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Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

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Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#121

Post by dariusj18 »

beeboop wrote: post #120
knodi123 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The US is actually one the most corrupt countries on earth. That's an enormous allegation. But I don't think it holds up. The US has corruption, but actual bribery is rare, and the reason we're so outraged is because we have the attitude and expectation that no one should be corrupt. This is like saying "I wouldn't want to live in a bright room - I'd see a roach or two! I'd rather keep the lights down low."

There are hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes exchanging hands every year: https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs... PACs are the method of bribery in American politics. Anyone can contribute in unlimited amounts. The other is donations to foundations owned by the politician, and of course speaking fees.

You perceive these as bribes, but you can also perceive them as exactly what they are called. Political Action Committees, a group of people/companies who have a common political purpose, spending money towards that goal.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#122

Post by syzarian »

vuln wrote: post #119
syzarian wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think AOC and Trump's level of corruption are even within one order of magnitude of each other then you need to seriously question how you evaluate the information you are receiving. Trump is orders of magnitude more self-serving, greedy, full of avarice, corrupt, and debased than any other politician in the U.S. right now. Trump's son-in-law made billions during Trump's Presidency. Trump forced the Secret Ser…

> If you think AOC and Trump's level of corruption are even within one order of magnitude of each other then you need to seriously question how you evaluate the information you are receiving. Trump is orders of magnitude more self-serving, greedy, full of avarice, corrupt, and debased than any other politician in the U.S. right now. Trump's son-in-law made billions during Trump's Presidency. Trump forced the Secret S…

There are instances where both words apply to the same situation. You have a serious deficiency when it comes to applying judgements consistently.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#123

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

slaw wrote: post #116
syzarian wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The U.S. is not moving rapidly to the left. Your perception is being skewed by how far to the right the U.S. is in comparison to other OECD nations. The Republican party is far more right wing than any other major comparable party in the OECD.

U.S. is rapidly moving to the left, that is a fact. It doesn't matter what other countries do.

Is this a statement about continental drift maybe?

Otherwise, citation needed, your feelings aren't facts.

"That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#124

Post by knodi123 »

beeboop wrote: post #120
knodi123 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The US is actually one the most corrupt countries on earth. That's an enormous allegation. But I don't think it holds up. The US has corruption, but actual bribery is rare, and the reason we're so outraged is because we have the attitude and expectation that no one should be corrupt. This is like saying "I wouldn't want to live in a bright room - I'd see a roach or two! I'd rather keep the lights down low."

There are hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes exchanging hands every year: https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs... PACs are the method of bribery in American politics. Anyone can contribute in unlimited amounts. The other is donations to foundations owned by the politician, and of course speaking fees.

PACs spend a lot of their money simply doing things that help a candidate. Do you want to make it illegal for groups of people whose funding is opaque, to do anything that benefits a candidate? If one guy puts out a lawn sign for his favored candidate, it's free speech, but if a few neighbors pool their money and rent a billboard, now it's a corrupt PAC engaged in bribery?

PACs definitely have problems and are sources of abuse, but simply calling them bribery is so over the top it's ridiculous.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#125

Post by jongjong »

m0llusk wrote: post #72
jongjong wrote: post #29

'Speaking fees' is a euphemism for 'after-office bribe'.

What evidence is there that Yellen's policies or speeches were influenced?

The huge sums of money she was given to 'speak'; that's the evidence she was influenced.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#127

Post by mardifoufs »

beeboop wrote: post #120
knodi123 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The US is actually one the most corrupt countries on earth. That's an enormous allegation. But I don't think it holds up. The US has corruption, but actual bribery is rare, and the reason we're so outraged is because we have the attitude and expectation that no one should be corrupt. This is like saying "I wouldn't want to live in a bright room - I'd see a roach or two! I'd rather keep the lights down low."

There are hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes exchanging hands every year: https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs... PACs are the method of bribery in American politics. Anyone can contribute in unlimited amounts. The other is donations to foundations owned by the politician, and of course speaking fees.

If you think that "hundreds of millions of dollars" is actually supporting the assertion that the US is the most corrupt country in the world... well, clearly, some perspective is needed. My home country, morocco, which is comparatively way poorer than the US, has a corruption industry that probably goes into the low billions of dollars a year. And that's assuming superpacs are actually a form of corruption, which is very, very debatable. Even EU farming subsidies probably qualify for the term more than superpacs.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#128

Post by vlovich123 »

vuln wrote: post #89
vlovich123 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His money is tied up in his brand. Everyone constantly talking about him is his brand and he’s very much in the school of thought that “all publicity is good publicity”.

> he’s very much in the school of thought that “all publicity is good publicity”. Yeah he is, but I just can't see it being profitable at this point. His base isn't THAT big is it? His base is the poorest amongst current and previous Presidents.

That’s not his income flow. Those people don’t pay him. They vote for him. His political clout then improves his brand.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#129

Post by dragonwriter »

hgsgm wrote: post #78
jefftk wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does earning money from selling a book hurt your incentives to do a good job as a politician? It seems to me it makes them better: there's less temptation to take money from industries you were involved in regulating, and your book will sell better if people think you did good work in office.

Buying books in bulk (not for reading) is a standard way to bribe a politician, by laundering campaign funds to personal funds, or even sloppy direct purchases. Several politicians have been caught, from local to national. One example; https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/gop-book-deal...

> Buying books in bulk (not for reading) is a standard way to bribe a politician

Also a standard way to propagandize that the ideas within, and the author, are popular, whether or not the author is a politician.

OTOH, with a relatively young (for leaving the White House) and active figure (or couple), establishing a relationship as their publisher may have worth beyond the immediate book.

Re: Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall St, tech firms (2021)

#130

Post by vuln »

syzarian wrote: post #122
vuln wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you think AOC and Trump's level of corruption are even within one order of magnitude of each other then you need to seriously question how you evaluate the information you are receiving. Trump is orders of magnitude more self-serving, greedy, full of avarice, corrupt, and debased than any other politician in the U.S. right now. Trump's son-in-law made billions during Trump's Presidency. Trump forced the Secret S…

There are instances where both words apply to the same situation. You have a serious deficiency when it comes to applying judgements consistently.

I'm sorry you feel that way and feel the need to punch down at someone that doesn't adhere to the same logic flow as you may.

How do you feel about Hunter Biden's _laptop from hell_ which was touted by the media as Russian disinfo but in recent months the media has in fact confirmed it's not Russian disinfo. It contains by some counts over 1,000 crimes committed by Hunter, his father, his uncle and close confidants.

https://bidenlaptopreport.marcopolousa.org/

I may not like the source or how facts are shown but it's very hard to look away from the train wreck.

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