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... and if they can't, the society they impact needs to force their hand. Unfortunately, we have a much larger problem when it comes to regulation, as our repre

by Deinos 7y ago

... and if they can't, the society they impact needs to force their hand. Unfortunately, we have a much larger problem when it comes to regulation, as our representatives are more beholden to the companies that fund them than the electorate they purport to represent... I don't see this changing in my lifetime.

jaredklewis 7y ago
Yes, corruption is a problem, but I disagree that it is the heart or bulk of the problem. A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans thought there was too little government regulation. Another 33% thought we had the right amount, and 39% thought there was too much. A more recent poll about the tech companies specifically, while much closer, still found that a minority thought the tech giants should be subject to more regulation (https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/433482-poll-americans-not-interested-in-extra-regulations-for-big-tech https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/433482-pol...). So I would say that for the most part, while the representatives are not representing your views, their views are consistent with the majority of America. I say this as someone that believes the US desperately needs more environmental regulation. I would also love if congress could create some common sense regulations to standardize website/app TOS and privacy policies. But that's just me. I think there is a trend to blame "politicians" for all of our problems as if they were some exogenous force. Unfortunately, for the most part I think they represent us just fine. If democracy is a government by the people, we can't reasonably expect that it will be much different from the people in it. I dislike when politicians are reflexively held responsible for our societal ills, because I feel it is a kind of mental laziness to avoid having to engage with the large portion of the nation that disagrees.
- trobertson 7y ago
  > A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans thought there was too little government regulation. Another 33% thought we had the right amount, and 39% thought there was too much. The question of "Is there enough regulation" is the wrong question. The right question is "Is there enough _enforcement_ of regulation?". I suspect that answer is very different.

by Deinos 7y ago

jaredklewis 7y ago

Yes, corruption is a problem, but I disagree that it is the heart or bulk of the problem. A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans thought there was too little government regulation. Another 33% thought we had the right amount, and 39% thought there was too much. A more recent poll about the tech companies specifically, while much closer, still found that a minority thought the tech giants should be subject to more regulation (https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/433482-poll-americans-not-interested-in-extra-regulations-for-big-tech https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/433482-pol...). So I would say that for the most part, while the representatives are not representing your views, their views are consistent with the majority of America. I say this as someone that believes the US desperately needs more environmental regulation. I would also love if congress could create some common sense regulations to standardize website/app TOS and privacy policies. But that's just me. I think there is a trend to blame "politicians" for all of our problems as if they were some exogenous force. Unfortunately, for the most part I think they represent us just fine. If democracy is a government by the people, we can't reasonably expect that it will be much different from the people in it. I dislike when politicians are reflexively held responsible for our societal ills, because I feel it is a kind of mental laziness to avoid having to engage with the large portion of the nation that disagrees.

trobertson 7y ago
> A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans thought there was too little government regulation. Another 33% thought we had the right amount, and 39% thought there was too much. The question of "Is there enough regulation" is the wrong question. The right question is "Is there enough _enforcement_ of regulation?". I suspect that answer is very different.