ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.

“I’m at the point of no return, and for me there’ll be turning back.” — Gene McDaniels, 1962

Though many folks these days have come to believe that the U.S. Supreme Court’s most unpopular decision is the Dobbs case in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade, I nominate the Citizens United decision as being even worse.

It was in 2010 that the Roberts Court ruled that political advertising is free speech and should not be abridged. The justices maintained that putting a cap on how much candidates can spend on political ads was tantamount to restricting freedom of speech. Therefore, the court held that all candidates should be allowed to run as many ads as they wish or found necessary.

This very simply opened the floodgates and created a circus-style free-for-all during our political “silly seasons” that simply seem to get worse every two years since that fateful ruling 14 years ago. Bill Moyers insisted it created a legalized bribery system in the U.S.

I hear tell a lot of folks have had it up to here with political ads shown on television. Some, like me, have given up watching the nightly news programs because they are overrun by these uninvited obnoxious guests every evening.

And, of course, they’re always at their worst during news programs, because these targeted audiences seem to care about current events. I also hear tell they’ve invaded football telecasts because they’re geared toward toxic masculinity, an epidemic of the fans of these contests.

I have some really bad news for all those who agree that these constant intrusions into our living rooms are nothing short of toxic Pandora’s Boxes. That is, the horse is out of the barn and won’t be coaxed back inside. We’re stuck. We’re doomed.

The biggest supporters behind these advertisements, besides the politicians and candidates, are the broadcast networks themselves. Please understand, the important explanation here is “follow the money.”

Broadcast news is the biggest benefactor of unlimited advertising because these ads bring in good money.

Les Moonves, former president of CBS, admitted publicly in 2016 that Donald Trump was a really good economic development for the network eight years ago because he was a tremendous catalyst in bringing in broadcast dollars and massive interest.

So the politicians love the inundation of ads. So do the news broadcasters. Follow the money.

And if you think we common everyday folks have any power in putting a stop to this nonsense, I’v got swampland I’d like to sell you.

So it’s actually true, the old saying that we live under “the Golden Rule — He who has the gold makes the rules.”