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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

#221

Post by equality_1138 »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #51
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.

Part of the problem with the open brazenness of the corruption is that the populace of the country will follow the lead. The rot will spread far and wide if it is seen that there is no consequence.

I find this optimistic, suggesting that the rot can be stopped with some consequence? The rotten "populace" in the country seem to love their corrupt politicians, and it's because they're corrupt too. Meritocracy began it's slow death with the banking bailouts.

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

#222

Post by asdff »

jimt1234 wrote: post #77

Citizens United. Nothing else to say. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC

Some local governments are fully designed to be perfect vehicles for corruption by this point. The incentives just lead to it over time as one corrupt prick makes things a little easier for themselves and their ilk to operate without oversight. Things compound over the decades of people drawn to the graft opportunities in local government with their campaigns funded by the beneficiaries of the graft, against little to no opposition.

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

#223

Post by DarmokTanagra »

hakunin wrote: post #195
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.

Saying “US corruption isn’t new” is a truism. There are probably isolated incidents, and many unproven theories, but everyone is quick to agree with this statement because it’s a common feeling everyone has now for some reason. The reality of corruption is likely much smaller and more boring than people think. What we’re witnessing now is what should be called corruption. That corruption that everyone has been scream…

Corruption in the US went from proxying bribes through layers of shell corps and lobbyists to just buying Trump coin.

It has always existed, but it is absurdly easy now and happening in plain sight.

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

#224

Post by a34729t »

roenxi wrote: post #165
vjvjvjvjghv wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"People hate Congress but love their Congressperson. " I honestly think most Congress people want to do good for the country. But the system has become totally dysfunctional making it basically impossible to really work on issues. The influence of money is just too much. To me this goes hand in hand with the rising inequality that gives a few people at the top outsized influence. Super PACs don't even have to deploy…

> I honestly think most Congress people want to do good for the country. That seems wildly unlikely. Wouldn't there be evidence for it by now? Over the last decades there have been scant murmurs of the US congress sitting down and taking a serious look at what might be good for a country. I'm happy to say that the root cause is a voting public in the US (everywhere, really) rewarding unprincipled liars and punishing…

Most of the US airforce is executive transport. Clearly you dont actually know people higher up in government. As someone who dated a very high up state legislator in my state said: She totally doesnt care cause she doesnt suffer the consequences. And at the congressional level it is again a level apart. Michal Crichton has a name for this, I think!

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

#225

Post by iAMkenough »

mrtesthah wrote: post #220
iAMkenough wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not a path, it's a result. That sucks.

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

#226

Post by chronc7403 »

shusaku wrote: post #189
0xDEAFBEAD wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vote however you want, but I'm sick of people abusing the flag feature.

Throw away accounts dropping political talking points deserve to be flagged.

> Throw away accounts dropping political talking points deserve to be flagged.

If you’re American, then make sure to vote in next election.

If you’re not, tell your country’s representatives how you feel.

Let the market decide.

Unless you think, your opinion is more valid than the market.

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

#227

Post by WalterBright »

otterley wrote: post #175
creato wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That the issue of slavery has weak explanatory power for what is happening today.

I didn’t ask you. But since you chose to get involved: do you believe there is no lasting impact or consequences resulting from slavery in the USA?

Pretty much everything that has happened in the past has consequences today. It's the butterfly effect.

Slavery has existed as far back as history. The idea that people are created equal, and are equal under the law, is very, very new, and that idea has resulted in a great many positive things happening.

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

#228

Post by bluefirebrand »

paisawalla wrote: post #208
datsci_est_2015 wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s the implication here? Trump actually isn’t corrupt? Or Biden was actually secretly as corrupt as Trump is? Or more generally, the current state of affairs is somehow justifiable?

The implication is that even if I might agree with you, we ought not be subjecting each other to incoherent rants in lieu of substantive arguments. Just don't say anything, if the only thing you have to say is They Watch Fox News. Even if you're inclined to believe the conclusions, this should recognizably be a silly rant and I don't want to live in a world where we justify sloppy arguments if we agree with the concl…

> Maybe you understand something better than I do, but I submit that it's brainrot to think my comment was somehow "Trump is not corrupt and/or Biden is equally corrupt".

I don't really think you realize how that initial post comes across, because I'm re-reading your previous and struggling to come up with any other interpretation besides "both sides are bad".

If you are intending to say something different than that, maybe try stating it directly rather than sarcastically

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

#229

Post by bluefirebrand »

wat10000 wrote: post #30
throw0101a wrote: post #15

Even before this new record high, in the previous ~15 years the average seemed to be around 75% (±), which seems… high? I would perhaps understand the US public thinking that (some levels of) government being "incompetent", but not corrupt. By some measure the US does seem to have 'decent' scores for perception of corruption: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index * https://www.transparency.org/…

I'd guess it comes down to what counts as "the government." Millions of people work for the federal government, and millions more for state and local governments. Is there widespread corruption among them? I don't think so. And I don't think my countrymen think so either. But "the government" is often meant as just the very top. The President is corrupt. Big swathes of Congress are corrupt. We have a Supreme Court ju…

I think there's probably plenty of minor corruption around. A lot of it takes the form of "I have control over funds and I am going to award contracts to people I'm close to"

Or maybe soft bribery, like government officials being wined and dined by lobbyists. I'm sure that isn't "supposed" to happen, but I'm also pretty sure it happens a lot.

This sort of corruption exists a ton at corporations for sure, so I am hard pressed to think it doesn't happen in government

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

#230

Post by ozgrakkurt »

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.

It is perplexing how similar it looks when a stupid person who is elected by a stupid base is directing a country.

The difference between people doing corruption before and Trump is that the other people had a "legit" lifestyle and worldview but did corruption as a side thing. An ignorant business person like Trump has corruption/intimidation/coercion/deception etc. as a lifestyle because someone like him can't live in the world that he is living in without this lifestyle.

Trump isn't really corrupt in the same sense as Obama because they are fundamentally different. You could even say more educated politicians that are able to understand what is going on are more evil.

People won't tolerate evil politicians anymore because they understand they are being robbed by the financial system and aren't getting their piece of the pie. It has to be a break to democracy (war?) or economic reform or Mamdani/Trump style government from now, it is really unthinkable people will keep electing Biden/Hilary/Harris/JD Vance kind of politicians anymore unless there is a big breakthrough in brainwashing

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