7 ms·

If only it were as simple as voting for 1 of 2 parties. https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2018&ind=B09 https://www.opensecrets.org/indust

If only it were as simple as voting for 1 of 2 parties. https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2018&ind=B09 https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2018... Neither party appears to be turning down money from the opponents of net neutrality. It feels more like everybody takes the money and the rest is just politics and propaganda.

StudentStuff 8y ago
Yep, you have the corporatist Democrats and the corporatist Republicans, both of which are happy to collude if it makes the companies that own them happy. I wish we would just make our politicians wear their owner's logos.
- pssflops 8y ago
  Sounds like the outfits worn in Idiocracy.
Blackthorn 8y ago
Okay, but under Democrats we had net neutrality and under Republicans it was removed, and those were respectively explicit goals for both parties. So it really is as simple as voting for 1 of 2 parties.
criley2 8y ago
This is a pretty weird statement, as one party has fought tirelessly for NN including legislation and regulation, while one party has fought against legislation and regulation. But you create a false equivalence based on media corp donations, instead of examining the actual behavior and recent history of the parties. To Godwin this: "Well, the fascists and racists are supporting both Hitler's party and his competition, so, really they're all the same!" You might want to sophisticate your political examination process.
- mkane848 8y ago
  I'm on the same side and pretty much agree with all of your points, but that really came out as condescending. I'm a huge fan of the new wave of Dems coming through (mainly the Democratic Socialist part) but we can't act like the main Democratic Party hasn't been fucking up for a WHILE. They're still trying to fight the DemSoc movement even though it's getting huge grassroot support. I don't trust the main party, but I believe in some select parts of the machine and don't think it's unreasonable for people to call out the Dems on their shit.
  - criley2 8y ago
    Your reply is kind of ridiculous. "The main party"? Dem socs are anti-intellectual idealists and while I appreciate their energy it's like putting a designer in charge of programming. "Free college and healthcare and everything for everyone" "How do we implement that?" "IDK it'll all wash out in the end" I fall along the neoliberal lines, more of the liberal engineers as opposed to the liberal dreamers. Dem socs, again, love the enthusiasm, but there's little more to it than that. The "main party" is the one who has tirelessly fought for and achieved Net Neutrality. Hate us boring "main party" types all you want, but don't disparage our recent history: We main party Democrats are the only force in America who fought for and achieved Net Neutrality. We did that. GOP destroyed it, sure, but it was us main party dems which made it a party plank, which pushed it to Obama and his FCC, and made it reality. And it'll be us who do it again, too.
dralley 8y ago
2 points. One, regardless of the money, Democrats clearly support net neutrality and Republicans clearly oppose net neutrality by wide margins. The votes are nowhere close to balanced. Two, be careful with looking at the totals on OpenSecrets. Look at the PAC money specifically. OpenSecrets tallies up every donation by employees working in an industry and calls it an industry donation. Which means that my $20 donation to a Democratic Rep is considered the same as Comcast literally giving $20 to a PAC which then donates to a Republican.

StudentStuff 8y ago

Yep, you have the corporatist Democrats and the corporatist Republicans, both of which are happy to collude if it makes the companies that own them happy. I wish we would just make our politicians wear their owner's logos.

pssflops 8y ago
Sounds like the outfits worn in Idiocracy.

Blackthorn 8y ago

Okay, but under Democrats we had net neutrality and under Republicans it was removed, and those were respectively explicit goals for both parties. So it really is as simple as voting for 1 of 2 parties.

criley2 8y ago

This is a pretty weird statement, as one party has fought tirelessly for NN including legislation and regulation, while one party has fought against legislation and regulation. But you create a false equivalence based on media corp donations, instead of examining the actual behavior and recent history of the parties. To Godwin this: "Well, the fascists and racists are supporting both Hitler's party and his competition, so, really they're all the same!" You might want to sophisticate your political examination process.

mkane848 8y ago
I'm on the same side and pretty much agree with all of your points, but that really came out as condescending. I'm a huge fan of the new wave of Dems coming through (mainly the Democratic Socialist part) but we can't act like the main Democratic Party hasn't been fucking up for a WHILE. They're still trying to fight the DemSoc movement even though it's getting huge grassroot support. I don't trust the main party, but I believe in some select parts of the machine and don't think it's unreasonable for people to call out the Dems on their shit.
- criley2 8y ago
  Your reply is kind of ridiculous. "The main party"? Dem socs are anti-intellectual idealists and while I appreciate their energy it's like putting a designer in charge of programming. "Free college and healthcare and everything for everyone" "How do we implement that?" "IDK it'll all wash out in the end" I fall along the neoliberal lines, more of the liberal engineers as opposed to the liberal dreamers. Dem socs, again, love the enthusiasm, but there's little more to it than that. The "main party" is the one who has tirelessly fought for and achieved Net Neutrality. Hate us boring "main party" types all you want, but don't disparage our recent history: We main party Democrats are the only force in America who fought for and achieved Net Neutrality. We did that. GOP destroyed it, sure, but it was us main party dems which made it a party plank, which pushed it to Obama and his FCC, and made it reality. And it'll be us who do it again, too.

dralley 8y ago

2 points. One, regardless of the money, Democrats clearly support net neutrality and Republicans clearly oppose net neutrality by wide margins. The votes are nowhere close to balanced. Two, be careful with looking at the totals on OpenSecrets. Look at the PAC money specifically. OpenSecrets tallies up every donation by employees working in an industry and calls it an industry donation. Which means that my $20 donation to a Democratic Rep is considered the same as Comcast literally giving $20 to a PAC which then donates to a Republican.