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This little story comes from a Swedish paper by way of one of my favorite sites, Watching America.
Who is Threatening
American Democracy?
By Andreas Gustavsson
Translated By Magnus Akesson
7 July 2008
Sweden - Kommentera - Original Article (Swedish)
Max Sanders, 19, just wanted to joke a bit when he posted a new “for sale” ad on eBay. There, he sold his vote in the coming American election. He wanted at least 10 dollars to vote according to the buyer's wish.
Now he is risking five years in prison. When attorneys in Minnesota heard about it in the bidding they invoked a 1983 law that makes it illegal to commoditize a vote.
"We are taking this very seriously. It is fundamentally wrong to sell your vote. People have died to defend this right. To then say 'I’m for sale' is shameful and wrong," a spokesman for the [Hennepin County] Attorney's Office stated.
True indeed, true indeed.
The bigger question is if the American Attorney's office is not trying to set an example with Sanders case. Wouldn’t it be better to save that energy to investigate how the American democracy is affected by powerful interests that spend an average of $16,279,069 (almost 100 million kroner) lobbying Congress every day they meet.
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL VERSION
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