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It's not at all easy for government to do its job because corporate soft power is ridiculously out of whack in the US, thanks to Citizens United and similar dec

It's not at all easy for government to do its job because corporate soft power is ridiculously out of whack in the US, thanks to Citizens United and similar decisions. If you are an effective regulator, corporate money and influence will converge with a vengeance to neuter you and those who appointed you.

ajsnigrutin 7y ago
I'm not saying it's easy... I'm just saying that the parts of the government, that should be controlling this, are not doing their jobs. But I agree, that with a high enough level of corruption (from low-key bribing an inspector, to higher up lobbying at highest government levels), doing this efectively is impossible..
- rectang 7y ago
  > with a high enough level of corruption (from low-key bribing an inspector, to higher up lobbying at highest government levels), doing this efectively is impossible. That's a great way of putting it — nice! What I'm looking for is a way to put responsibility where it truly lies. Blaming regulators alone is reductive, because the architects of the regulatory framework and the context in which it exists have ensured that corruption will occur. Those architects are the ones most at fault, starting with the Roberts Court.
- enraged_camel 7y ago
  >>I'm not saying it's easy... But that's literally what you said? "This is easily fixed by governments doing their jobs."
  - ajsnigrutin 7y ago
    IF the government did their job, it would be easy. Catching speeders on the road is easy (trivially, you just need a radar gun, or an automated radar mounted in a car). Getting the police out of their offices and to actually do their job is hard (atleast here, in my country).
    - rectang 7y ago
      What I object to is complaining about "government" officials as if there is only one type. In the US, regulators may not do their jobs because it is can be extremely financially advantageous to look the other way. But the system of legalized bribery is in place because of deliberate choices by the system architects who made the problem much worse than it had to be. The US government has been sabotaged. Blame the saboteurs.

ajsnigrutin 7y ago

I'm not saying it's easy... I'm just saying that the parts of the government, that should be controlling this, are not doing their jobs. But I agree, that with a high enough level of corruption (from low-key bribing an inspector, to higher up lobbying at highest government levels), doing this efectively is impossible..

rectang 7y ago
> with a high enough level of corruption (from low-key bribing an inspector, to higher up lobbying at highest government levels), doing this efectively is impossible. That's a great way of putting it — nice! What I'm looking for is a way to put responsibility where it truly lies. Blaming regulators alone is reductive, because the architects of the regulatory framework and the context in which it exists have ensured that corruption will occur. Those architects are the ones most at fault, starting with the Roberts Court.
enraged_camel 7y ago
>>I'm not saying it's easy... But that's literally what you said? "This is easily fixed by governments doing their jobs."
- ajsnigrutin 7y ago
  IF the government did their job, it would be easy. Catching speeders on the road is easy (trivially, you just need a radar gun, or an automated radar mounted in a car). Getting the police out of their offices and to actually do their job is hard (atleast here, in my country).
  - rectang 7y ago
    What I object to is complaining about "government" officials as if there is only one type. In the US, regulators may not do their jobs because it is can be extremely financially advantageous to look the other way. But the system of legalized bribery is in place because of deliberate choices by the system architects who made the problem much worse than it had to be. The US government has been sabotaged. Blame the saboteurs.