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I had a friend who works as a lobbyist for Comcast. He works ~4 hours a week and makes $600k+/year (eat your heart out, Tim Ferriss). Basically because, befor
by koboll 9y ago
I had a friend who works as a lobbyist for Comcast.
He works ~4 hours a week and makes $600k+/year (eat your heart out, Tim Ferriss).
Basically because, before leaving the public sector, he rose to the right rank at the right department within the right government agency, and knows the right people there well enough to go to lunch with them frequently.
Until we completely ban money in politics, this will never change. It's just such a good investment that these companies can afford to deluge their problems with money until they're gone.
- whatshisface 9y ago> Until we completely ban money in politics, I hear this phrase a lot (and it does sound desirable), but what exactly does it mean? The philosopher-kings of Plato's Republic, who were not allowed to own any property at all? Laws against bribery? (we have those already)
- Entalpi 9y agoMaybe have the government provide funding for parties and thus making them independent on other sources of money?
- hdyr 9y agoI'd rather not reward the parties which have control. Seems that may keep the status quo alive unless you fund any party. Then it becomes hard to define which parties to fund and which not to.
- koboll 9y agoStrategic voting is what keeps the status quo alive. As long as we continue to use a first-past-the-post electoral system, it will remain tremendously difficult for third parties to gain traction, no matter their level of funding.
- clouddrover 9y agoCompulsory voting would be a good first step. Voluntary voting makes political parties desperate for money because they need to spend big to get out the vote. If you make political parties desperate for money you make them vulnerable to interest groups with deep pockets and that compromises their politics.
- justinpombrio 9y ago"The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C. completely changed the landscape of American elections. It further established the legal basis for the idea that “corporations are people” and opened the door for billionaires and special interests to spend unlimited, untraceable money in America’s elections." http://endcitizensunited.org http://endcitizensunited.org https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC
- rexpop 9y agoThis is a friend of yours? And feel in no way obligated to mitigate such corruption?
- xref 9y agosounds like the point is it is not corruption at all in the eyes of the law, it is perfectly normal and expected and sanctioned by the Supreme Court even!
- rexpop 9y agoYes, but you and I would not be having this discussion were it not obviously an undesirable state of affairs, regardless of its legality.