4 ms·

You say that like the government is the only buyer in town. That said I wouldn't mind an award scheme like that, government should support an entire economic e

You say that like the government is the only buyer in town. That said I wouldn't mind an award scheme like that, government should support an entire economic ecosystem, not pick exclusive winners and losers. Big military contracts tend to be intentionally split among multiple defense contractors for this very reason. However, looking at other sectors, somehow Toyota and Honda seem to make decent money off of low-margin Corollas and Civics with superior build quality, but American car manufacturers are ditching their sedans because they "aren't profitable enough". Many of our supply chain issues strike me as something similar. American business leaders love to claim "hate the game not the player" when they do something predatory, but then bitch and moan when the government occasionally tries to make the game less predatory. Likewise they'll cheat, but when regular people try to cheat as well they get called out with "yeah we cheated but two wrongs don't make a right!". Funny how that 1st wrong is always in their favor, and it's only the 2nd wrong that isn't allowed to happen and must be punished. I don't trust the government, but I trust the private sector even less. Never mind that private sector lobbying is half the reason I don't trust the government.

Incipient 3y ago
>private sector lobbying Honestly half the problem is you call bribery "lobbying". Why on earth companies are allowed to donate mega millions to a politician is insane.
- andrekandre 3y ago
  > Why on earth companies are allowed to donate mega millions to a politician is insane. because companies are people and people have free speech and money is a form of speech (according to the supreme court anyways) https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/citizens_united_v._federal_election_commission_%282010%29 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/citizens_united_v._federal_e... and soon corporations will be able to vote https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-06-30/delaware-house-approves-bill-allowing-business-entities-to-vote-in-towns-municipal-elections https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-06-30/delaware-...
  - taylodl 3y ago
    Companies ARE NOT people and SCOTUS ruling otherwise doesn't make it any more true. That's one of the poorest decisions SCOTUS has ever made and it needs to be revisited.
    - hayst4ck 3y ago
      I think the dissent was prescient: From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC): He argued that the court's ruling "threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution." He added: "A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold."
  - Incipient 3y ago
    Blimey. You lot are in trouble. I'd say do something about it, but your corporate overlords won't let you!

Incipient 3y ago

>private sector lobbying Honestly half the problem is you call bribery "lobbying". Why on earth companies are allowed to donate mega millions to a politician is insane.

andrekandre 3y ago
> Why on earth companies are allowed to donate mega millions to a politician is insane. because companies are people and people have free speech and money is a form of speech (according to the supreme court anyways) https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/citizens_united_v._federal_election_commission_%282010%29 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/citizens_united_v._federal_e... and soon corporations will be able to vote https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-06-30/delaware-house-approves-bill-allowing-business-entities-to-vote-in-towns-municipal-elections https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-06-30/delaware-...
- taylodl 3y ago
  Companies ARE NOT people and SCOTUS ruling otherwise doesn't make it any more true. That's one of the poorest decisions SCOTUS has ever made and it needs to be revisited.
  - hayst4ck 3y ago
    I think the dissent was prescient: From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC): He argued that the court's ruling "threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution." He added: "A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold."
- Incipient 3y ago
  Blimey. You lot are in trouble. I'd say do something about it, but your corporate overlords won't let you!