3 ms·

Lobbyists are just people. They don't have greater say than other people who provide their say. Those who haven't said two words to their representative certai

Lobbyists are just people. They don't have greater say than other people who provide their say. Those who haven't said two words to their representative certainly don't have a say. How could they? Quite literally, you have to say something to have a say.

rcxdude 3y ago
Lobbyists can certainly say a lot more than most people, on account of that being their job. That's the point. A factory worker may or may not be able to say anything to their representative, but they certainly can not say as much as the lobbyist. Now, what the lobbyist says may be counted equally or even less than what the factory worker says (though cynically I would say they could well be counted more: if they represent a donor, for example), but that doesn't make up for sheer volume.
- randomdata 3y ago
  In a democracy, it is the duty of everyone to make it their job if they stand by the democracy. You don't get to go work at the factory above talking to your representative if you have something that needs to be said. Lobbyists are just another layer of representatives for those who have chosen to pay to have someone show up instead of showing up themselves. The factory worker can equally assign a representative to talk to the lower-tier representative on their behalf if they find going to the factory is more important. Of course, you can opt out of the democracy and let others dictate your life. I did question why one would want that, though.
  - rcxdude 3y ago
    Ah, so the issues in the system which make those without much resources much less well represented in deciding policy and those with lots of resources massively overrepresented are the fault of those who have less say, because they have moral failings which put things like eating and having shelter over participating in the system?

3 ms·

Lobbyists are just people. They don't have greater say than other people who provide their say. Those who haven't said two words to their representative certai

by randomdata 3y ago

rcxdude 3y ago
Lobbyists can certainly say a lot more than most people, on account of that being their job. That's the point. A factory worker may or may not be able to say anything to their representative, but they certainly can not say as much as the lobbyist. Now, what the lobbyist says may be counted equally or even less than what the factory worker says (though cynically I would say they could well be counted more: if they represent a donor, for example), but that doesn't make up for sheer volume.
- randomdata 3y ago
  In a democracy, it is the duty of everyone to make it their job if they stand by the democracy. You don't get to go work at the factory above talking to your representative if you have something that needs to be said. Lobbyists are just another layer of representatives for those who have chosen to pay to have someone show up instead of showing up themselves. The factory worker can equally assign a representative to talk to the lower-tier representative on their behalf if they find going to the factory is more important. Of course, you can opt out of the democracy and let others dictate your life. I did question why one would want that, though.
  - rcxdude 3y ago
    Ah, so the issues in the system which make those without much resources much less well represented in deciding policy and those with lots of resources massively overrepresented are the fault of those who have less say, because they have moral failings which put things like eating and having shelter over participating in the system?