How do we even begin to reverse state capture by special interests?

[UNCjigga]

Saw this tidbit of news today:

US firearms examiners declared ‘essential’ shutdown workers after gun-lobby pressure

Americans able to buy deadly ‘gangster weapons’ again as lobbying forces key concession from Trump officials

www.theguardian.com

“As of this week, gun owners will be able to restart purchases of some of the most highly regulated weapons in the US, with the return to work of federal employees responsible for regulating the items now reclassified as “essential”. They include silencers, short-barreled rifles and vintage machine-guns produced before 1986.”

Trump caved to relentless pressure from the NRA and other lobbying groups because God forbid the arms fetishists are prevented from acquiring more specialized murder tools during the shutdown! What. The. Actual. Fuck? We’ve gutted like 2/3s of the CDC, we’re losing more Air Traffic Controllers every day, and we can no longer approve medicines, respond to disasters, ensure contaminant-free food and drinking water, make farmers whole, fund research, or provide loans to small businesses—but at least we can buy vintage machine guns again!!

It’d be easy to blame Trump for this—but state capture by special interest groups was fait accompli way before Trump. Both parties have caved to the almighty fundraising dollars. How do we even begin to “drain the swamp”?

 

[ivwshane]

If you take money out of politics and enforce 503c laws and increase reporting and disclosure rules for politicians, other than corruption, what would be the motive of politicians to continue bending the knee to special interests?

 

[UNCjigga]

I also think lobbyists and large dollar donors should be required by law to wear a large necklace (think Thomas Cromwell from ‘The Tudors’) or sash identifying their status anytime they come within 50 feet of a public officeholder. Then every single photo op and social media clip of said officeholder will make it easy to identify how many times they’re surrounded by lobbyists and large donors vs. constituents.

 

[ivwshane]

I also think lobbyists and large dollar donors should be required by law to wear a large necklace (think Thomas Cromwell from ‘The Tudors’) or sash identifying their status anytime they come within 50 feet of a public officeholder. Then every single photo op and social media clip of said officeholder will make it easy to identify how many times they’re surrounded by lobbyists and large donors vs. constituents.

I also believe every interaction with a lobbyist should be recorded and viewable to the public, phone calls, in person, email, letters, etc. There should be a separate department at the IRS that also works with the FBI to regulate and investigate all federal politicians.

We have to make corruption hard again.

 

[cytg111]

Support guys like this?

Its so weird, listening to this guys rhetoric and politics is 1:1 listening to a local politician in Scandinavia... yup yup true true makes sense yup yup. Except he is brown muslim and American.

 

[hal2kilo]

Support guys like this?

Its so weird, listening to this guys rhetoric and politics is 1:1 listening to a local politician in Scandinavia... yup yup true true makes sense yup yup. Except he is brown muslim and American.

Seems someone finally grew a spine (once they were sure of how things were going). This is what's wrong with the current Dem party. It's late, but maybe you are starting to smell the coffee.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/after-a-lengthy-wait-jeffries-to-endorse-mamdani-00621799

 

[cytg111]

Seems someone finally grew a spine (once they were sure of how things were going). This is what's wrong with the current Dem party. It's late, but maybe you are starting to smell the coffee.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/after-a-lengthy-wait-jeffries-to-endorse-mamdani-00621799

Yea Shultz is a tool, just following the trend, no core, no value no spine.

 

[UNCjigga]

Seems someone finally grew a spine (once they were sure of how things were going). This is what's wrong with the current Dem party. It's late, but maybe you are starting to smell the coffee.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/after-a-lengthy-wait-jeffries-to-endorse-mamdani-00621799

I think establishment Dems are coming around to the optics of crying wolf about a socialist mayor who’s “chasing billionaires out of NYC” while Republicans offer nary a peep about a President who’s single handedly wrecking the economy the same way he’s wrecking the White House.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Thanks! I was worried i couldn't get a stamp for a SBR i was going to pick up at the next show. Now everything is all hunky-dory. Gotta love us some Trump.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Thanks! I was worried i couldn't get a stamp for a SBR i was going to pick up at the next show. Now everything is all hunky-dory. Gotta love us some Trump.

Yeah those guns are protecting us from tyranny alright....

 

[nakedfrog]

Yeah those guns are protecting us from tyranny alright....

The tyranny of having to listen to women and minorities.