Ben Cohen: One Dollar One Vote Plutocracy
on Sunday, February 15, 2015Ben Cohen Money Quotation saying the rich are able to speak with a louder voice when every dollar they have speaks for them. Ben Cohen said:
“It’s changed our country from what used to be a democracy, when it used to be one person, one vote to now, what is it, a plutocracy? It’s one dollar, one vote” — Ben Cohen
Ben Cohen seems to be criticizing the growing influence of money in politics by contrasting the current system with core democratic ideals. Specifically, he implies that the U.S. has shifted away from being a true democracy, where each citizen’s vote holds equal weight (“one person, one vote”).
Instead, Cohen characterizes the system now as a “plutocracy”, where power is concentrated among those with wealth (“one dollar, one vote”). His point appears to be that campaign finance laws and lack of reform have made financial contributions a more important factor than actual votes in deciding political outcomes and policy priorities.
Overall, the quote suggests Cohen views this as an undemocratic evolution that privileges the role of money over the voice of individual citizens in elections and governance.
Steve Sack, The Minneapolis Star Tribune
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