One of my pet peeves is the fact that lobby groups are legal. I can't wrap my brain around the fact that the American public does not actively seek to redress something that by nature goes so much against the democratic process. Here are some books and links that look into this business of lobbying.
Gangs of America: The Rise of Corporate Power And The Disabling of Democracy by Ted Nace
Downsizing America:How America sidelined its citizens and privatized its public by Matthew A. Crenson and Benjamin Ginsberg
Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine by Dr. John Abramson
What do you think contributes to this lethargy with the American people to not try to undue this very undemocratic process? (and please, give me something else other than 'money' because this country came about by the determination that attracted support and finances and willing bodies to fight..there has to be another answer..)
What motivates the American public to do nothing Ingrid?
ReplyDelete$Money!$ Success! :)
I think put purely in simple terms, the anount of energy expended to make alot of money, is alot less than the amount of energy needed to remove lobby groups and make less money.
In other words, America is such a success story that lobbying corruption is simply "noise" at this point. Why would someone who is in their, say, early 20s, waste time lobbying for removing lobbying, when they could instead simply get a work, get a degree, get an awesome job, buy a home, have a family, and generally live life very comfortably?
I have an idea though: Tie in lobbying to gas prices, where the more lobbying gets done, the higher gas prices go up, then I am pretty CERTAIN we'll begin to throw a tantrum. ;)
-Ibn
well, its simple, corruption is systemic, its just a fancy name in the US, i.e. lobbying, but its culturally acceptable worldwide.
ReplyDeleteever wonder why those countries transparency international declare the worlds most corrupt stay on that list at the bottom every year? its because everyone hopes to get a piece of the pie at some point.
heck, we even teach ourkids to take bribes, to eat, to not eat, to do what we want, to not do what we dont want. something for nothing...
whats absurd is the US calling other countries corrupt, when the top brass have it to a science, and have a fancy name for it...