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Lobbyists are responsible for all of the harm that Americans at large come to. Eco damage, car crashes, toxic chemicals in food, the drug war, wars in the Middl

Lobbyists are responsible for all of the harm that Americans at large come to. Eco damage, car crashes, toxic chemicals in food, the drug war, wars in the Middle East, lack of public housing, the world's most expensive health care, union-busting, even heart disease. If you can think of it and it hurts lots of Americans, lobbyists were behind it.

unanonymousanon 1y ago
I think this takes too much responsibility off the politicians swayed by lobbyists and the corporations paying lobbyists. Don’t get me wrong, lobbyists have been middlemen in a lot of disastrous policy, but they’re not really the source of the problem.
- glorpsicle 1y ago
  The problem is a system which allows politicians to be influenced in this way, and the group of politicians that accept said influence. The lobbyists–while not very admirable in their own right–are simply acting in their own self-interest. Someone–those in charge–needs to deny them.
  - 9rx 1y ago
    > The problem is a system which allows politicians to be influenced in this way Well, that's (representative) democracy for you. If politicians were off doing their own thing you'd have a dictatorship instead. Being "influenced" (i.e. listening to the people who share their story) is the whole reason you hired the politician in the first place! Yes, democracy is hard work. Everyone is supposed to be lobbying. That is what democracy is made of. It is your civic duty. But, understandably, most people would rather do something else — like complaining on HN about how those participating in democracy got their way. That's why not everyone in the world actually believes in democracy. But, whether you like it or not, if you live in a democracy it is your duty to participate in it. Speaking to your representative regularly (i.e. lobbying) to air out your concerns is a necessity. They are not mind readers! If you choose not to, don't expect magic.
    - unanonymousanon 1y ago
      [dead]
Scoundreller 1y ago
We need some anti-mosquito lobbyists. That’s an environment disaster I can get behind. Just hasn’t happened yet because the benefit is too spread out to make it happen.
- hvb2 1y ago
  > Just hasn’t happened yet because the benefit is too spread out to make it happen. No, it doesn't happen because you can't make money out of that. So there's nobody to pay/hire the lobbyist. Same reason why there's hardly research into new antibiotics. It's hard to make money on those as they tend to cure. Chronic diseases and their subscriptions to suppress symptoms, that's where money is to be made
- tim333 1y ago
  Here you go. Oxitec https://news.sky.com/story/750-million-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-to-be-released-across-florida-keys-12052874 https://news.sky.com/story/750-million-genetically-modified-... lobbying https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2008&id=D000055129 https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary...

unanonymousanon 1y ago

I think this takes too much responsibility off the politicians swayed by lobbyists and the corporations paying lobbyists. Don’t get me wrong, lobbyists have been middlemen in a lot of disastrous policy, but they’re not really the source of the problem.

glorpsicle 1y ago
The problem is a system which allows politicians to be influenced in this way, and the group of politicians that accept said influence. The lobbyists–while not very admirable in their own right–are simply acting in their own self-interest. Someone–those in charge–needs to deny them.
- 9rx 1y ago
  > The problem is a system which allows politicians to be influenced in this way Well, that's (representative) democracy for you. If politicians were off doing their own thing you'd have a dictatorship instead. Being "influenced" (i.e. listening to the people who share their story) is the whole reason you hired the politician in the first place! Yes, democracy is hard work. Everyone is supposed to be lobbying. That is what democracy is made of. It is your civic duty. But, understandably, most people would rather do something else — like complaining on HN about how those participating in democracy got their way. That's why not everyone in the world actually believes in democracy. But, whether you like it or not, if you live in a democracy it is your duty to participate in it. Speaking to your representative regularly (i.e. lobbying) to air out your concerns is a necessity. They are not mind readers! If you choose not to, don't expect magic.
  - unanonymousanon 1y ago
    [dead]

Scoundreller 1y ago

We need some anti-mosquito lobbyists. That’s an environment disaster I can get behind. Just hasn’t happened yet because the benefit is too spread out to make it happen.

hvb2 1y ago
> Just hasn’t happened yet because the benefit is too spread out to make it happen. No, it doesn't happen because you can't make money out of that. So there's nobody to pay/hire the lobbyist. Same reason why there's hardly research into new antibiotics. It's hard to make money on those as they tend to cure. Chronic diseases and their subscriptions to suppress symptoms, that's where money is to be made
tim333 1y ago
Here you go. Oxitec https://news.sky.com/story/750-million-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-to-be-released-across-florida-keys-12052874 https://news.sky.com/story/750-million-genetically-modified-... lobbying https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2008&id=D000055129 https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary...