My Ballot
Money and politics seem to be unavoidable bedfellows in the modern age. Sadly, the obscene sums spent by political campaigns every election cycle do little to directly benefit the American public. The wealth divide in the country has only widened, and those with limited means are left with an even more limited voice. This stark reality is apparent in the millionaires who overwhelmingly occupy seats in the Congress and the House of Representatives. Who do they ultimately work for in the end? The penetrating new documentary My Ballot scrutinizes the American political system and those who profit most from it.
The film is a protest against those politicians who spend and earn absurd amounts of money while the poor and middle class citizens they were elected to represent suffer through abject living conditions, pay cuts, shuttered schools, limited access to healthcare, slashed social security benefits, and unaffordable housing costs. Wouldn't the money spent on election campaigns be better placed in funding a cure for these societal ills?
To be fair, the film makes it clear that the issue runs deeper than any one individual. Many industries enjoy a financial windfall come election season. Political and media insiders break down the numbers. Television advertising accounts for the majority of dollars spent, and its effectiveness is ultimately questionable at best. The system itself is broken, and stacked against the possibility of real change. If someone sets out to run for political office, they must be independently wealthy, or have unfettered access to others who are. Potential change makers who are true advocates for the other 99% simply cannot afford to provide these everyday citizens with a voice in today's political arena.
Is there a better way? Campaign finance reform has been on the table for many years, yet little has been done to act on it. As long as the dollars keep coming in, and the rich continue to get richer, there's little incentive to do so.
Admirably, My Ballot does not approach its subject from a stance of hysteria and outrage; its approach is more measured and precise. It delivers a clear message that should not be ignored.
Directed by: Mohammad Tayyeb
It seems to me he should have called ahead and tried to get an appointment with someone willing to talk in the school and for the politicians. He just walks in and tries to see someone and gets turned away, because it was unexpected and people that may have talked to him were busy or never knew he was there. Maybe no one would have talked to him even if he tried to set up a time to do it. I think his chances would have been better than just walking in and talking to receptionists that didn't know anything about what he was doing.
Ok, let's assume right now EVERYONE is officially informed. Now what? The wrong people are watching this. Ain't a thing we can do.
The only issue I have with this documentary is the background music is 1) not that great, and 2) too loud. Whoever mixed the audio for this documentary should be fired.
great doc. It is so obvious the corruption of our political system, and this documentary is just another to point it out.
This is rated so low, because it is super layman.. No, not because the narrator is black, but because written transition slides are half of the doc, which merely summarize what you JUST heard. It is no conducted very well, because the pace is too slow for functionally efficient minds (most documentary watchers). Needless to say, it is just simply boring, despite the content—which in itself, is blinding obvious to begin with without this documentary.
@michael mathwig I'm pretty sure the corporation as a person thing is so they can be held accountable to law in court as one too. You can sue it! Removing corporations as people wouldn't change politics as the heads in the corporation would just each make separate contributions.
The healthcare is not about healthcare its about insurance monopoly embedded by government. We had healthcare and many options before Obama's affordable care act. Government just want to sink it claws into another important control of population and life industry and make the few largest health insurance firms merge and be all there is.
You could sue them cheaper, more effectively and much more often.
a corporation must be headed by someone. that's who we would sue and address.
in a court of law now, the charter gets sued. without personhood the ceo and board would get it.
plus, no person no political contributions.
take health care out of all corporations and go single payer. way less cost, period.
i vote this way, period
try putting a corporation in jail! Separate contributions are limited in amount and would they each want to contribute the same way the corporation would? I doubt it.
Single payer insurance is not run by the govt. It only pays the bill. The doctors and hospitals run the care.
@Luka "Why so low grade" - blacks are considered 2nd class citizens in the US. White USsians don't like them much in general and most especially not when they are talking about income inequality.
September 21, 2016. LeeJai Cook, Roaring Springs, Texas USA. Thank you for posting a very interesting video. Too many people are not interested in keeping themselves informed about what is going on in governments at all levels. So we have arrived at this sorry states of affairs. You may be interested to learn that Elijah, our forthcoming World Ruler [Malachi 4:5], will abolish the office of the President, the Senate, the House, and the Supreme Court. In brief, Elijah will virtually disband the Federal Government. I might also note that Elijah will administer the WORLD Government for a fraction of what it costs to administer the Federal Government.
Unless real change takes place VERY SOON it will be to late. The Wealthy globilists wil de-stabilize the country and put in a police state which will be difficult to destroy.
Take away personhood from corporations which would take away their ability to give money to politics.
Corporations should not have the same rights under law that a flesh and blood human does.
It was an amendment that gave them this status and an amendment can take it back, simple!
Also, only an idiot would not want universal health care.
Why so low grade, really good documentary!