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I don't think capitalism is the main problem point. Denmark, Canada, Australia (and many more examples) all seem to do pretty well while having a Democratic and
by grecy 8y ago
I don't think capitalism is the main problem point. Denmark, Canada, Australia (and many more examples) all seem to do pretty well while having a Democratic and Capitalist society.
Unlimited Campaign Contributions and Lobbying are by very definition buying political influence (i.e. pay money to make politicians do what you want), which is the definition of corruption[1], and clearly is not how a democracy is supposed to function.
In a functioning Democracy citizens vote in politicians who share their views, so leaders are chosen based on what people want. When money comes into it, the whole thing gets screwed up. i.e. Comcast just pays millions (billions?) to make sure the politician in power votes for blocking community broadband. Even if the citizens vote out that leader and vote in a new one, Comcast will just pay the new person.
Thus it's corporate money that makes laws, not citizens through voting.
[1] After spending three years in 35 different countries in Africa, I've come to learn the developed world is just as corrupt as many African nations, we're just adverse to using that word because it sounds so dirty and uncivilized. I think it's important to call a thing what it is, lest we succumb to newspeak, so I call out corruption when I see it. Just because it's legal, it doesn't mean it's not corruption.
- raws 8y agoIn Canada, the big players were forced into reselling their ISP services to third parties by governmental regulations.
- marnett 8y agoFrom a US legal perspective on corporate personhood, Capital is free speech. Limits on campaign finance limit a corporate persons' first amendment rights. Lobbying and campaign finance are not corruption. It is legal, systemic, and operating as intended. Capital being the true democratic mean in the world's most capitalistic country is not surprising or incorrect. It's intentional.
- deogeo 8y ago> operating as intended. Operating according to the current interpretation of the US constitution. The intentions of its writers are another matter entirely.
- grecy 8y ago> Lobbying and campaign finance are not corruption I pay a politician money, and he does what I want. That is the very definition of bribery and corruption. Just because the people that stand to gain the most from it decided to make it "legal", that doesn't change what it actually is. Call it "legal corruption" if you like. > Capital being the true democratic mean in the world's most capitalistic country is not surprising or incorrect. Of course, there is only one democracy on the planet where that's true. How does that country stack up against all the other OECD countries in terms of quality of life for the average Joe citizen?
- ummonk 8y ago>Unlimited Campaign Contributions There are clear limits on campaign contributions. What we don't have are limits on private ad spending, which would obviously violate free speech.