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Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

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Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#211

Post by cindyllm »

dd8601fn wrote: post #210
colordrops wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You haven't been paying attention and digging into unfiltered sources if you think significant corruption is a new thing in the US.

It’s so, so much worse now. Like everyone here said, they just don’t even care about being “caught”. Not ten years ago most of this stuff would likely end a career or land you in prison. Now it’s just, “So what? Nobody can do anything.” It’s not better that the corruption is blatant. They’re rubbing our faces in it, and not the least bit concerned about consequences. The message is clear… there aren’t any, anymore. A…

[dead]

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#212

Post by ModernMech »

hackernud3s wrote: post #177
ModernMech wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's recent enough that people living today knew former slaves. That's not ancient history at all, so I think the comparison is not good. I'm sure Brazil also has to deal with fallout of their practices, but I don't see how it changes how the fallout of US slavery impacts the US.

I think you need to check the math on that. Knew a former slave maybe?

Yes right indeed, edited.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#213

Post by atmavatar »

stinkbeetle wrote: post #179
tstrimple wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The far right won office and made it manifest. Just like they complain on government inefficiency and that it can never accomplish anything while explicitly making those things worse while in power to prove their point.

Yes possibly so I'd have to see the evidence for that, but my point is it's great that such a large majority of people are now well aware of the horrific and disgusting corruption, inefficiency, and incompetence in governments.

For some quick and easy evidence, you could look at the history of the Post Office.

USPS has always been the poster child for efficient and effective government agencies. Despite claims otherwise, the agency still manages to deliver letters and other postage to areas private industry like FedEx, UPS, et. al. would never touch.

Unfortunately, over the years, Republican Congresses and Presidents have repeatedly attempted to sabotage the agency. Some recent(-ish) examples:

* The 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which required USPS to create a fund to pay the cost of post-retirement health care costs 75 years into the future.

* The Republican-appointed postmaster general Louis DeJoy overseeing the removal of 711 sorting machines as well as a number of public mailboxes in the lead-up to the 2020 election, which, due to Covid, was expected to have larger-than-normal use of mail-in ballots. Not only did it cause significant concern regarding mail-in ballots, but it also resulted in significant delays and backlogs in general mail delivery.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#214

Post by bandofthehawk »

estearum wrote: post #13
autoexec wrote: post #8

Corruption in the US isn't new, but it's never been done as openly as it has been recently. I don't think it's a good thing. It shows that the government isn't concerned about what the public thinks, which suggests that they believe they no longer have to be. That's not a healthy sign for what's supposed to be a democracy.

Well it’s almost certainly not just more open. But also more common and more intense. There is 100% absolutely no possible comparison to Trump’s personal acts of corruption in any prior White House ever.

Maybe it doesn't qualify as a personal act of corruption, but George W. lying us into the the Iraq war followed by capturing people off the street and then torturing them in military prisons, is comparable to what's happening today, in my opinion.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#215

Post by ModernMech »

0xDEAFBEAD wrote: post #155
ModernMech wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's recent enough that people living today knew former slaves. That's not ancient history at all, so I think the comparison is not good. I'm sure Brazil also has to deal with fallout of their practices, but I don't see how it changes how the fallout of US slavery impacts the US.

>It's recent enough that people living today knew a slave. Slavery ended in 1865. That's 161 years ago. So maybe there are a few modern 80-year-olds who interacted with 80-year-old former slaves when the modern 80-year-olds were infants. Those 80-year-old former slaves would themselves have no memory of slavery since it would've ended before they could form memories. And the modern 80-year-olds would have no memory o…

That's not the point, it's that people who were slaves died in a time when color TVs existed. This woman died in 1964! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_J._Cooper

That's not long enough ago to call it ancient history.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#216

Post by sbseitz »

Petersipoi wrote: post #136
rapind wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Trump tomorrow says communism is great, then every Fox news host, MAGA content creator, and MAGA bot would be extolling the virtues of communism. The republican house and senate would enable it, maybe with a small bribe here and there. There is no line. There is no integrity. It's just looting.

[flagged]

Troll or pure clown.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#217

Post by bandofthehawk »

autoexec wrote: post #109
grvdrm wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair take, I think. But we didn’t have to vote DJT into office as a counteracting force. Whether every decision is bad or not, not my point. It just seemed obvious that he wasn’t the right guy. Some people can’t vote against their party. Some people believe write in is the move.

A write in, or even just scrawling "FUCK YOU" across the ballot is at least an active protest. It shows that you aren't apathetic to, or okay with, what is going on. It'd be interesting to see a write in campaign for someone with enough public support to be more than just a protest vote though. It'd be interesting to see someone campaign to the public with no interest in participating in the two party system at all,…

There are plenty of third-party candidates in most elections. However, most people are convinced that they have to vote for the lesser of two evils. In addition, a third party or independent candidate who starts getting too much public support will be likely be sabotaged long before election day. For example look up Butch Ware's recent run for governor in California. It's just the tip of the iceberg in how the two party system maintains control.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#218

Post by hackernud3s »

mjmsmith wrote: post #193
hackernud3s wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Comparing MAGA to Nazis is a bit much, and I would argue that this kind of hyperbole is a better example of how we got here.

True, in the sense that right wing extremists apparently have no agency and no responsibility for their actions or beliefs.

I was thinking more that Nazi's rounded up and gassed a million Jews. So I'm not in a forgiving mood if you're making joking comparisons or trying to be cute.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#219

Post by dozerly »

chr15m wrote: post #166

Most democracy measurement projects and indices have shown a decline in democratic performance for the US over the past decade. EIU reclassified the country from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy" in 2016. V-Dem went from "liberal democracy" to "electoral democracy" in 2025. When you have a wide variety of entities measuring the same trend, it is probably broadly correct. The hope the good citizenry find a fix. […

The US’s democracy has been under fire from foreign nations and corporations for years. It has slowly degraded because of it. What we’re seeing now is the “all at once” portion.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#220

Post by mrtesthah »

iAMkenough wrote: post #11
autoexec wrote: post #8

Corruption in the US isn't new, but it's never been done as openly as it has been recently. I don't think it's a good thing. It shows that the government isn't concerned about what the public thinks, which suggests that they believe they no longer have to be. That's not a healthy sign for what's supposed to be a democracy.

Sucks seeing the federal government weaponize the U.S. Postal Service to prevent legitimate ballots from being counted.

It doesn't just "suck" -- it's a path to dictatorship that threatens the freedoms and lives of its citizens.
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