4 ms·
Haven't Thiel donated 7 figure sums to Trump's campaign? After contracts are being awarded left and right - I cannot see those donations none other than briber
by trymas 7y ago
Haven't Thiel donated 7 figure sums to Trump's campaign?
After contracts are being awarded left and right - I cannot see those donations none other than bribery.
- djohnston 7y agoin america we call it lobbying
- drocer88 7y agoTo the victors belong the spoils. Previous administrations benefited their friends and future administrations will likely benefit theirs. Don't like it? Vote for good government.
- jacobush 7y agoThis is true but in a uninteresting, shallow way. Yes, Team Blue is also bought. It's the same people doing the buying regardless of which side holds the majority. The wheels need turning so the wheels need oiling. However, general elections and the say of the people is still an important part of the political machinery. And this shows: Team Red is going all in for a mythical Core American Christian Constituency Who Values Hard Work and Won't Let Anyone Else Steal Their Hard Earned Dollars. (This rings as much true whether you are a rust belter seeing the coal industry shrinking or you are Thiel, they share the same sentiment.) The Thiels of the world with enough money to buy Congressmembers will have a much easier time buying Team Red, because they are already aligned ideologically. As long as general voting is still an important part of politics, Team Blue can't accept every Thielesque bill, because their constituency is Everyone Else, a much more disparate group than what Team Red is aiming for.
- jacquesm 7y agoElsewhere we call it corruption.
- squarefoot 7y agoAlso Trump's (and other leaders around the world) initial downplaying of the pandemic risks paved the way for extreme measures like the employment of pervasive surveillance. Looks like someone isn't letting this crisis go to waste.