U.S. POLITICS AND RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATION ACT

I see a common element in much of our politics. That element is a strong-arm tactic equivalent to a gang operation in a poor neighborhood. Where did it come from, where has it taken us, and where is it going? Finally, how can we get rid of it—using the law?

American politics has always been a playground of alliances; people with similar political beliefs gathering to outnumber the belief of another group; may the one with the largest number win.  That would be the strategy, which is “old hat” in electoral politics. What is relatively new is the tactic of a minority to gain an unfair majority position. In our republican form of government ‘unfair’ means a number less than the majority in control of law making. Newt Gingrich planted the seed for this tactic leading up to the 1994 elections. In its original form, Gingrich collected money as an elected politician. He used this money, in conjunction with the help of the Republican National Committee, to support hand picked candidates in selected legislative districts . . . district they knew the could win because they were Republican districts. The point in mentioning this is to point out that the objective is not to elect a conservative but to elect a certain kind of conservative. In other words, control the conservative party through use of a corrupt practice.

Since 1994, a large number of organizations learned the cost effectiveness of the Newt approach, largely through leverage, of selecting candidates of a certain ideology, often one issue candidates: pro life, no more taxes, gun ownership, among others issues has been reduced to Tea Party followers who by definition are radical. The Newt tactic has now created a collective hence a formidable force in American Politics. There is a new word—a verb—added to English language. It is ‘primaried’. It means if you do not vote the way the sponsor wants you will face a challenge by a highly financed opponent; you will lose your seat to someone who will vote the way they are told.

All of this goes nowhere unless there is a conservative majority in the legislative bodies. This requires Tea Party conservatives knew they had to take over State Legislatures district by district using the Newt Gingrich technique. Then use this incremental gain in power to gerrymander districts, suppress the vote, and elect governors. North Carolina is a classic example. The have gone from a blue state to red state mainly on the bank account of one man, James Arthur Pope. Wisconsin did the same thing but on Charles and David Koch money. Guess who is telling who how to vote. The snowball effect is a real danger to our so-called representative form of government.

What does all this have to do with strong-arm tactics equivalent to a gang operation in a poor neighborhood? If a politician, like a small business in a rough and tumble neighborhood, does not pay protection “his/her business” will be destroyed. In other words, threatening someone with a primary challenge unless they vote for the way the organization (rich guy) wants is a protection racket, which should be punishable under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the RICO act.