In poetry, this is the story of the right wing takeover of the Supreme Court, aided by the consent of the Senate. Supreme Court rulings, in effect, appointed George W. Bush president in 2000 over Al Gore. It later reduced individual rights and enhanced those of large corporations. The five right-wing justices opened the door for money to buy elections, suggesting corporations (Originally chartered by kings or government, now legal entities) are people, and enabled Republican states to strip the voting rights of those who vote for Democrats.

In effect, court decisions have enabled the redistribution of wealth and income from the poor and the middle class to the rich by helping to reduce the power of workers, consumers, and small business.  Boosting the power of corporations has helped them gain more influence over government at all levels.

It gave us Citizens United and McCutcheon, with almost unlimited, partly undisclosed funding for political campaigns. It heavily favors right-wing causes. It gutted voting rights, opening opportunities for Republican states to suppress voting for Democrats. It shielded corporations from class actions and human rights suits and forced arbitration. It has weakened redress for employee injuries and consumer harm from faulty products. It has enabled states like North Carolina to suppress voting, women’s rights and excuse coal ash pollution.

Right wing politicians like Paul Ryan give homage to the radical philosophy of Ayn Rand which advocated rule by the rich (Plutocrats).

Appointed by men with shrunken souls,

Freedom couldn’t pay their rent.

Still upper house consent did poll,

Serving against the people’s bent.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.

Reagan, then Bush, fed an rising tide,

While old lib justices ebbed, fell and died.

Turning the body right by five,

their millennial soup bearing Gore aside.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.

George packed the court – he had no clue,

Ruling by ruling, corp’s corpus accrued.

As charters became bodies flushed with coin,

 unflushed were duly stripped to the loin.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.

Then Pluts dwelt among us – and all around,

Reassigning money by leaps and bounds.

Up went the power of corporate lords,

Stooping the shoulders of more fettered hordes.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.

Yes, Corp corpuscles were on the boost,

And unwashed duly swept from the roost.

While Plut-consorting did erase,

Voting by people of darker race.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.

Money flowed and words did fly,

Flushed out with cash, free votes did die.

Summarily darkness fell thru the land,

Democracy smashed by Ayn Rayn.

Twas pre-ordained by ancient law, they say.