2022 more relevant.
American Israel Public Affairs Cmte Contributions $13,423,002 Ranks 46 of 34,495
Lobbying Ranks 247 of 8,586 in 2022 $2,723,081 in 2022 $2,757,247 in 2021
Here is the section for the “Pro-Israel” Interest Group, which includes other groups than AIPAC. It still totals 44m$ for 2022.
Here is the page for Lobbying -> Single Issue category, for 2022. Here also, “Pro-Israel” is far from a top player. The “Human Rights” category, which many say is pretty much opposite of what Israel’s governement is doing these days, outspends them 16 to 1.
So everything I’ve seen so far really doesn’t push me to believe that they have such a massive influence that OP or whoever that Cenk Uygur guy is can honestly say “AIPAC controls everything”. Unless someone can show me there are numbers that are not taken into account in OpenSecrets (and then, if that’s the case, give me a comparison in how other groups use those alternative channels), then this is basically antisemitism (“Jews control the world”) from OP and Cenk, currently upvoted at +200.
You said “sure” but then went straight back to the Opensecrets rankings… You’re glossing over the point.
AIPAC receives it’s donations from inside the US, from pro-Israel Americans. Because the group is funded by private donors rather than the Israeli government or a foreign group, it does not need to be registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, so less oversight is given to where the money comes from and how it is spent.
What other foreign nation lobbying group donates $14M to the opponent of a congressman and pays for attack ads against him to hurt his chances in an upcoming election? It’s unprecedented.
Also, it’s worth noting that AIPAC takes money from anybody who is Pro-Israel, whether they be Jewish or not. There more Zionist Christians that Jews in America, in terms of pure numbers.
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Ukraine should start taking notes, and maybe the EU too.
If only Russia had any money, maybe China will fund the next pac
It’s like they’re collecting our politicians like Pokemon cards…
USA is not a democracy, it is a plutocracy (government of the wealthy). Proof? To be a candidate you first need to find the money and the one with most money usually wins. It must not be like this, ban contributions higher than a certain amount and give some state contribution…
In the US, you can basically buy your politics, you justice, your executive, and your press. And a few rich people do exactly that, for no other benefit than their own.
Cheaper to buy bullets
As a voter you are compelled to vote for the candidate with the largest campaign budget. Oh… wait, that isn’t true at all.
Money is important, but you still need to find voters that are interested in your message. If you have the money to activate them you can win, but they have to be there in the first place.
Insert “you are not immune to propaganda” here
This is why the education system is underfunded and the people are kept in poverty. So that they don’t have the means to inform themselves.
Also, tribalism is a thing. They just need to find one issue that gets people riled up enough to vote on it. It’s why 99% of American political discourse focuses on social issues like abortion and then both parties enact economic policies that disadvantage the working class. Because everyone feels strongly one way or the other about abortion.
This also assumes voters are informed and engaged, and that political campaigns are honest.
As I understand it, mailers trashing Bowman were like 80% of the mail you received in that district and their ads showed up constantly on Tv. It is possible to manufacture a perceived reality when you have enough money.
Admittedly, I was foolishly hopeful that residents of his district would recognize a racist, conservative piece of shit and vote for Bowman even if they didn’t agree with his stance on Gaza so shame on me.
I agree, though I am super disdainful of any argument that is sort of reskinning “other people are really stupid”.
On the other hand, participation in a congressional primary is pretty low and should weed out the casuals. Nobody who is going to the polls without much info is probably going to show up for these right?
Further, when you have “safe” districts for your party, you sort of invite people from the entire political spectrum to participate in your primary. The parts of the American electorate that WANT muscular support for Israeli military operations are on the right. If those folks skip this primary, they have no influence over their representative at all. Activating conservative voters is probably easier than changing minds.
I agree, though I am super disdainful of any argument that is sort of reskinning “other people are really stupid”.
I don’t consider ignorance and susceptible to sophisticated influence campaigns to mean “really stupid”.
Perhaps I’m just using nicer language to say the same thing (or otherwise, ultimately, hold myself to be superior). That’s fair I suppose - but I’m aware of the circumstances and privilege that helped me achieve my perspective. I’m of the belief that, if given similar benefits, most would be just as “superior”.
Now that I’ve demonstrated I’m superior, and humble, I still feel like this could have been avoided if people in the district voted instead of just ignoring the campaign or assuming, like I did, that people in the district would do better.
To anyone reading this, if you are a resident in the district and didn’t vote for Bowman… do better next time for everyone’s sake.
That’s because Big News has to play the government’s BS have it else lose access to government info. They’re beholden to the powers that be. Also their bosses are also paying this politicians so the reporters have to lay off it get fired.
Not to be confused with Faux News; they’ve been a propaganda engine since day 1.
Julian Assange freed so he can report on AIPAC, it’s corruption and how it needs to be dismantled entirely in the US?
Lol, like he did with the RNC email servers? Assange has a goal, and it’s not freedom of information.
Not that I disagree but can someone explain how one congressperson losing takes the percentage control from 85-90% to 98%…?
It’s a chilling effect on anyone who might criticize Israel.
The same thing Trump does to disloyal Republicans. “Won’t toe the line? We’ll primary you.”
So now when deciding on whether genocide is bad, the cowards in congress have a foreign controlled organization breathing down their necks.
Go read the AIPAC wikipedia. Between actively spying for the Israeli Government (Lawrence Anthony Franklin, Air Force Colonel, passed classified info to two AIPAC officials and an offical of the Israeli government. He got 13 years. Charges were dropped against AIPAC), and financially supporting 37 Republicans that voted against certifying the 2020 election, AIPAC is a right-wing organization designed to turn the US political establishment against the beliefs of the majority of US Jews in favor of a Trump/Netanyahu flavor of crony government.
It can’t work for every country. The main reason it works for Israel is that they hide behind anti-semitism accusations. We need to normalize willingness to criticize people regardless of their race.
It’s not how much they took, it’s how little it took.
The US has the cheapest representation their money can buy.
