The Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. have sped up the competition to "collect donations" for the Congress elections in November. The Republicans are in a cut-throat competition to preserve their majority in Congress, while the Democrats are fighting to achieve it. In the American political system, donations are both institutionally very important for parties and individually for candidates. The parties and candidates carry out their campaigns in ratio with the amount of donations they collect. Meanwhile, the Political Action Committees (PAC) or "Super PACs," which are focused on certain objectives, join the competition by conducting activities within the context of advertising, propaganda and other events with the donations they collect.
The U.S. using money as a tool to achieve influence over politics is being criticized even more recently. According to these criticisms, big companies using money as an effective means is leading to bad outcomes for Americans. Go-getters, who are referred to as the "Washington lobbyists," have become experts at collecting donations to increase their customers' interests at the Congress and White House. Washington is host to thousands of lobbyists like this. Yet, Congress members seek the interests of the circles that fund them. Politicians become dependent on donors for a longer term in Congress. This donation system is the underbelly of U.S. democracy.
A large number of people losing their lives in attacks targeting schools, ceremony venues, churches and entertainment venues in the U.S. has paved the way for a more intense expression of demands to restrict personal armament. Millions of youth took to the streets for the legal change. President Donald Trump's administration took no serious step despite these protests, because weapon lobbies are making generous donations to the Republican Party and its candidates. These lobbies are preventing the laws that bring restrictions to personal armament.
Business circles, which are harmed by multilateral agreements, are spending top dollars in the elections to delay the applications resulting from these agreements or to break off the agreements. The oil and coal industrialists that supported Trump in the 2016 presidential elections ensured that the U.S. withdrew from the "Paris Climate Agreement." Trump appointed Scott Pruitt, who has connections to energy lobbies, as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After directing the EPA for some time, Pruitt resigned as a result of the claims against him.
Foreign countries are also investing in U.S. politicians. These countries' donations are made mostly through complex financial connections. Some claims that a businessman affiliated with the Republicans made financial contributions to Trump's election campaign in 2016 in the name of the United Arab Emirates via illegal means, are being probed under the Russia Investigation.
As for the wealthy American Jews, they are furthering their interests by investing in both parties and their candidates. For example, billionaire businessman Sheldon Adelson is playing on the Republicans, while Haim Saban is playing on the Democrats. In the end, it is the Israeli lobby that wins. Adelson, a mega donor of Trump's presidential campaign, played a major role in the U.S. Embassy's move to Jerusalem. It is said that Adelson made Trump give a guarantee in this regard. Adelson is also the biggest investor of the Republican Party's Senate Leadership Fund.
As for Trump's pledges to ordinary Americans, well, they were nothing but verbiage. Trump, who promised that he would bring the U.S. troops abroad back home, sent additional forces to Afghanistan, while the military policies - that are obviously permanent - in Syria are ongoing. Of course, it is the people who will be paying once again for the wars. As a result, unfulfilled promises and bright slogans are all that ordinary Americans have left to take comfort in.
