Is union and corporate money good for our political process?

[Paul98]

Having all this money in and people being able to say what ever they want is terrible.

 

[Dulanic]

Fuck no it's not good for our system. Money = Power = Corruption. This applies for all donors and all politicians. A few may start out with good intentions, but it never lasts once the money starts flowing.

The problem is, what can be done about it? The very people being corrupted are the same people who would need to vote it out. Never going to happen.

 

[a777pilot]

You can Talk, Write Books/Letters/Papers, carry a Picket Sign all you want. Just don't equate Cash as Free Speech, it isn't.

So the government can tell us when and how to spend our own money?

 

[Infohawk]

So the government can tell us when and how to spend our own money?

Yeah or did you think you were allowed to spend your money on weapons for the Taliban?

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Fuck no it's not good for our system. Money = Power = Corruption. This applies for all donors and all politicians. A few may start out with good intentions, but it never lasts once the money starts flowing.

The problem is, what can be done about it? The very people being corrupted are the same people who would need to vote it out. Never going to happen.

Money is not the root of the problem, just a symptom. My wife use to be a lobbyist, and I can assure you there is a lot of collusion going on without any money exchanging hands.

Here is an example: Way before the actual breakup of the telephone company, the government did try to bring up an anti-trust suit. In exchange to (temporary) keep their monopoly the telephone company agree to bring telephone access to poor and rural communities. Both sides got something, and it temporary kept the government away.

 

[QuantumPion]

The problem isn't that special interests give money to congress. The problem is that congress has the power to give special interests favors in the first place.

 

[nehalem256]

Yeah or did you think you were allowed to spend your money on weapons for the Taliban?

Or hookers, or drugs...

 

[lotus503]

Money is not the root of the problem, just a symptom. My wife use to be a lobbyist, and I can assure you there is a lot of collusion going on without any money exchanging hands.

Here is an example: Way before the actual breakup of the telephone company, the government did try to bring up an anti-trust suit. In exchange to (temporary) keep their monopoly the telephone company agree to bring telephone access to poor and rural communities. Both sides got something, and it temporary kept the government away.

Money is the root of the problem, it's takes money to get elected. Before one can make deals with monopolies they have to get elected to office.

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Money is the root of the problem, it's takes money to get elected. Before one can make deals with monopolies they have to get elected to office.

So if one could take all the money out of politics, then corruption would cease?

Don't confuse cause with symptom.

 

[monovillage]

Originally Posted by Infohawk View Post
Yeah or did you think you were allowed to spend your money on weapons for the Taliban?

Or hookers, or drugs...

Of gun sellers, prostitutes or drug dealers the most despicable group are the lawyers.

 

[Linux23]

Money is never the problem.

It's the LOVE of money which is the problem.

 

[a777pilot]

Yeah or did you think you were allowed to spend your money on weapons for the Taliban?

That makes no sense at all.